Woke up this morning staring at my busted old fertilizer spreader – thing decided to quit halfway through the north field yesterday. Perfect timing right? Had to figure out whether to buy new or hunt for used. Grabbed my coffee and started digging.
The Hunt Begins
Drove over to Johnson’s Equipment first thing. That shiny new 500-pound capacity spreader caught my eye immediately. Sales guy kept raving about warranties and zero maintenance. Then he dropped the price – $1200 plus tax. Nearly choked on my coffee. Wandered over to their used section. Found a rusty 2018 model same size for $650. Seat was torn and the auger looked crusty. Hmm.
Checked FarmTrade next. Their “certified pre-owned” looked cleaner – guy claimed they’d replaced all wear parts. Tag said $850. Made a quick list comparing prices:
-
New spreader
- $1200 + $96 tax = $1296
- 3-year warranty
- Includes calibration tool
-
Best used option
- $850 flat (no tax)
- 90-day dealer warranty
- Replaced auger + chains
The Ugly Surprise
Almost bought the used one till I called Barney who runs the repair shop. He laughed. “Them rebuilt gearboxes? Last maybe two seasons tops. Another $400 fix waiting to happen.” Showed me invoices from other guys – bearings failing, driveshafts snapping. Then he says “That calibration tool? You’ll need one for the used rig too – another $85.” Suddenly that $850 became $1335 real quick.
Did the math again over burnt toast this morning:
-
Used Real Cost
- $850 spreader
- $400 inevitable repairs
- $85 calibration tool
Total: $1335
-
New Real Cost
- $1296 total out the door
- Free service kit
- Peace of mind for 3 years
My Bottom Line
Signed papers on the new spreader after lunch. Yeah it hurt writing that check. But I know exactly what I’m getting – no surprises crawling under greasy parts next planting season. Sometimes “cheap” ends up costing more in sweat and cash. Still gonna haunt auctions for deals though – just not for equipment that can wreck my harvest if it fails.
