Selecting the right tool for a job is essential. When that tool is as important and expensive as a farm implement, the same holds true - you want to buy farm equipment that does what you want; is strong, durable, and reliable; and is generally the best value for your money.

When Joe Brightly came home to the family farm in Hamlin, N.Y., in 2009 after graduating from college, he and his father, Dean, weighed whether they should replace an aging field cultivator and chisel plow with new ones.

Since Marvin Dusanek began strip-tilling 15 years ago, he and his son, Dave, have worked on managing residue.

In recent years, some no-tillers have criticized strip-till, pointing to instances of severe soil erosion in fields that were strip-tilled up and down hills. But more than 25 years ago, a study by three agricultural engineers at the University of Illinois showed that strip-tilling on the contour effectively minimized soil erosion and limited losses of herbicides and insecticides.