After working on a farm, I updated my scale of measurement for tough/functional equipment. Used to think mil-surplus was the way to go, but quickly learned that what you say is absolutely true (at least for US gear). My new gold-standard is "farmer-proof". Was struck by the absolute beating that farm equipment had to take. Often it was being used in unexpexted/improper ways with minimum maintenance by operators with little or no training... (These all apply to military equipment too, but the farm acquisition process is purely utilitarian, as opposed to the nonsense that goes into specing and purchasing military gear). Equipment purchased on a farm is rarely the best available, but is always optimized to get the job done with the maximum possible usible lifespan.