Over £8.5m of machinery sold through auctions in September at Cheffins

Three high-profile auctions have highlighted the opportunities for buyers to make considerable savings over purchasing new equipment, with many low-hour, well maintained machines on offer and some with warranty remaining.

The dispersal of Peter Crosswell Agricultural Ltd, a business that farmed over 4,000ha near Winchester, included no less than three Class Lexion 8800 combines.

Two of these high-output machines ended up selling to a single bidder for a combined cost of £600,000. Another prominent dispersal for Dalham Estates Ltd in Suffolk, further highlighted the demand for good-quality secondhand combines.

A 2018 New Holland CR9.90 sold for £137,000, while a slightly older 2013 New Holland CR9080 made £65,000.

Oliver Godfrey, director and head of machinery auction division at Cheffins, says the recent combine trade has shown the appeal of purchasing excellent examples of high-value machines at auction.

He said: “Cheffins has brought six combines to the market in the last two weeks, and sold them all, with a collective sale total of £1,154,000.

“This is an excellent result as an oversupply of machines into the UK, and a significant reduction in farmed area due to the Sustainable Farming Incentive, means there could have been less demand.

“It proves that savvy buyers are turning to auctions of well-maintained secondhand machinery to make considerable savings over new equipment.”

Tractors were in high demand at both sales and prices for four John Deere 6250Rs ranged from £76,000 for a 2019 model with over 5,000 hours, to a 2022 tractor with 3,228 hours reaching £91,500.

A sought-after 2009 New Holland T9050, offering 450hp and had been on the same farm since new, was subject to some competitive bidding from an online buyer but eventually made £77,000.

Three identical New Holland T7.230 machines, with varying workloads of 6,000-7,000 hours, made between £45,500 and £51,500 each.

In Suffolk, a superb 2011 Cat Challenger MT765C made an excellent £79,500, closely followed by a 2013 Case Quadtrac 550 that reached £78,000 and a 2019 JCB Fastrac 4220 that finished at £63,500.

Top prices were also paid at both sales for an excellent selection of implements.

One of three 2021 Horsch Sprinter 6ST drills reached £65,000, followed by a trio of 30m Chafer Sentry trailed sprayers, with a 2022 model making £50,000, and a 2014 Vaderstad TopDown 700 finding a home for £34,000.

Oliver says September has seen new buyers turning to auctions.

He said: “The agricultural machinery market is facing some acute challenges, and this has led to a widening demographic of buyers including more farmers and contractors, but also UK dealers and exporters.

“Throughout September, Cheffins has offered over 300 tractors to the market via onsite dispersals and our monthly Cambridge Machinery Auction, with export continuing to be a popular destination for secondhand UK machines.

“We have distributed machinery to over 30 different countries this year and have the experience and connections to deal with the paperwork and phytosanitary requirements now we are outside the EU.”

Cheffins has also seen an increase in popularity for timed online auctions, which are proving an effective dispersal method to achieve substantial premiums.

This was evident at the C H Bennion sale in Northamptonshire, which included some 200 online bidders for the 100 lots on offer.

The top price of the day was paid for a 2022 Case Puma 175 at £73,000, while a 2018 Case Puma 185 sold for £52,500.

A low-houred Merlo TF33.9 telehandler made a very respectable £68,000.