He Traded 6 John Deeres for One Massey Ferguson His Neighbors Called the Bank

A multi-generational Illinois corn operation consolidates its aging six-tractor John Deere fleet into a single high-horsepower Massey Ferguson MF 9S. The neighbors call it reckless. The bank calls it overexposed. His own son calls it a mistake. The first season, a hydraulic issue sidelines the Massey for nine days at peak planting — and every critic in the county feels vindicated. But the repair bill is a fraction of what six John Deere service contracts cost annually, and by year two, the operation runs leaner and faster than it ever has.