Auction Results.........

Went to the Novak consignment auction by Dorchester, NE yesterday.

Tractors seemed to go OK. A JD 4000 with a loader brought about $9,000. A 4430 brought $17,000. Ford 8N $1,500.

One thing surprised me, a JD 7720 Turbo combine, clean local unit, only brought $3,600. I expected upwards of $10,000. Maybe someone knew something I didn't.

I sold two mini vans, an '05 Dodge Grand Caravan and an '07 Chrysler Town & Country. I got a bit more than my bottom dollar for both. Considering who bought it, I suspect the Dodge is destined to become a pilot car for oversized loads on the Interstate.

Now I need to go shopping for another daily driver for myself, 'cause I'd been driving the Dodge. My wife drove the Chrysler until I bought her the Lincoln MKX. I'll probably go for another Chrysler products minivan. With my back problems, they're easy to get in and out of, plus they're handy to haul stuff with the rear "Stow 'n Go" seats folded down.

I'll drive my pickup until then. It needs some miles. I've owned it 7 years and put 8,000 miles on it. It's not like I use a pickup every day, but when I need one I want one sitting there ready to go.

At a consignment sale yesterday a JD 7720 RWA with bad engine but looked straight otherwise sold for 4,000 dollars. A JD 4020 SC 1969 with poor rear tires, poor rims, and rough fenders sold for 7,000 dollars. A much nicer same year (1969) 4020 sold for 10,500 dollars. Several JD 336 balers ranging from 800-1,500 dollars down quite a bit from a few years ago. IH 1086 good mechanical but cosmetically poor ROPS sold for 3,250. I'd like to say things were down but there were a fair number of examples of equipment bringing good money not all to do with condition. Junk row stuff brought pretty good money IMO.

You can buy a 95-9600 for $10,000 if you look in the right places--A 7720 anymore is a good 466 for a tractor puller--Things are changing---Tee

Friend had a 7720 , and really liked it, but said it was becoming difficult to get parts for, so they sold it

I have the little brother in the 6620 and I have no problem getting common wear parts from JD for it. The 6620 and 7720 share many parts such as belts and bearings. Most commonly needed wear parts are on the shelf at the various JD dealers around here. Now if you want to talk about things such as a new cylinder head for the engine then those parts are NLA just like they would be for any combine made during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Just like any older machine you can reach a point where major repairs are needed and the cost can easily exceed the value of the machine when in good condition.

watch out for those 08 and newer dodge/Chrysler mini vans; they have many more problems then the 07 and older. I've owned 2 of the newer styles and have made the decision that there will be no more. I love the older vans. I bought an 09 honda pilot now and like it!

Reading this and some recent post from Traditional Farmer who reported on some auctions in his area- sounds like decent equipment is starting to bring decent money at the auctions. A sign of improving economy? Or a sign more people are buying used equipment as new stuff won?t pencil out for them? Hard to say.

I too have noticed a lil bump in used equipment around here. The farm economy right now is as bad as it had ever been, but guys have been able to hold on only because of low interest costs. I think the bump right now can be credited to the fact the everyone has been making do for three years and they are now at a point where the stuff they were holding together with a welder and baling wire simply NEEDS to be replaced. Supply of good used equipment is getting low and they gotta buy it for whatever it sells for. Tractors are doing well and planters, but combines are still hurting. I saw A 1990 JD 9500 4wd with 3600 hours sell for 13750 on Wednesday last week. A 4440 sold for 25k at TY he same sale and a 1750 6rn sold for 22k

Probably a little of both as some people have off farm income to spend and some people need to replace certain items but new is out of the question.

I think a lot of it has to do with right to repair. JD and others have gotten some bad press recently about software locks on equipment. It's raised the value of the used market.