In March of 2003, a man named Daryl Hoffman turned 51 years old on the same week he signed financing papers for a KIH MX270 Magnum tractor at Riverside Implement, 42 mi north of his farm outside Elkton, South Dakota. The dealership sat on Highway 81 red steel buildings arranged in a horseshoe around a gravel lot where 17 new KIH machines waited in careful rows.

Daryl had bought every major piece of equipment there since 1979. His father had bought there before him, back when the dealership still carried International Harvester. The service manager, a man named Vic Larson, knew Daryl’s planting schedule, his soil type, and which fields flooded first in a wet spring.

The MX270 cost $142,000. Daryl put $35,000 down and financed the rest at 5.9% over seven years. The payments would be $1,680 a month. He was trading in a 1994 KIH7250 with 4,800 hours, a reliable machine, but underpowered for the section and a half he was now farming after renting his neighbor’s ground. The MX270 had 270 horsepower, a suspended cab, and enough hydraulic capacity to run a 12 row planter without hesitation.

It was more tractor than Daryl had ever owned. But the reason he bought it at Riverside instead of Elkton A sales, the KIH dealer seven miles from his farm, was simple. Vic Larson had helped him through two bad years without charging storage fees when Daryl couldn’t pay his repair bills on time. When Daryl’s corn planter broke down in 1998 during a 16-hour window before rain, Vic drove out personally with a replacement part and stayed until midnight helping install it.

That kind of relationship doesn’t transfer to a closer address. Daryl drove the MX270 home on a flatbed trailer, unloaded it in his machine shed, and felt the way a man feels when he’s made a decision that can’t be reconsidered for at least a decade. If you value stories about the long relationships between farmers and their equipment, the decisions that stretch across years and the consequences that arrive quietly, consider subscribing.

These are not dramatic tales. They’re the stories that unfold slowly in repair bills and phone calls and choices made when no one else is watching. If that kind of storytelling matters to you, we’d be glad to have you here. Daryl Hoffman farmed 960 acres of corn and soybeans in Brookings County. The land was flat, heavy clay in the low sections, productive but slow to dry in spring.

He’d grown up on that farm, taken it over from his father in 1981, and never seriously considered leaving. His wife, Janet, taught third grade in Elkton. They had two sons, both in high school in 2003, neither of them talking much about coming back to farm. Daryl’s philosophy about machinery was inherited and then confirmed by experience.

You bought what you could almost afford, kept it longer than felt comfortable, and repaired it until the repair costs outweighed the payment on something newer. You didn’t chase horsepower. You didn’t trade every 3 years, and you built a relationship with a dealer who understood that a farmer’s cash flow moved in rhythms that didn’t match a monthly statement.

That’s why Riverside Implement mattered. The dealership in Elkton, Elton a sales was closer and Daryl had bought smaller things there over the years. Tillage parts, hydraulic hoses, a grain cart in 1996. But the owner, a man named Ron Kleinasser, ran the business differently. Ron was younger, more corporate in his approach.

He offered competitive financing and fast turnarounds, but he didn’t let bills slide. He didn’t make personal deliveries. And when Daryl had asked him in 2001 about deferring a payment during a year when prevented planting wiped out 30% of his income, Ron had suggested Daryl talk to his bank instead. Vic Larson would have worked something out.

So when Daryl needed a tractor in 2003, needed it not because the 7250 was failing, but because the additional acreage required more power and more hours in the seat. He drove 42 miles to Riverside and signed the papers there. It felt like loyalty. It felt like the right decision. That spring, Daryl put 320 hours on the MX270.

The tractor performed exactly as designed. The hydraulics handled his 12 row Kins Planner without strain. The cab suspension smoothed out the rougher fields. The fuel consumption was higher than the 7250, but the efficiency gains made up for it. He planted 960 acres in 11 days, which was 2 days faster than the previous year.

In June, a sensor in the electronic control module threw a code. The tractor didn’t lose power, but a warning light stayed on. Daryl called Riverside. Vic told him to bring it in on Saturday, which meant a 42-mile drive each direction. Daryl loaded the tractor onto his trailer, drove north, and waited 3 hours while Vick’s lead technician replaced the sensor and cleared the code. No charge.

Vic said it was a warranty issue. Daryl drove home and didn’t think about it again. In August, the same sensor failed. This time, Daryl called on a Thursday afternoon mid-h harvest. Vic said he could send a technician out the next morning. The technician arrived at 9:00 a.m., diagnosed the problem as a wiring short near the battery box, and had it repaired by noon.

Daryl paid $140 for labor, and drove the tractor back to the field. He lost half a day, but it could have been worse. By October, Daryl had put $890 on the MX270. The tractor had cost him one sensor, one wiring repair, and five trips to Riverside for routine maintenance. It was expensive to own, but it was doing what he’d bought it to do.

And then in early November of 2003, Daryl received a letter from KIH corporate. The letter explained that Riverside Implement would be closing at the end of the year. The dealership’s territory would be absorbed by Elkton A sales, which was expanding to cover the northern part of the county.

All service records, warranties, and customer accounts would transfer automatically. Customers were encouraged to establish contact with Elkton A sales before the transition date of January 15th, 2004. Daryl read the letter twice. Then he called Vic Larson. Vic confirmed it. Corporate had decided the county couldn’t support two full service KIH dealers.

Riverside sales numbers had been flat for 3 years. Elkton A sales had newer facilities, better inventory, and a parts operation that could handle the combined territory. The decision was final. Vic and two other employees would be offered positions at Elkton, but Vic wasn’t sure if he’d take it. He was 61. He’d been at Riverside for 34 years.

Starting over somewhere else didn’t appeal to him. Daryl asked what that meant for customers like him. Vic said it meant driving to Elkton. Daryl hung up and sat at his kitchen table for 20 minutes without moving. He’d financed a $142,000 tractor based on a service relationship that would no longer exist in 8 weeks.

In January of 2004, Daryl drove to Elkton A sales for the first time as a primary customer. The dealership had expanded. Ron Kleinasser had added a second service bay and hired three technicians from other towns to handle the increased volume. The parts department had been reorganized. A new service manager, a man Daryl didn’t know younger than Vic named Todd Barrens, greeted him and said they were ready to support all former Riverside customers.

Daryl scheduled an oil change for the MX270 and waited in the customer lounge. The walls were painted corporate red and gray. There were brochures for new KIH equipment arranged on a table. A television mounted in the corner played agricultural news on mute. It felt efficient. It didn’t feel like Riverside.

When Daryl picked up the tractor 3 hours later, Todd Barren handed him an invoice for $187. Daryl asked why it was higher than usual. Todd explained that Elkton A sales used synthetic oil as standard, which cost more, but extended service intervals. Daryl said Riverside had never charged that much. Todd said he couldn’t speak to Riverside’s pricing, but this was Elkton’s rate.

Daryl paid and drove home. Two weeks later, the MX270 threw another sensor code. Daryl called Elkton A sales and asked if someone could come out. Todd said they didn’t offer field service for diagnostic work unless it was an emergency breakdown. He could bring the tractor in or Todd could walk him through troubleshooting over the phone.

Daryl said Riverside used to send someone. Todd said Elken A sales operated differently. Daryl loaded the tractor onto his trailer and made the 14-mi round trip. The repair took 90 minutes. The bill was $220. Daryl asked if it was covered under warranty. Todd checked the file and said the warranty covered the sensor, but labor wasn’t included because the issue had occurred before, which meant it was a recurring problem, not a defect.

Daryl didn’t argue. He paid and drove home. Over the next two years, Daryl brought the MX270 to Elkton. and a sales 11 times. Three times for oil changes. Four times for electronic sensor issues. Different sensors. Same pattern of failure and replacement. Twice for hydraulic leaks that developed in hoses running to the front loader attachment.

Once for a cracked engine mount that took 4 days to get the part. once for a fuel injector that failed during fall harvest and required Daryl to rent a backup tractor from Elkton for $450 a day while his machine sat in the service bay waiting for a technician to finish two other jobs ahead of it.

Each visit required a 14-m drive. Each visit required waiting either in the lounge or at home while the dealership called when the work was finished. Each bill was itemized, reasonable by industry standards, and painful in aggregate. By the end of 2005, Daryl had spent $3,100 on repairs and maintenance that weren’t covered by warranty.

The tractor had $2400 hours. It was 2 years old, and Daryl no longer called the dealership unless he had no other choice. There were 11 other farmers in the county who had bought new KIH equipment from Riverside Implement in the two years before it closed. Daryl knew five of them personally.

One man, a farmer named Eugene Stall, had purchased a KIH STX450 four-wheel drive tractor in 2002. The machine cost 210,000. Eugene had financed it over 10 years. When Riverside closed, Eugene’s nearest service option became Elkton A sales 18 miles from his farm. In the spring of 2005, the STX450 experienced a transmission fault during planting.

Eugene called Elkton. Todd Baron said they’d need to order a diagnostic computer from corporate, which would take 3 days. Eugene asked if there was any way to speed it up. Todd said no. Eugene lost four planning days waiting. When the issue was finally diagnosed as a software calibration error, the repair took 30 minutes.

Eugene never forgave that delay. Another farmer, a man named Carl Ratimacher, had bought a KIH 2388 combine in 2003, the same year Daryl bought his MX270. Carl had worked with Vic Larson for 20 years. When Riverside closed, Carl tried to establish a relationship with Elkton A sales, but the service scheduling didn’t accommodate his harvest timeline.

In the fall of 2004, Carl called three times trying to get a concave adjustment kit installed before corn harvest. Each time, Todd Baron said they were backed up and couldn’t guarantee a date. Carl ended up driving 60 miles to a KIH dealer in Watertown and paid extra for expedited service.

He never went back to Elkton. A third farmer, a younger man named Jason Vulk, had bought a KIH Magnum 215 in 2002, specifically because Riverside offered infield support during breakdowns. Jason farmed rented ground scattered across three townships. When Riverside closed, Jason’s service relationship evaporated. Elkton A sales didn’t offer the same field service guarantee.

In 2006, Jason’s Magnum 215 threw a hydraulic line during spring tillage 15 miles from the nearest hard road. Jason called Elkton and was told he’d need to arrange his own towing. Jason spent 6 hours coordinating a flatbed, getting the tractor to Elkton, and waiting for the repair. He sold the Magnum 215 in 2008 and bought used equipment that he could fix himself.

These weren’t catastrophic failures. These were the accumulated inconveniences of distance, unfamiliarity, and a service philosophy that prioritized efficiency over relationship. And they added up. Daryl made his monthly payment on the MX270 without fail. $1,680 due on the eth of every month for 7 years.

The loan officer at his bank once mentioned that Daryl’s payment history was perfect. Not a single late payment, not a single deferral request. Daryl didn’t mention that he’d deferred payments twice with Vic Larson back at Riverside, or that those deferrals had been arranged with a phone call and a handshake and no paperwork beyond a note Vic kept in a desk drawer.

By 2007, the MX270 had 4,100 hours. The tractor still ran well. The engine had good compression. The transmission shifted smoothly, but the electronic control systems required constant attention. Sensors failed. wiring harnesses corroded. The display screen in the cab flickered intermittently, which didn’t affect performance, but suggested future expense.

Daryl brought the tractor to Elkton A sales for a full diagnostic check. Todd Baron said the tractor was operating within normal parameters for its age and hours, but recommended replacing the entire wiring harness as preventive maintenance. The cost would be $2,800 in parts and labor.

Daryl asked if it was necessary. Todd said it wasn’t required, but it would prevent future failures. Daryl said he’d think about it. He drove home and didn’t schedule the repair. 3 months later, the display screen failed completely. Daryl called Elkton. Todd said they’d need to replace the screen and the wiring harness together since the two systems were integrated.

The cost was now $3,400. Daryl asked why he hadn’t been told that during the first visit. Todd said the diagnostic equipment hadn’t indicated the screen was failing at that time. Daryl scheduled the repair and paid the bill. He drove home and calculated that he’d now spent $8,200 on non-wrantyrs over four years.

The tractor still had three years of payments remaining. In 2008, corn prices spiked to $7.50 50s a bushel, driven by ethanol demand and global shortages. Daryl had a good year. He paid off his MX270 loan two years early, which saved him $4,000 in interest. The tractor now belonged to him outright. No bank, no payments, just ownership and the responsibility that came with it.

By then, the MX270 had 5,600 hours. It was 5 years old. The engine was still strong, but the hydraulic pump was beginning to show wear. Daryl noticed slower cycle times when raising the loader. He mentioned it to Todd Barren during a routine service visit. Todd said the pump could be rebuilt for $1,900 or replaced entirely for 3,200.

Daryl asked how long the rebuild would last. Todd said it depended on usage, maybe 2,000 hours, maybe less. Daryl chose the rebuild. The work took a week. When Daryl picked up the tractor, Todd mentioned that Elkton A sales was now offering a trade-in incentive program for customers who wanted to upgrade to newer models. KIH was releasing the Magnum Rotrack series, which featured improved fuel efficiency, updated electronics, and better serviceability.

If Daryl wanted to trade the MX270, Todd could work up an appraisal. Daryl asked what the trade-in value would be. Todd said probably $45,000 depending on condition. Daryl had paid $142,000 in 2003. He’d put $35,000 down. He’d made $58,800 in payments. He’d spent $1,300 on repairs. His total investment was $105,100.

A trade-in value of $45,000 meant a loss of $60,1 over 5 years. Daryl thanked Todd and said he’d keep the MX270. The 2009 growing season brought drought. Corn yields dropped 30% across the county. Soybean yields fell 25%. Daryl’s revenue dropped from $340,000 to $220,000. His expenses stayed level. Seed, fertilizer, fuel, insurance, property taxes, all of it constant regardless of what came out of the field.

Daryl cut back everywhere he could. He delayed replacing worn tillillage equipment. He reduced fertilizer applications. He skipped a planned equipment shed expansion. And he stopped bringing the MX270 to Elkton A sales for anything except critical repairs. Oil changes he did himself. Minor hydraulic leaks he patched with hose clamps and learned to monitor instead of fix.

Sensor failures he tolerated as long as the tractor still ran. In October of 2009, the MX270’s engine began losing power under load. Daryl could feel it in the cab, a hesitation when pulling the chisel plow through heavy clay, a lag in throttle response that hadn’t been there before. He checked the fuel filters, replaced the air filter, and ran the tractor for another week. The problem got worse.

Daryl called Elton A sales. Todd said it sounded like a fuel injector issue or possibly a turbocharger failure. Either way, the tractor would need to come in for diagnostics. Daryl asked what the cost might be. Todd said diagnostics were $150 an hour and repairs could range from $800 for injectors to $4,500 for a turbocharger replacement.

Daryl said he’d call back. He didn’t. Instead, Daryl called a retired mechanic in Vulga, a man named Howard Astramm, who’d worked on farm equipment for 40 years before KIH dealers started requiring certified technicians for warranty work. Howard agreed to come out and look at the tractor.

He spent two hours tracing fuel lines, checking boost pressure, and listening to the engine under load. Howard said the turbocharger was failing, but it might last another season if Daryl didn’t push the tractor too hard. Daryl asked what too hard meant. Howard said, “Lighter implements, shorter days, lower RPMs.

” Daryl thanked him and paid $60 cash. He finished fall field work using the MX270 at reduced capacity, pulling smaller equipment, working longer hours to compensate for the slower pace. The tractor made it through the season, barely. In 2010, Daryl turned 58. His older son, Marcus, was working construction in Sou Falls. His younger son, Tyler, had joined the army.

Janet still taught in Elkton, but she’d started talking about retirement. The farm felt larger than it used to, and Daryl felt older. The MX270 had 7,200 hours. The turbocharger finally failed completely in April, 2 days before planting was supposed to start. The tractor lost 70% of its power. Daryl couldn’t pull the planter at all.

He called Elkton a sales. Todd Baron said they could replace the turbocharger, but the wait time for parts was 7 to 10 days, and the shop was backed up with spring service. Daryl might be looking at two weeks total. Daryl couldn’t wait 2 weeks. He called Howard Astramm. Howard said he could source a rebuilt turbocharger from a supplier in Brookings and install it in Daryl’s machine shed.

The part would cost $1,800. Labor would be $400. Daryl could have the tractor running in 3 days. Daryl agreed. Howard installed the turbocharger on a Saturday. The tractor ran again. The power was back. But something had shifted in Daryl’s relationship with the machine. It was no longer a tool he trusted. It was a liability he managed.

That year, Daryl planted late, harvested under pressure, and broke even financially. He made no equipment purchases. He made no repairs at elk and egg sales. and he started researching used tractors at farm auctions. By 2012, the MX270 had 8,900 hours. The hydraulic pump that had been rebuilt in 2008 was failing again. The electronic display screen had been replaced twice and was flickering again.

The front axle seals were leaking. The cab suspension was worn enough that Daryl could feel every rut. The tractor still worked, but it felt fragile. Daryl attended a KIH auction in Madison, South Dakota in August of 2012. The auction was selling off equipment from a farmer who’d retired and moved to Arizona.

Among the lots was a 1997 KIH9370 four-wheel drive tractor with 6,400 hours. The machine was older than Daryl’s MX270, had fewer features, no suspended cab, and a purely mechanical fuel system with no electronic controls. Daryl watched the bidding. The 9370 sold for $38,000. He thought about that number for a long time.

The 9370 was 15 years old, had 6400 hours, and brought $38,000 at auction. The MX270 was 9 years old, had 8,900 hours, and Todd Barren had appraised it at $45,000 four years ago. In current condition, Daryl estimated it might bring $32,000, maybe $35,000 if he found the right buyer. The newer tractor, with more technology, more comfort, and more complexity, was depreciating faster than the older machine with simpler systems and fewer things to fail.

Daryl drove home from the auction and didn’t mention what he’d seen to anyone. In the spring of 2013, Daryl’s hydraulic pump failed completely. The tractor lost all front loader function and half of its rear remote capacity. He called Howard Astramm. Howard said the pump could be rebuilt again, but he recommended replacement this time.

A new pump would cost $3,800 installed. Daryl asked if Howard could find a used one. Howard said he’d try. Two weeks later, Howard called back. He pumped from a KIH MX255 being parted out in Iowa. The pump would fit Daryl’s MX270 with minor modifications. Cost was $1,600 for the part, $500 for labor, plus $150 for shipping. Total $2,250.

Daryl agreed. The repair took 3 days. The tractor ran again, but Daryl knew he was patching a machine that was only going to require more patches. That fall, he attended two more auctions, one in Brookings, one in Watertown. At the Brookings auction, a 2004 KIH MX270, the exact same model and year as Daryl’s, sold for $41,000.

It had 5200 hours, which was 4,200 fewer than Daryl’s tractor. The buyer was a farmer from Minnesota who paid cash. At the Watertown auction, a 2001 KIH MX240 with mechanical controls and 7,800 hours sold for $39,000. Daryl started keeping a notebook. He wrote down every auction result for KIH tractors between 200 and 300 horsepower.

He tracked year, hours, condition, and sale price. The pattern was consistent. Older tractors with mechanical systems held value better than newer tractors with electronic controls, not because they performed better, but because they cost less to maintain and appealed to buyers who wanted simplicity over features.

Daryl’s MX270, purchased for long-term reliability and built around a service relationship that no longer existed, was depreciating into a price range where its electronic complexity became a liability instead of an asset. In 2015, Daryl turned 63. Janet retired from teaching. They talked seriously about what would happen to the farm.

Marcus had no interest in coming back. Tyler was stationed in Germany. Daryl could keep farming for a few more years, but the endgame was becoming clear. He would sell. The question was when and what he’d get for the equipment. The MX270 had 10,100 hours. The tractor still worked, but it required constant attention. Every season brought a new failure.

A sensor, a seal, a bearing, a relay. Daryl had stopped tracking repair costs in 2011 because the numbers were depressing. He estimated he’d spent close to $20,000 in non-warranty repairs over 12 years of ownership. The tractor he’d bought in 2003 for $142,000, justified by a service relationship with Riverside Implement, had become a machine he maintained himself with help from a retired mechanic because the dealership 42 miles away couldn’t provide the support he’d expected when he signed the papers.

In October of 2015, Daryl attended an estate auction near Vulga. The deceased farmer’s son was selling everything: land, equipment, tools, vehicles. Among the lots was a 1989 KIH7120 tractor with 8,200 hours. The machine was 26 years old. It had a mechanical fuel system, mechanical transmission, and no electronics beyond a basic hour meter.

The paint was faded, the tires were worn, the cab was loud. Bidding started at $8,000. Daryl watched a younger farmer, maybe 35 years old, bid it up to $14,500 and win. After the auction, Daryl walked over and asked the buyer why he’d wanted an old 7120. The buyer said it was simple, no computers, no sensors. If something broke, he could fix it himself, and parts were cheap because the tractor had been made in high volume.

Daryl asked if he was worried about the age. The buyer said he was more worried about a 5-year-old tractor with $6,000 in electronic repairs than a 30-year-old tractor with a $300 injector pump. Daryl nodded and walked back to his truck. In early 2016, Daryl decided to sell the farm. He listed the land privately and found a buyer by March, a family operation expanding north from Sou Falls. The sale closed in June.

Daryl kept the house and 5 acres. Everything else transferred. The equipment would be sold at auction. Daryl hired an auction company out of Brookings. They scheduled the sale for September 10th, 2016. Daryl spent the summer organizing machinery, cleaning out sheds, and preparing descriptions for the catalog.

When the auctioneer asked about the MX270, Daryl provided the details. 2003 KIH MX270 Magnum 10,600 hours. recent hydraulic pump replacement, new turbocharger in 2010, runs well, no major issues. The auctioneer asked what Daryl expected it to bring. Daryl said maybe $35,000. The auctioneer said that was optimistic for a 13-year-old tractor with over 10,000 hours, but they’d see what happened.

On September 10th, 2016, 200 people attended Daryl Hoffman’s retirement auction. The sale started at 9:00 a.m. with small tools and attachments. By noon, the auctioneer had worked through tillillage equipment, planters, and grain handling systems. At 100 p.m., they brought out the tractors. The MX270 was lot 47.

The auctioneer described the machine 2003 KIH MX2270 Magnum, showing 10,600 hours, 270 horsepower, well-maintained. Seller says it’s been a good tractor. Bidding opened at $20,000. One hand went up, $22,000. Another hand $24,000. Silence. The auctioneer worked the crowd. Come on now. This is a good tractor. Still has plenty of life.

KIH power and reliability. Who will give me $25,000? Nothing. The auctioneer looked at Daryl standing near the back. Daryl shook his head slightly. No reserve. Sold at $24,000. The buyer was a farmer from Vulga, a man Daryl didn’t know, who paid with a check from a bank in Watertown. Daryl had invested $105,100 in cash payments and repairs over 13 years. He recovered $24,000 at auction.

The loss was $81,100. Three lots later, the auctioneer sold a 1986 KIH 5288 tractor with 9,200 hours that Daryl had kept as a backup machine. The tractor had mechanical injection, a simple cab, and no electronic systems. Daryl had bought it used in 1995 for $18,000 and had spent perhaps $3,000 on repairs over 21 years.

Bidding started at $10,000. Four hands went up immediately. 12,000 $14,000 16,000. The auctioneer kept calling. 18,000 19,000 20,000 sold at $20,000. The buyer was the same younger farmer Daryl had spoken with at the Vulga auction a year earlier, the one who’ bought the 7120 for $14,500. After the auction, the buyer approached Daryl and asked if the 5288 had any issues. Daryl said no.

It was solid, simple, reliable. The buyer smiled and said that’s exactly what he wanted. Daryl watched the man load the 5288 onto a trailer and drive away. He thought about the two tractors. The MX270, 13 years old, 10,600 hours, lost 81,000. Daryl doesn’t regret buying the MX270. The tractor did the work he needed it to do.

It planted his crops, pulled his equipment, and helped him farm 960 acres for 13 years. That was the job. and the job got done. But he regrets the assumption behind the purchase. He’d bought the tractor believing the relationship with Riverside Implement would last as long as the loan. He’d chosen horsepower and technology because Vic Larson would be there to support it.

He’d made a $142,000 decision based on a service promise that evaporated 8 months later. When Riverside closed, Daryl lost more than a convenient location. He lost the mechanic who knew his equipment. He lost the service writer who understood his schedule. He lost the dealer who deferred payments during bad years and driven out at midnight to keep him running.

What he kept was the tractor, the loan, and a parts counter 7 miles away that operated efficiently but impersonally. The equipment worked. The relationship didn’t. And in farming where margins are thin and breakdowns are costly, the difference between those two things is often measured in money that doesn’t come back. Daryl learned that $81100 is the cost of loyalty to a dealer that no longer exists.

That’s not a complaint. It’s just arithmetic. And arithmetic doesn’t care about midnight repairs or deferred payments or 34 years of handshake agreements. It only counts what’s left when the auction hammer falls. Eugene Stall still farms near Elkton. He sold his STX450 in 2011 and bought used equipment he could service himself.

He hasn’t financed a new tractor since Riverside closed. Carl Rydermacher retired in 2014. His 2388 combined sold at auction for $42,000. He’d paid $198,000 for it in 2003. Jason Vulk left farming entirely in 2010. He works at a fertilizer plant in Brookings. Now, of the 12 farmers who bought new KIH equipment from Riverside Implement in 2002 and 2003, only four still farm.

None of them own the equipment they purchased during those years. None of them service their remaining KIH machines at Elkton egg sales. Vic Larson never took the job at Elkton. He retired in 2004 and moved to Arizona. He died in 2017 at the age of 74. 18 former customers attended his funeral, including Daryl Hoffman, who drove 11 hours to be there.

Riverside Implements buildings still stand on Highway 81. The property is owned by a landscaping company now. The red steel buildings are painted white. The gravel lot where 17 new KIH machines once waited is used for storing mulch and decorative stone. There’s no sign that a dealership was ever there. No historical marker, no plaque, just a white building on a highway where farmers used to stop because they trusted the man at the service desk more than they trusted the machine in their field.

And when that man disappeared, the machine became something different. Not broken, not unreliable, just alone. The KIH MX270 Magnum tractor is still in production, though the model designation has changed and the technology has evolved. The current version features advanced telematics, precision agriculture integration, and remote diagnostics that can predict failures before they occur.

The dealer network has been restructured twice since 2003. Territories are larger now. Consolidation continues. Service is efficient, professional, and increasingly digital. But it’s not personal. And for a farmer like Daryl Hoffman, who bought a tractor in 2003 because a mechanic named Vic Larson once drove out at midnight with a part and stayed until the job was done.

The difference between efficiency and relationship is the difference between a tool and a promise. One you can measure. The other you only notice when it’s gone.