dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

A great short read. Farmers ask great questions regarding being forced to purchase electric farm equipment.

A close friend farms over 10,000 acres of corn in the midwest. The property is spread out over 3 counties. His operation is a "partnership farm" with John Deere. They use the larger farm operations as demonstration projects for the promotion and development of new equipment. He recently received a phone call from his John Deere representative, and they want the farm to go to electric tractors and combines in 2023. He currently has 5 diesel combines that cost $900,000 each that are traded in every 3 years. Also, over 10 really BIG tractors. JD wants him to go all-electric soon.

He said: "Ok, I have some questions. How do I charge these combines when they are 3 counties away from the shop in the middle of a cornfield, in the middle of nowhere?" "How do I run them 24 hours a day for 10 or 12 days straight when the harvest is ready, and the weather is coming in?" "How do I get a 50,000+ lb. combine that takes up the width of an entire road back to the shop 20 miles away when the battery goes dead?"

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone.

When the corn is ready to harvest, it has to have the proper sugar and moisture content. If it is too wet, it has to be put in giant dryers that burn natural or propane gas, and lots of it. Harvest time is critical because if it degrades in sugar content or quality, it can drop the value of his crop by half a million dollars or more. It is analyzed at time of sale. It is standard procedure to run these machines 10 to 12 days straight, 24 hours a day at peak harvest time. When they need fuel, a tanker truck delivers it, and the machines keep going. John Deere's only answer is "we're working on it." They are being pushed by the lefty Dems in the government to force these electric machines on the American farmer. These people are out of control. They are messing with the production of food crops that feed people and livestock... all in the name of their "green dream."

Look for the cost of your box of cornflakes to triple in the next 24 months.....”

steve66613

This is an entertaining story, but, I’m
Having a little trouble believing that John Deere engineers are that naïve and/or stupid. JD is probably the least “woke” corporation on earth.

jim_oldman Loc: Lexington, SC

He wasn't talking to an Engineer, he was talking to his John Deere representative

woodguru

I wouldn't think electric would suit this kind of demand, it isn't suited for everything. You can't fit something that doesn't suit the purpose into the wrong place.

woodguru

What the hell is woke where companies are concerned?

woodguru

Nobody is forcing electric in places it just won't fit, that is just silly crap...and you can't force farmers to use what isn't working.

Now what it would take is a quick charge system where 45 minutes gets you two hours of use, but you would probably be flip flopping tractors and drivers would set up a tractor on a charger and go with the charged one. You would have to see a substantial savings in fuel and you'd have interest. It would take big high dollar operations to make it work

American Vet

You might ask Disney about that.

Or Aunt Jemima. Or Uncle Bens Rice, etc.

American Vet

It is the intent of this administration to force electric cars on everyone.

dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

These Combines all run parallel at one time and immediately move on to the next field. Most of these teams start down in Texas and begin moving northward during the harvest. They don't have time to swap out and recharge batteries. They offload grain into trucks while still harvesting. During the season, time is of the essence as any change in weather can destroy a farmers crop yield in minutes with rain or hail. You're correct that it is silly.