Where the Best Harvest Equipment Deals Are Right Now

The summer heat triggers harvest preparation, a time to scrutinize combine, header, and grain transport equipment needs.

The combine market is moving sideways, both in availability and price. “Class 8 leads in terms of quantity and value, with the supply down 10-15% year-over-year,” said Andy Campbell Cambell, director of insights at Tractor Zoom. “There is no longer an abundance of combines and the resulting fire sales. With Class 8 combines, the floor is definitely in.” Spring sales serve as an early indicator of summer sales strength, with Class 7 and 8 combines recently witnessing strong values.

Class 9 and 10 combines are an entirely different market. “There are not many operations that can handle that size of combine,” said Campbell. While sales did pick up this spring, these units have been sitting on dealer lots far too long. “They continue to be an aged problem, and they are expensive to carry from an interest rate standpoint. If dealers don’t sell them by December, they are probably going to be hanging on to them until next July or August. This is an opportunity if you are looking for one of those combines, however, there are still a lot of headwinds with who the second buyers are going to be.”

New combine headers are skewed toward belt-driven draper units. On older draper headers, buyers need to consider wear and carefully inspect them. “Wear points and repair costs get significant,” Campbell said. “You see steeper depreciation as those continue to age.”

The supply of platform headers has decreased 20% from last year, but they are moving more slowly. “Straight, rigid row crop headers are doing well. It’s the folding row crop headers where there is some weakness in the resale value.”

The summer heat triggers harvest preparation, a time to scrutinize combine, header, and grain transport equipment needs.

The combine market is moving sideways, both in availability and price. “Class 8 leads in terms of quantity and value, with the supply down 10-15% year-over-year,” said Andy Campbell Cambell, director of insights at Tractor Zoom. “There is no longer an abundance of combines and the resulting fire sales. With Class 8 combines, the floor is definitely in.” Spring sales serve as an early indicator of summer sales strength, with Class 7 and 8 combines recently witnessing strong values.

Class 9 and 10 combines are an entirely different market. “There are not many operations that can handle that size of combine,” said Campbell. While sales did pick up this spring, these units have been sitting on dealer lots far too long. “They continue to be an aged problem, and they are expensive to carry from an interest rate standpoint. If dealers don’t sell them by December, they are probably going to be hanging on to them until next July or August. This is an opportunity if you are looking for one of those combines, however, there are still a lot of headwinds with who the second buyers are going to be.”

New combine headers are skewed toward belt-driven draper units. On older draper headers, buyers need to consider wear and carefully inspect them. “Wear points and repair costs get significant,” Campbell said. “You see steeper depreciation as those continue to age.”

The supply of platform headers has decreased 20% from last year, but they are moving more slowly. “Straight, rigid row crop headers are doing well. It’s the folding row crop headers where there is some weakness in the resale value.”

When it comes to transporting grain, day cab semi-trucks experienced the largest inventory change, down 25% year-over-year. Inventory has dried up, so expect to pay a bit more. The inventory for used trailers has always been tight. “A good grain trailer, especially an ag hopper, moves fast at auction or on dealer lots,” Campbell said.

Meet Andy Campbell

Andy Campbell is director of insights at Tractor Zoom. As a past engineer, professor, and entrepreneur, Campbell is passionate about bridging the gap between data and action for farmers, dealers, auctioneers, and ag lenders. He continues to help operate his family farm in Iowa.

Tractor Zoom was started in 2017 to help farmers and other decision makers have access to current equipment values and make data-driven decisions about heavy equipment.

Meet Dave Mowitz

Dave Mowitz worked at Successful Farming from 1982 to 2022, covering equipment trends for Successful Farming magazine, the Successful Farming TV show, and the Ageless Iron Almanac. Although recently retired, he continues to serve as a contributing editor and now podcast host.

Mowitz was raised on a family farm in Nebraska, of which he is now a part-owner.

Listen to the Podcast

Subscribe to the Successful Farming podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us!

Episode Highlights

• Mid-season used equipment is a mixed bag with fewer units across the board, except for some row crop tractors. There’s just not a lot of good used late-model equipment out there since farmers have turned to it instead of new equipment over the last couple of years.
• New sales volume is slightly up over last year.
• Class 7 and 8 combines may have seen the floor, but weak demand means you can still find what you are looking for.
• Class 9 and 10 used combines are still struggling to find their place.
• Grain carts have been piling up on dealer lots with an ample supply of larger 900- to 1,100-bushel capacity units, creating a buying opportunity.