Buying Advice Where do used equipment dealers get there tractors

[dusty3030]

Auction - you've got to know what things cost. You've got to be able to quickly look something over when you are checking out the items on the lot before the sale and know what to look for. You need cash in hand or a letter from your bank to the auction company before hand showing what they will back you to spend.

Here in the Arkansas delta farm auctions are fairly common. A farmer goes bust, is retiring, or more rarely is selling off surplus old equipment to buy new. These auctions will usually be at the farm that is selling out and will have their equipment plus local consignments. You hardly ever see any smaller tractors or equipment at these around here, but it's worth checking the listings when they come up because you never know. A lot of them will have a smaller tractor or two they used to mow turn rows, do some haying, etc.

Next are the big auction houses. They are all over the country. They do a lot of sales for state owned equipment etc. They will have huge auctions usually at their lot and will have stuff from many, many, owners. Some of it junk, some of it super nice. Here is a link of one such company in this area, you can find others near you. http://www.deancoauction.com/

The general public are welcome at any farm or equipment auction I've ever heard of or been to, unlike some of the auto auction companies that cater to dealers.

Some of my family are in and have been in the used equipment and used big truck business for many years. They buy from all over but they regularly attend auctions and will travel all over the country to do so. Different things bring different prices in different areas.

 

[OkieDave]

I am looking for a nice low hour modern tractor nothng more than 10 yrs old
in near new condition with a considerable price diff from new otherwise I could just buy new.

Aren't we all, though?

 

[DennisFolsom]

Yup. I found one of those and grabbed it. It's a John Deere 4600 HST, with loader, backhoe and a snowplow converted to quick-attach. It's 10 years old, but only has about 440 hours. I paid $20,000, and think I got a pretty good deal.

For photos and more details, look for my two threads in the John Deere Buying/Pricing section.

Good deals come up once in a while, but they sell quickly. My advice is to do your homework here on TBN, on TractorHouse.com and by visiting dealer's lots and answering classified ads. In my case, this process convinced me that 1) I couldn't buy new if I wanted a backhoe, and 2) I would have to pay more than I started out thinking. When you find a good deal, be ready to pounce.

 

[slowzuki]

If you know a dealer and your money is good, trade-ins can be bought cheap. I know a fellow with dealer connections over a 500 mi radius, he buys all the good trade-ins that aren't the right colour for the dealer. He resells each one for I'm guessing about 20% profit when they sell quick, or down to about 5% when they linger.

 

[Jay4200]

I will research auction.zip to see what I find.

All I found on auction.zip that the search function doesn't work.

JayC

 

[sweep]

I am looking for a nice low hour modern tractor nothng more than 10 yrs old
in near new condition with a considerable price diff from new otherwise I could just buy new.

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My friend was looking for a newer, low hr tractor and he put a want ad in the local freebe newspaper every so often. Turns out the one he finally bought was from a guy who wanted a smaller tractor (he overbought)and the 6 year old Kubota was well taken care off and always stored inside and a plus is he bought it new.

Both parties made out, the seller got more money than the dealer quoted him for a trade and my friend paid less than if he went to a dealer for a comparable tractor and he knew the history of the tractor. They were both happy.

The downside is it took him 5-6 months to find the right tractor. Received a lot of calls. Lot of junk and alot of overpriced stuff-guys just fishing hoping my friend bit

 

[Turbys_1700]

My dad is a retired tractor salesman...
Sold Allis Chalmers from 1959 to 1988...
Back in the day he did very well selling used tractors...
A lot of their used units were purchased at auctions they went to each month...
They tried to buy only the better units and had a very good knowledge of where the units came from and if they were worn out or not...
Things are certainly different now but that worked for him years ago...
He was real good at buying wholesale...
He knew the market...

True story...

20 years ago or so I wanted a utility tractor...
Dad and I went to the local auction and picked up a 35 Massey...
Tractor was clean and in good shape...
I asked him what it was worth...
He said we should give no more than $3200...
Well, we bought it for $3800...
Kept it 5 years and sold it for $4300...
I still wish I would have kept it...
It was a good unit...

 

[bucktaker]

where are these auctions used machinery jockeys buy the low hour stuff?
I see several dealers have constant supply of these tractors are they sent to them my new equipment dealers as rental returns,tradeins. I am curious what the markup is for the used machiney dealer.

I called about a tractor on tractorhouse the guy hadnt even picked it up from the auction lot yet and had it advertised already. price was 17900 for a kubota 50 hp 4wd , fel, gear drive,no remote 170 hrours. Pics looked good
Advised him I was 300 miles away and wanted to know his best cash price to entice me to make the trip to check it out/bring it home. He said 17500.
I offered 16000 he said no. So what did he pay at the auction? and my point is are there auctions in different places where a buyer like myself could pick up this tractor for wholesale prices.

Auction.zip had lots of high hour older stuff you find at estate sales

 

[gregsons]

I check Auctionzip daliy and it always works, try it again. I like to go to auctions but you should go to a few and see how things work before you buy. Check buyers permium, ill never buy anything at a dealer auction, well nothing too mechanical. thats were they sell there junk. Farm retirement auctions are nice. and expect to get the equipment home and have to do some work on it. they will pactch thing up or do there best to hide any problems. i have gotten great deals and not so great deals at auction.

PS IF you see a few people always bidding but pulls out at the end walk away.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

where are these auctions used machinery jockeys buy the low hour stuff?
I see several dealers have constant supply of these tractors are they sent to them my new equipment dealers as rental returns,tradeins. I am curious what the markup is for the used machiney dealer.

I called about a tractor on tractorhouse the guy hadnt even picked it up from the auction lot yet and had it advertised already. price was 17900 for a kubota 50 hp 4wd , fel, gear drive,no remote 170 hrours. Pics looked good
Advised him I was 300 miles away and wanted to know his best cash price to entice me to make the trip to check it out/bring it home. He said 17500.
I offered 16000 he said no. So what did he pay at the auction? and my point is are there auctions in different places where a buyer like myself could pick up this tractor for wholesale prices.

Auction.zip had lots of high hour older stuff you find at estate sales

I've hauled home a many a trailer load from here....


INDIANA FARM MACHINERY EQUIPMENT SALVAGE & USED TRACTOR PARTS | Stilesville Implement Auction Inc. | FarmNet Salvage Company Directory

Mostly stuff dealers are trying to unload, or equipment jockeys buying at one sale and selling at another, but with a keen eye, you can find a few low houred newer pieces. You have to keep in mind, probably 90% of the used tractor market is WELL used, older stuff. Newer tractors tend to be sold locally in private sales or else traded and resold by dealers. Auctions are slim pickin's if you're shopping for "almost new".