How do you do a "price check" on used equipment?

   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #1  

Muhammad

Administrator
Moderator
Joined
Mar 21, 1998
Messages
20,331
Location
San Diego, CA
Tractor
None currently
Lots of members post threads asking for price checks on used equipment. How do you go about checking prices and determining used equipment values?

Looking for some opinions so we can put together a guide for performing price checks! :thumbsup:
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #2  
Good idea!:thumbsup: I always hear to check Tractor House but the prices are not realistic.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #3  
Comparables for most equipment can be found on major reselling websites based on the type of machine.
Tractorhouse, Ironsearch, Fastline, BigIron and other sites are valuable for researching asking prices. Searching completed auctions on eBay has some value.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #4  
Other dealers used equipment websites & Iron Search.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #5  
Good idea!:thumbsup: I always hear to check Tractor House but the prices are not realistic.

Well bona fide asking prices from actual listings are a better starting point than numbers spewed out here by a bunch of yahoos. Granted, asking prices and actual sale prices can vary, but usually there is a pretty good sample across several sites.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #6  
Well bona fide asking prices from actual listings are a better starting point than numbers spewed out here by a bunch of yahoos. Granted, asking prices and actual sale prices can vary, but usually there is a pretty good sample across several sites.

Agree Rick, It does give you a general idea but their prices are out there for my area.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #7  
i'm with rick on the completed auctions on ebay. you can see if it sold and what it sold for.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #8  
Comparables for most equipment can be found on major reselling websites based on the type of machine.
Tractorhouse, Ironsearch, Fastline, BigIron and other sites are valuable for researching asking prices. Searching completed auctions on eBay has some value.
These are starting points but most used tractor equipment is LOCAL. A rotary cutter that sells for $1,000 in Utah might not be found in Maine.

I've spent a LOT of time stretching my tractor $$$. I use Everything Attachments for reference new prices, and BigIron and Tractorhouse for used references. However since 2009 I peruse CL daily and have developed a "mental data" bank that tells me when something is a good price versus a great price. So when I saw a KKII 60 tiller in good condition for $800 I new it was worth it.

I read many posts on here writing "well you can pick on up on CL for $XXX easily". That's not necessarily true. I looked for a plow for months, didn't see one that wasn't rusted thru. Looked for a PTO chipper, couldn't find a used one for less than the cost of my Jinma. WASN'T looking for a chainsaw and found my Stihl 088 with Alaskan Mark II chainsaw mill for $450 w/ bars, chain, cases, barely used and just tuned at a saw shop.
088_just-bought.JPG
Well worth $1000.

One of the things that needs to be emphasized - terms of condition - "good" often means not falling apart, "slight rust" means holes smaller than your fist. I hate driving my dually 50 miles to save $200, and find out the pictures were VERY carefully taken and the equipment wasn't worth the drive.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #9  
I find regarding tractors that the used price is pretty much the same as the new price. It seems tractor depreciation is pretty well matched to inflation.
If it sold new for $2,500, back in 1950 It'll go for $2,500 now. If you simply look up the price it sold new, you have a good idea of the ballpark used price.
 
   / How do you do a "price check" on used equipment? #10  
These are starting points but most used tractor equipment is LOCAL. A rotary cutter that sells for $1,000 in Utah might not be found in Maine.

I've spent a LOT of time stretching my tractor $$$. I use Everything Attachments for reference new prices, and BigIron and Tractorhouse for used references. However since 2009 I peruse CL daily and have developed a "mental data" bank that tells me when something is a good price versus a great price. So when I saw a KKII 60 tiller in good condition for $800 I new it was worth it.

I read many posts on here writing "well you can pick on up on CL for $XXX easily". That's not necessarily true. I looked for a plow for months, didn't see one that wasn't rusted thru. Looked for a PTO chipper, couldn't find a used one for less than the cost of my Jinma. WASN'T looking for a chainsaw and found my Stihl 088 with Alaskan Mark II chainsaw mill for $450 w/ bars, chain, cases, barely used and just tuned at a saw shop.
View attachment 395712
Well worth $1000.

One of the things that needs to be emphasized - terms of condition - "good" often means not falling apart, "slight rust" means holes smaller than your fist. I hate driving my dually 50 miles to save $200, and find out the pictures were VERY carefully taken and the equipment wasn't worth the drive.

All of which is very true. One needs to consider geographical price differences when looking at nationwide websites. And there is always the guy that purchased 'X' for 1/2 of normal retail, and we all know the guy who paid 2X-3X what the item was worth.
 
 
Top