John Deere 348 Square Baler - good deal?

[ddivinia]

I am working on pulling together my hay baling equipment. My dealer has been keeping an eye out for nice used equipment for me. It seems that hay baling equipment looses 50% value the day it leaves the lot. He has a 2-3 yr old 348 baler that the guy at their other store says is like new. They want $10,500. My guys says they paid too much for it, and would let me have it at cost (supposedly $10,500). They are going to truck it over to their location to check it out. No pressure from their side, but I don't want to pass up on a deal. I was hoping it would be more liek $8500 or so, but so be it.

Comments?

Thanks,
D.

 

[burnetma]

Well, I am looking for the same kind of deal. The JD 348 has been produced for a number of years. If you are getting a unit that has only one haying season on it (even though it is 2-3 years old) AND includes all of the bells and whistles AND was shed kept, $10,500 might be the right price for that machine. I would say it could be reasonable.

 

[ddivinia]

I should be able to look at it next week. I was hoping for it to be around $8500, but if it is in really great shape - it migth be a "no brainer".

D.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Darin,
How much land are you going to square bale? Reason I ask is you can find a really decent round baler for that kind of money. My dealer had as many as 6 used balers before it rained late last month. Now he's down to 1 or 2. But I'm sure even further south than me you can find them.

 

[cowboydoc]

Kyle I bought mine brand new a couple years ago for $11,200. I'd say that's too much!

 

[jwcinpk]

Kyle I bought mine brand new a couple years ago for $11,200. I'd say that's too much!

I'm with Doc. You can pick up a new baler for just a little more. Take advantage of good financing and you'll never know you paid a little more. The baler you are looking at would only be a good deal with every bell and whistle offered on them and then it's questionable. As for hay equipment losing 50% of it's value when you take it off the lot, I don't think so. I bet he wouldn't sell you a baler he just sold a week ago for 50% off because it was used.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Just as a reference, I saw a 348 baler sell at auction last fall. It was a "getting out of farming" sale where most everyone there knew the seller. He took splendid care of his stuff. Baler was used 2 full seasons (I recall around 12,000 bales) There were 2 bidders once things got serious. They took it to around $7000 in big chunks. 5 and 10 bucks a bid, they ran it to $7700.

The eventual buyer is the type who wouldn't pay more than it's worth. He told me he was going to get out when it hit $8000. Deere balers sell good here.

 

[slowzuki]

That baler is a high production baler. Find out how many bales it has seen or if it was used for a custom operator. If you don't need that much output you could save a lot of money expanding your search to smaller balers.

Just as a reference, I saw a 348 baler sell at auction last fall. It was a "getting out of farming" sale where most everyone there knew the seller. He took splendid care of his stuff. Baler was used 2 full seasons (I recall around 12,000 bales) There were 2 bidders once things got serious. They took it to around $7000 in big chunks. 5 and 10 bucks a bid, they ran it to $7700.

The eventual buyer is the type who wouldn't pay more than it's worth. He told me he was going to get out when it hit $8000. Deere balers sell good here.

 

[ddivinia]

I looked at the baler and it was as nice as I figured it would be for the story that came with it. One of the tires was shot and some things didn't look right. For a baler that had been used in doors to convert round bales to sqaure bales it looked pretty used. So, I passed on it.

D.

 

[tillerkiller]

He has a 2-3 yr old 348 baler that the guy at their other store says is like new.

One of the tires was shot and some things didn't look right.

It amazes me what I find when I go look at something that is in "like new" condition.

The sad thing is that it is always has a "like new" price.