The spring of 2019 was the wettest on record across the Missouri River bottoms. We were planting Section 14 in the last week of May — mud up to the axles, window closing fast. Every machine in the shed got called up, and the ones that held a straight furrow earned their keep for another decade.
Steel Doesn't Need a Firmware Update
We run three generations of iron across 4,800 acres in Pottawattamie County. The 4020 — Granddad bought it new in 1965 — still handles loader work every morning before dawn. The 4455 covers our tillage. And the 8370R carries auto-steer and variable-rate through planting and harvest. Each machine earned its keep. None of them are disposable.
“The best decision we made was keeping the 4020 instead of trading it in. It still starts on the first turn every March.”