This week’s DataPoint is brought to you by the Precision Farming Dealer Summit, coming to St. Louis Jan. 5-6. To learn more and register, visit PrecisionDealerSummit.com.

The Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois tracks machinery costs every two years. Its latest update was released earlier this month. It should come as no surprise that estimated costs for most machinery operations are higher in 2025 than in 2023. The majority of the cost increases are associated with higher list prices for machinery.

The estimated cost for combining corn is $54.40 per hour, up from $50.70 in 2023 and $37.60 in 2019. 

For a 590 horsepower tractor, the 2025 estimated cost is $326.80, up nearly $90 per hour since 2019. 

Watch the full version of this episode of On The Record