Experienced mechanics should be able to work independently with minimum supervision. Farm equipment mechanics usually must buy their own handtools, although employers furnish power tools and test equipment. Trainee mechanics are expected to accumulate their own tools as they gain experience. Experienced mechanics have thousands of dollars invested in tools. Farm equipment mechanics may advance to shop supervisor, service manager, or manager of a farm equipment dealership.
Some mechanics open their own repair shops.
A few farm equipment mechanics advance to service representatives for farm equipment manufacturers. Employment of farm equipment mechanics is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. The continued consolidation of farmland into fewer and larger farms and the use of new farming practices will cause farmers to invest in new, more efficient and specialized equipment, and the increasing complexity of equipment will force more farmers to rely on mechanics for service and repairs. Most job openings will arise from the need to replace experienced mechanics who retire. The increasing sophistication of newer farm equipment is making it more difficult for farmers to do their own repairs, forcing them to rely more on skilled mechanics in the future.