Here is my take on it.  If I can furnish the equipment, it allows me to build some assets.  I already own most everything that I would need.  Why you ask.  First off I have bought most of this equipment under value, I look at all of it as liquid assets, the rest I have accumulated over time. I need a share of it to operate on my small scale basis.  The other side of that is that I don't plan on working for someone else for the rest of my life.  If I provide the equipment and can get paid for it, I will be building assets and eventually should be putting cash in my pocket.  I can intern use the return to invest in land or cattle or whatever makes sense at the time.  If I am going to bust my butt to make someone else money I may as well make a little myself.  If I were in the owners shoes the value is in not paying for maintance and repair.  We all know that if it comes out of your own pocket you take better care of it, generally speaking.  The advantage for my family is that when the time comes and we can step out on our own we will be set up and ready and will not have to buy all the equipment at once. Maybe I am crazy, but I have found that if I am not willing to take some risk, I probably better be happy with being a hired hand and not ever having something of my own.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard if I would have started 20 years ago I could have made something work.  I guess it seems like an opportunity for me to get off my can and get started.