Equipment Trends for April 2026

The headline numbers for the row crop tractor market look encouraging this spring, but the details tell a more nuanced story. Andy Campbell published a full data breakdown in Farm Equipment magazine, which you can read here. But this episode walks through what it means practically for your dealership.

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What the data shows:

• Dealer supply for 175–300 HP tractors is down ~24% year over year; 300–425 HP is down ~14%
• Auction values on low-hour machines are up 13–18% versus spring 2025
• Retail asking prices up ~12% year over year on average

But velocity tells a different story:

• Low-hour, late-model units are sitting, and average days to sale has more than doubled, from 122 days in mid-2024 to ~300 days today
• Only 14% of these units sell within 60 days, down from 37% two years ago
• Higher-hour machines (3,000–4,500 hours) are the fastest-moving segment — over 50% sell within 60 days in the 300–425 HP category.

The short explanation: Buyers are cautious with capital. When low-hour units are priced high, they shop elsewhere, including at auctions, which is part of why auction values have spiked. This is a liquidity challenge, not a solvency crisis. But it shapes what farmers buy and how.

What dealers should do right now:

• Reevaluate trade premiums: The premiums agreed to in better times are fueling the low-hour overhang
• Get creative on trade cycles: Locked-in future trade values, service incentives, or financing structures can turn "not yet" into a win-win
• Measure what matters: Track time to sale, 60/90-day sell-through rate, price position vs. market, and repricing frequency. Time kills deals.

The row crop tractor market is an opportunity this spring. Dealerships that understand where the market has moved (not just that it has moved) are the ones best positioned to profit from it.