Machinery Pete: Highest Auction Price on a Combine – Ever

That’s what I saw on a Dec. 12, 2019, online dealer auction in central Minnesota, where a 2018 John Deere S790 on tracks with 224.5 separator hours sold for $396,000. The prior record (on a combine sold without heads) was $360,000. That happened on Aug. 15, 2018, at a farm auction in Wayland, Mich., where a 2017 John Deere S680 with only 4 separator hours sold for $360,000.

So, what was the reaction when I blogged about the new record combine auction price of $396,000? For many it was: “Wow, what a steal! That’s way off price of new one.”

Sure, it is, but nearly $400,000? That’s super strong from the lens I’m looking through, yet not surprising as it falls squarely in one of the two hot spots in the current used combine and tractor markets:

1. 1- to 3-year-old and under warranty
2. 8- to 10-year-old (pre-DEF, pre-Tier IV) in good condition with low hours

Check out what a few very nice condition, low hour combines in the 8-to-10-year-old range sold for at auction in early December 2019:

• 2011 John Deere 9770 STS, 981 engine hours, $175,000, Dec. 7, 2019 farm auction, west-central Indiana. That was the highest price this year on a 9770 – by $31,000!
• Case IH 2588, 1,154 engine hours, $112,000, Dec. 10, 2019 farm auction in west-central Ohio. That was the second highest price on a 2588 in four years.
• 2011 John Deere 9870 STS, 1,724 engine hours, $130,000, Dec. 12, 2019 farm auction in southwest Indiana. That was the second highest auction in 2019.
• 2003 Case IH 2388, 634 engine hours, bit of rough appearance, $67,000, Dec. 14, 2019, farm auction in west-central Indiana. That was the second highest price in 2019 on a 2388.

Greg Peterson is the most trusted name in farm equipment. Visit MachineryPete.com, for his latest analysis as well as equipment listings from dealers and equipment for sale at upcoming auctions.

Read more from Top Producer.