How long will tractor salvage yards survive?

Larry B. 1486 · Apr 3, 2014

Made a trip to Sikeston MO.today to get a used battery box for my 1486. There are three big yards in Sikeston. I don't go often anymore like I did 20 years ago. Still back in 1990 there were rows and rows of salvage tractors and combines and several being just 5 years old. The parts counters always had 4 or 5 parts men working, phones ringing and people waiting in line to be waited on. Today, the latest model tractor I saw was a 5488 IH and mid 1980's JD's. Only two parts men, no phone's ringing and I was the only customer. Don't they part out newer tractors anymore? What do they do with all the wore out tractors and combines in the past 10 to 20 years? I guess everyone goes to CIH and JD and buy new parts.

ken house · Apr 3, 2014

you reckon the newer ones are not worth rebuilding.

504 · Apr 3, 2014

Take a note from the dealerships,equipment cost too much to patch. A 5 year lease and very few repairs.

gearheadbill · Apr 3, 2014

I was at a salvage yard, Bootheel Tractor, about 15 miles southeast of Sikeston in the town of East Prairie a week ago. They dealt mainly in later tractors. The place was huge! They had 5 guys side by side constantly just rebuilding engines for sale. They were very good to deal with.

RC Brooks · Apr 3, 2014

They will survive, but move as some retire and others buy in. Right now there has been a boom in ag, but there will be another bust sometime. When the bust comes, more salvage yards will spring up again.

redforlife · Apr 3, 2014

I think there will always be salvage yards, but they are gradually being modernized. I know of one place, you drive by it and it don't really even look like a salvage yard. The guy dis-assembles everything that comes in, bins the parts in big buildings, and has very little stuff sitting outside. Scraps any parts that won't sell. Sells most stuff by phone or through the net. Very little walk in business. Your going to see alot more of that. E.P.A. laws are getting tuffer in my state on these salvage yards that have large acreages of half parted out junkers. Fewer farmers and less equipment = less local business for these guys. Gonna have to have broad marketing in the future in this business. Most do now, although I know a couple old schoolers that still refuse to market on internet. They probly won't, but there kids will have to when they take it over. Can't imagine the way things will be 50 years from now. It will be unreal. And if I live to be old, unfortunately I will see it. LOL

old bc · Apr 3, 2014

There is a big salvage place here where I live. He is doing well and has a large lot plus several
large warehouses. He sells on the internet and is hooked up with TractorHouse.com. They cut up and scrap things that are not salable.

CenTex Farmall · Apr 3, 2014

Several things for this post; Two fairly local yard are no longer purchasing 60's and older tractors for parts. Not enough volume or what's left is too worn to mess with.

A local truck salvage yard closed up recently. They were a pretty good size operation at one time. Tons of transmissions and motors and everything. Medium duty truck parts. Body parts.

Like the newer tractors, less and less people are fixing stuff themselves as the equipment becomes computerized and more complex. The basic large components (gears, bearings etc) are engineered to where they last as long as the rest and by the time they're done the rest of machine is depreciated out and not cost effective to repair.

IH fan · Apr 4, 2014

I think a lot of the bigger farmers, and there are more and more of them all the time, do not have the time to repair 5 or 10 year old tractors or equipment. They trade or lease every 2 or 3 years, because they do not want a tractor sitting around with something broken. My wife's cousin, who bought her land a few years ago, farms (last I heard) 23 irrigated quarters and with 3 250-300HP tractors, he replaces one every year. Those tractors probably go to someone who keeps it several years and it's worn out by that time mechanically and any electronics would be outdated and troublesome to keep running longer.

Roger46 · Apr 4, 2014

I was just at a salvage yard in western Wisconsin on Wednesday and they seem to be doing better every year I deal with them. They recently remodeled the front order/display area. They used to have tractor/combine wrecks in the yard and would usually require work to get your part. Now they have most of their equipment disassembled and on the shelf in buildings. The larger parts like castings and such are outside in the yard grouped by brand. They had a line-up of tractors and combines (some burned) awaiting disassembly. They also handle farm equipment parts. In addition they sell new parts for old and newer tractors, combines, and machinery. They had about six guys working the phones and handling customers. As a final note, since they have computerized their operation and parted out the equipment they also charge a lot more than they used to. Roger

Dean Olson · Apr 6, 2014

My local yard just closed. Owner was elderly and losing his health.

I'm just outside Houston and lots of equipment goes south into Mexico.

mkirsch · Apr 7, 2014

There are going to be fewer, larger salvage yards as time goes on. Just like everything else, fewer and larger. You can't survive unless you're big, and even if you manage to scrape out a living as a small business, the local major player will sense a threat and move in to eliminate you by any means necessary. You can only hope it's by buying you out with a generous offer.

How long will tractor salvage yards survive?

Larry B. 1486

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ken house

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504

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gearheadbill

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RC Brooks

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redforlife

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old bc

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CenTex Farmall

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IH fan

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Roger46

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Dean Olson

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mkirsch

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