Buying fields vs improving equipment

[Passero]

What would be the better strategy?
There are some smallish fields you can get for around 50 to 100k which will bring you more money in the long run because more fields = more yield.

On the other hand, using the starter equipment will take ages to work more and more fields so what would be a good balance?

I'm not really looking at optimizing my income, but I'm just playing, having some fun.

With the mission system it makes it a bit easier because you always can get a steady income stream.

Also, if you upgrade equipment, what would be a good thing to buy?
So far I started with pigs so have some basic stuff for them (bailing, front loader attachment for my tractor, flat bed for bales,...) I also bought an additional sower so I can start sowing sunflowers.

My initial idea would be to upgrade the plow but that requires an expensive tractor. It would set me back over 200k which takes some time to get.
I also feel the harvester is smallish but upgrading is even more expensive.

So what is a good roadmap?

[ActionHank89]

Go for new equipment first to lower the absurd maintenance cost. Then start buying fields. Only buy new/upgrade equipment when you start lacking the capacity to handle all your fields.

[Pagan]

i sold all the international tractors and the truck plus 2 storage sheds that were in my way also the cultivator and the seeder and used that money to buy a valtra n series tractor with upgraded engine plus the vaderstad rapid a 600 seeder/cultivator in one. That was my starting move on hard

If you plan on doing missions keep the pickup truck as its the best way to get to them.

[NordicSimGaming]

Also remember that if you do work for the owner of a field a number of time, you get a god reputation from the owner and he/her will sell the field cheaper to you.

So i would suggest that you doing missions on the fields you want to own, and go for vehicle renewal first.

Happy Farming!

[CloversDrop]

1, Start game.
2, Set time to 'real time'
3, Keep the car and placeables, sell everything else
4, Do a mission on every field (if you haven't already got the friendly farmer achievement)
5, Collect all the gold nuggets (find the first 10 by stopping at every house and bridge on the railway lines, markers show the rest)
6, Save game.
7, Exit game and make a back up of the save.
8, Restart game and enjoy all your money.

[Rayune]

Originally posted by Pagan:

i sold all the international tractors and the truck plus 2 storage sheds that were in my way also the cultivator and the seeder and used that money to buy a valtra n series tractor with upgraded engine plus the vaderstad rapid a 600 seeder/cultivator in one. That was my starting move on hard

If you plan on doing missions keep the pickup truck as its the best way to get to them.

Actually, just sell the truck. You can fast travel to different fields on your map screen. Press escape, then click the little blue icon in the corner of a field, then click to travel there. There's no reason to keep the truck, unless you really just want to zip around in it.

But yes, I would say to upgrade equipment first. With the three starter fields, it took me a couple of hours last night to harvest, fertilize, seed/cultivate, and fertilize again. If I were to double the working width of all of my machines, then I would basically cut that time in half. I would put precedence on getting a sprayer, then a seeder/cultivator, then start working towards a larger combine. They're expensive, but it's usually the bottleneck for me when I am running multiple machines.

[Pagan]

neat trick i knew it worked for stores but not on fields

[Simeta]

I went for fields first but I play on Sosnovka where you only start with two fields. I now have 4 and will start upgrading my equipement as a 4.4m wide harv isn't fun lol.

[jock678]

I have bought fields and then leased the equipment to work them. As mentioned contracting pays really well. I got 120,000 for harvesting field 5 and 85,000 for doing a big field of sugar beets. I only own the starting equipment plus a sprayer and forage wagon.