Farm Equipment editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great farm machinery industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week from across the web:

Are Autonomous Farm Machines Economically Ready Yet?

Autonomous farm machinery is advancing quickly — but is it ready to pencil out on commercial grain farms? Check out this article from Chad Fiechter and Josh Strine from Purdue Univ. that details a recent study that evaluates whether large-scale autonomous machinery systems are economically competitive with conventional, human-operated equipment under current conditions.

Fiechter_Autonomous-Machinery

What's Killing the Big Tractor and Combine Market?

Tractor Mike is back with another video breaking down the final AEM report of 2025 on equipment sales. In this video, he goes beyond the headlines to analyze the data for over-100 HP units, 4WD articulated tractors, and self-propelled combines. Why are these machines sitting on dealer lots? What is driving the 41.6% drop in 4WD sales? And most importantly, what does this mean for the 2026 planting season and the future of the American farmer?

Kern Machinery Has Fun with AI

The Kern Machinery marketing department had some fun with AI creating this Facebook reel promoting its service department. They say the equipment isn’t real, but imagine if it was!

Farmers Explore New Technology at Precision Planting Conference

Check out this local news coverage from Peoria, Ill.-based WEEK TV on Precision Planting’s Winter Conference. Local farmer Casey Hettinger shares his top takeaway from the event.

Ballweg Implement Hosts High School Students for Gator Wars

On Feb. 4, Ballweg Implement cleared out part of its shop to host local high school tech ed students for its annual Gator Wars. Students competed in a variety of mechanical and electrical skills activities. Students also went on tour of the dealership with owner Tom Ballweg and met with service technicians to learn more about their jobs. Watch for more on the event and Ballweg Implement in our April/May issue for the first installment of this year’s Boots on the Ground series.

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