Went to an Auction today....

[RCW]

Went to a very large Farm Bureau Consignment Auction today.

3,500 lots, maybe 200 tractors, 2-300 lawn tractors/ZT's, and probably 2,000 buyer's numbers out.

Place was a mudhole, and it was snowing hard with heavy, cold wind.

Just thought I'd highlight a couple Kubotas:

M7040 w/ cab, FEL, 4WD, Shuttle, 2,200 hours - $22,500
MX5100 ROPS, FEL, 2WD, tranny unknown (didn't look), 169 hours, $12,800
RTV400CI, 304 hours, $4,800
BX2360, FEL, 60" MMM, 600 hours, $6,800

All seemed in decent shape, and workable.

There were also an L2250(?), and a B7200, but I did not see them sell.

A NEW New Holland 25HP TLB sold for $13,800 w/ warranty. Essentially the NH version of a BX23S.

Not trying to make a point; just noted the Kubotas and their sale prices.

 

[SidecarFlip]

With tractors, years count as well as models. I d a lot of farm auctions and rarely buy anything because usually it's beat and if it isn't, it has not been maintained

The last thing anyone thinks about when selling anything at an auction is taking care of the item.

 

[MadMax31]

I went to several auctions before I bought new. Three of them being McFaddens. The only equipment I tried to buy sold higher than I was willing to pay or tractors were shot. You walk the field and I had no color bias then, loads of Deere, loads of hours.

My first L taught me alot about the importance of machine maintenance.

My B taught me the lower the hours, the better your chances are of having little to no issues.

Bought my BX23S new as 0% for 84 months smoked literally any used machine at a dealer.

 

[RCW]

With tractors, years count as well as models. I d a lot of farm auctions and rarely buy anything because usually it's beat and if it isn't, it has not been maintained

The last thing anyone thinks about when selling anything at an auction is taking care of the item.

Flip - -

True years count, but often the tractor or equipment market is driven by hours. A prudent auction buyer can only do their best to ascertain the machine's history, and bid accordingly.

I didn't see them sell, but there were a couple larger JD's (4255 and 4040?) with cabs that had a coat of fresh paint, and the painting was done well.

Both looked straight and right. But man, if you pressure wash and paint a 30 year old tractor it makes me gun-shy. I want to see the leaks, etc., if any.

Some of the tractors there were junk - - a big articulating Steger with duals all around sold for $3,800. Probably about junk value at what, 30,000 pounds?

There was a very nice Farmall M-TA that sold for $3,800 too, at maybe 6,000 pounds.

I bought a coffee and a hot dog. I was all-in for $3.50, my gas to get there, and I had a great time!

 

[RCW]

I went to several auctions before I bought new. Three of them being McFaddens. The only equipment I tried to buy sold higher than I was willing to pay or tractors were shot. You walk the field and I had no color bias then, loads of Deere, loads of hours.

My first L taught me alot about the importance of machine maintenance.

My B taught me the lower the hours, the better your chances are of having little to no issues.

Bought my BX23S new as 0% for 84 months smoked literally any used machine at a dealer.

Max - -

I live about 90 minutes from McFadden's. Always wanted to go there, but haven't been able to.

I was a "farm kid," and farmers like auctions. I still do, even though I'm not a farmer anymore.

You're correct in that you want to pay attention to auction prices, and work in buyer's premium, etc. It truly is a buyer's beware venue.

I've seen guys pay $400 for a used chainsaw they could have bought for $300 from the store with warranty...

For me, an auction is a social event just like today was. I very seldom buy more than the coffee and hot dog.

 

[D2Cat]

RCW, isn't it crazy what we will do on a nasty day? Stand around freezing our butts off, drink a cup of coffee and a sandwich, just because it's fun.

I'm always leery about buying anything at a consignment auction, at least around here, there are too many guys selling equipment that bid for each other to jack up the prices for their buddies. And an item that has a fresh coat of paint, for me, is only entertaining to see what some naive person may bid, and usually feel sorry for them.

Another thing I see at consignment sales are guys hanging by something and if you took very long, or show much interest in the item, they're sure to start talking what is wrong with it. Then when the item is being auctioned off, they end up the high bidder. They were just putting it down to run off competition.

Was at an auction a few weeks ago, before the grass was growing, looking to see what big round bales brought. This guy comes over and starts pulling out some from the end of the bale and declaring how much stem was there. Sure enough, his hand was the highest when the auctioneer said, "All in, all done? Sold!"

I sometimes have fun with those types, like walking up to them after the crowd moves a bit and make a comment, "You decide to buy it for your neighbor, or did you decide your animals were not opposed to stems?" Just to let him know he was caught being deceitful.

Another auctioneer trick is for him to have a bid on an item, crying for the next bid, gets none, so says sold. Then tells the clerk the price he was TRYING to get. If the buyer doesn't pay close attention Mr. Auctioneer will nick you on everything he sells.

Buying at an auction effectively takes practice, and that practice can be expensive! Best to stick to the coffee and sandwich.

 

[Kurtee]

Max - -


I've seen guys pay $400 for a used chainsaw they could have bought for $300 from the store with warranty...

:

This is what we refer to as "Auction fever"

Gotta take something home no matter the cost.

We have one auctioneer in my area that I watched sell a flashlight, then proceed to sell the batteries out of it. Time waster, I stay away from his sales.

We have the Minnesota auction warranty in effect here. 50/50, 50 feet or 50 seconds whichever comes first.

 

[RCW]

RCW, isn't it crazy what we will do on a nasty day? Stand around freezing our butts off, drink a cup of coffee and a sandwich, just because it's fun.

So true ---

I put the truck in low gear and 4WD to get out of the parking area. Pretty muddy!

The coffee was hot and the hot dog pretty decent...good day!

 

[SidecarFlip]

Most every farm auction I've been to, the on site hoagy wagon has inflated prices, the coffee is weak, the hot chocolate is cold and the hot dogs are on stale buns... Guess I go to the wrong ones....lol

Sometimes I think the hoagy wagon makes more money than anyone else and most times the hoagy wagon is owned by the auctioneers.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Way back when I used to buy hay for my boss. (before I got into the forage business). I'd take one of the company's Western Stars with out 48 foot Talbert single drop to the hay auctions. When they saw me pull in with the big double bunk extended hood Star and the Talbert, they knew I was a serious buyer.

Then, when I got out of the truck,went in a registered and backed that up with a credit card (company card) and walked back to the truck and opened the side compartment and got out my Delmhorst digital moisture meter and hay probe, they realized real quick I was not only serious but I knew exactly what I was doing.

I'd go down along all the bales, square and round and stick random bales. Had the moisture threshold set at 18% and the Delmhorst has a loud alarm on it. I'd quickly get a crowd of buyers following me as I probed bales and the alarm went off. When it did, I'd push the over ride and get an actual percentage and some of the bales I stuck were well in the excess of 20% RM at times. You don't need to bother looking at any hay over 20%, it will be moldy or on it's way to molding.

Auctioneers hated me. They love to sell nice 'green' bales to uninformed buyers. Most times, green bales are moldy inside or will mold before they get fed.

Went to auctions and bought nothing because it was all garbage. I based every buy on what the Delmhorst told me. It don't lie.

I use it today. I have sensors in my balers and it plugs into those sensors so I can monitor RM from the cab as I bale. I keep the threshold value set at 12% because when you bale, the RM will typically climb (after compaction from bailing) to around 20% and then drop back to a stable 15%. I sell all my rounds to a cattleman, have one buyer who takes everything I make and the few squares I make go to my neighbor across the road for her nags. I don't want a hay issue with either.

 

[RCW]

Most every farm auction I've been to, the on site hoagy wagon has inflated prices, the coffee is weak, the hot chocolate is cold and the hot dogs are on stale buns... Guess I go to the wrong ones....lol

Flip - - you need to come to a big one in Upstate New York...we don't have "hoagies," because we call them submarines. I think Grinder is another regional name??

Fodder items were hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausage peppers and onions, offered by 4-H.

The Dairy Princess Committee had a "Farmer Breakfast" and drinks.

Of course I had to support both 4-H and Dairy Princess efforts!

My twin daughters were NYS Champions in Track & Field in High School, and went on to Cornell to run as well. Made it as far as NCAA Championships couple times....

I've eaten more "track meet hot dogs" than I care to admit....I think my record was 8 or 9 at an event....they were $1 in High School; Cornell got $3.50...

 

[shootem604]

I went to one equipment auction just to see what was out there and for how much, before buying my tractor in a private sale. It was full of old equipment with fresh paint going for too much money. I left. I've been to farm auctions and others in the past but this one was by far the most underhanded racket I ever saw. My brother is a sucker for them - he's got a yard full of junk acquired at these sales. All of the items have just one or two or three critical issues but they were "great deals".

 

[Muzzy]

Too funny, that has to be worth a first place ribbon