High Demand for Used John Deere Equipment at Frontier Ag and Turf in Wisconsin



On the Road with Machinery Pete and Frontier Ag and Turf in Wisconsin

In episode eight of On the Road with Machinery Pete, we head to Frontier Ag and Turf in Wisconsin. While April snowstorms across the state delayed the spring and planting season, the weather quickly dried up and temperatures rose, allowing producers to hit the fields earlier than they may have originally anticipated.

Mike Dorwin is one such producer. Dorwin says there were 13 inches of snow covering his fields in mid-April, but by May 4, he started up his tractors and planting equipment, and the job was done within two weeks. He heavily relied on his fleet of used John Deere planting equipment to get the job done, and it’s farmers like Dorwin that drive used equipment purchases across the state.

A Strong First Half of 2018 for Used Equipment Sales

Daniel Ruck, of Frontier Ag and Turf, says tractors sales across the board have been fairly sound. Ruck expects to see some strengthening in the values of used equipment as 2018 rolls on, which would be the first time he has seen this in quite some time.

The strong start to the season has been present outside of Wisconsin dealerships, as well. Machinery Pete explains that he saw an uptick in auction prices as early as November 2017, primarily driven by built-up demand. In terms of the strongest equipment sales, Machinery Pete has seen 10-to-20-rowed equipment in high demand. While this is typically the case in the used market, 2018 seems to be even hotter than expected.

Strong sales are also showing up in the combine market, as sales jumped 50 percent in May 2018, according to the AEM. This uptick can partly be attributed to early purchasing, which came as a bit of a pleasant surprise to Ruck.

As combines climb, dairy equipment is facing a bit more pressure. While the hay crop looks good, milk prices have struggled in 2018. Even though prices are down, some dairy producers are still purchasing equipment like forage harvesters to keep production moving efficiently. And, as Machinery Pete explains, challenges can create opportunity if producers are in a position to buy.

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