In Ag Equipment Intelligence’s latest Dealer Sentiments & Business Conditions survey, a net 16% of dealers reported being more optimistic in September compared to August. Now that Election Day is upon us, that could swing the opposite direction depending on the results.

It’s that time of year again, the fourth quarter of the year. Auctions, year-end tax buying and equipment upgrades for next year are in full swing.

Today’s agricultural tires resemble their predecessors in that they are still round and mainly made of rubber. Maintaining a tread and staying inflated may have been enough for years, but modern tire design parameters accounting for soil compaction, improved traction, tread wear, sidewall strength at super-low inflation rates and, increasingly, environmental concerns have permanently changed the way farm equipment engages the soil.

Over the last few years when we’ve focused on workforce development — particularly recruiting and training technicians — as a fair amount of focus has been on getting to kids at a younger age or to kids that don’t live on the farm to expose them to the opportunities that exist in agriculture. What if we met those kids where they are already engaged — video games.

The fifth spoke in the upper right completes the Good to Great Flywheel — “Building your dealership brand with all segments” by employing a robust marketing process.

Just within the last few weeks, there’s been plenty to keep one’s attention, both in and outside of the farm economy. For a while up until the first debate, even the presidential election seemed to be fighting for attention. Here’s just a few things we’ve been watching as we put together the final edition of 2020.

As Dave Kanicki prepares for retirement, he recounts the changes he's seen Farm Equipment magazine and Ag Equipment Intelligence go through.

“They’ll know more about the products than I can anyway,” he said. Yet without opportunity to contribute to decisions, it also increases the likelihood that your transaction will become “commoditized.”

1960 saw changes in farm tractors in styling, increased horsepower and operator comfort that were intended to entice farmers to purchase their next new tractor. Even with all of these modern improvements, those tractors remained essentially a frame with an engine and transmission covered with a sleek sheet metal exterior.