Indentured servants were considered one of the most expensive pieces of colonial farm equipment because

Indentured servants are often confused with slaves, but they are quite different.

Explanation:

Indentured servant refers to a "labor contract" where the labor is required to work for a landowner or any other individual. The contract was for five to seven years and this was a give and take policy. In exchange for the labor contract, the servants were given an expensive passage out of Europe. And this made the indentured servitude one of the "most expensive pieces" of "colonial farm equipment". Because of this clause, many Europeans worked under this contract in the "18th century". Besides this, these labors were also given other perks which were not given to slaves. They enjoyed some amount of personal freedom.

the  wilmot proviso  was designed to eliminate  slavery  within the  landacquired as a result of the mexican war (1846-48). fearing the addition of a pro-slave territory, pennsylvania congressman david  wilmot proposedhis amendment to the bill.