Machinery Pete Blog
February 26, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - February 19, 2026
Retirement sales are upgrading auction quality…
A growing number of true retirement auctions are bringing long-held, well-maintained machines to market, and those lineups are consistently outperforming typical consignment or dealer events. Equipment with one owner, documented care, and known field history gives buyers confidence, and confidence is translating intostronger bidding. As more operators exit farming amid economic pressure and generational transition, the pipeline of quality “clean exit” inventory is growing. In a cautious market, clarity and transparency are lifting results and helping set pricing benchmarks. Retirement sales are reinforcing a simple shift: documented condition now carries more weight than model year alone. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
February 26, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - February 12, 2026
Late model auction values pass a real pressure test…
BigIron and Sullivan moved three 2025 S7 800 combines averaging roughly $473,000 dollars, about 78 to 79 percent of advertised retail, along with four 2024 8R 370s bringing roughly 85% of retail. Heavy duplicate late model volume cleared inside historical depreciation bands, confirming stability at the top end of the market. See auction results here. For dealers and auction firms, this supports underwriting confidence on clean late model inventory. For farmers, it signals that waiting for a major late model price break may not produce the discount expected. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
February 09, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - February 5, 2026
Auction-to-retail ratios confirming a healthy used market…
High-profile machines trading around 80–82% of dealer retail align with historical “stable market” benchmarks, not distress pricing. This matters because it signals functional price discovery: sellers are no longer forced, buyers are realistic, and financing decisions can be made with more confidence around residual values. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
January 30, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - Jan 29, 2026
Three-five-year-old equipment has become the market’s center of gravity…
(7:30 in the episode)
Buyers continue to gravitate toward 3–5-year-old tractors and combines as the most practical alternative to new equipment. Replacement prices are simply too high for many operators to justify new iron, pushing necessity-driven demand into this band.(Machinery Pete has more on why used values are rising as new sales fall here.) Expect this segment to remain the fastest-moving part of the market, with pricing and turns increasingly sensitive to hours, specs, and condition rather than brand alone. If your sales mix is leaning more used, this is the inventory band you want to keep “in motion” because it protects turn days and cash flow. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
January 29, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - January 22, 2026
Late-model auction volume has collapsed, not just softened…
Auction volumes of 0–3-year-old equipment are down sharply year over year. After dealers aggressively flushed late-model inventory through auctions in 2024, the pipeline is now thin. Weak new equipment sales in ’24–’25 mean fewer trades are entering the system to replace what was cleared. This isn’t seasonal or temporary, it’s structural. The result is tightening late-model supply and firmer values showing up sooner than most expected. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
January 16, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - January 15, 2026
The used equipment market has reset, this is the "new normal"...
(throughout the episode)
Auction values feel brutal because machines cost more, but depreciation percentages are largely unchanged from history. What used to be a $75K–$100K hit is now a $150K–$250K hit, same math, much bigger dollars (hurts more). The market has already corrected the COVID “scarcity premium” and is now operating inside a tighter, more rational band. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
January 09, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - January 8, 2026
Clean, practical used equipment is carrying the market…
(4:00 in the episode)
Used values are being held up by scarcity. One- and two-year-old machines are still hard to find, and there isn’t a real wave of late-model trades coming to refill that top end. That’s forcing buyers down the age curve, and clean, documented machines are still the first to move and the last to give up value. If you’re assuming you can sell quality iron and replace it easily, replacement risk is real right now. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
January 05, 2026
Used Equipment Roundup - December 18, 2025
Auction volume is rising — but prices are strengthening, not weakening…
Farm auction activity has increased sharply, yet prices for clean, practical used equipment continue to firm. The expected dilution from higher volume hasn’t materialized. Instead, buyer competition remains intense on quality iron, signaling tightening supply rather than excess inventory. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
December 18, 2025
Used Equipment Roundup - December 11, 2025
President Trump’s emissions remarks introduce a new wildcard for equipment values...
President Trump openly discussed the idea of allowing OEMs to build simpler, “pre-DEF style” tractors. It’s only talk at this stage, but even the possibility raises questions about future equipment pricing, model offerings, and how Tier 4 used values would adjust if regulations shift. The key is awareness — customers will be watching this closely, and any regulatory movement could reshape trade conversations. Click here to listen to the full podcast!
September 28, 2022
Used Tractor Prices
When buying a used tractor, you want to ensure that you’re getting the most out of each purchase. Farm equipment isn’t cheap, and even used tractors for sale can come with a hefty price tag - although it’s a much more affordable option than purchasing brand new equipment. Therefore, you must do your research to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.