Cheffins April auction sees gross sales up 40 per cent on 2016

Bill Pepper, director, Cheffins, reports on the sale.

Tractors

Just over 300 tractors were entered this month, less than we’d normally expect but a reflection of the current shortage of second hand tractors. Trade was slightly softer than last month but spirited bidding resulted in a vast majority sold with some good prices. As ever, anything which had been obviously well cared for attracted the money even if it had a bit of age about it: a direct from farm Case 4240XL with loader nudged £8,700, another farmer entered tractor in the form of a Fiat F100 brought over £8,500, a smart 1991 Renault 90-34 touched £7,000, an aged Ford TW30 but showing its years well changed hands for some £6,800, a Case 1056 XL with the desirable air-con sought £7000 and the star of the show, a 1985 Fiat 180-90 showing just 4,560 hours stormed to nearly £17,000 and worth every penny.

On to the more recent examples and some successful sales would feature: £13,000 was paid for a 2006 Claas 826RZ, destined for Hungary, a 1997 630 Ares showing 6000hrs commanded £8,500 and is headed east to the Czech Republic and McCormick trade improved with a lovely 2006 CX105 off to Eire for £14,500.

Massey and Ford/New Holland trade was dominated by Northern and Southern Irish buyers: a 2009 6495 topped £26,000, £14,000 was paid for a 4270 c/w loader, a 2008 ex-county council 3645 hit £11,000, an imported 4255 with loader did well at £12,500 and a 2004 5465 c/w loader made £14,500. New Hollands included a trio of direct from farm machines: a 7840, 8260 and 8360 all circa 1996 achieved £7,000, £8,700 and £9,200 respectively, a sharp little TD95D on a ‘55 plate topped £10,500 and £26,000 was paid for a 2011 T6080.

John Deere trade was dominated unsurprisingly by European buyers taking advantage of favourable exchange rates. ‘R’ series are now finding buyers amongst our regular clientele and deals done this month would include 2012 6210R for £46,000, a 2013 version made £12,000 more, a 2014 6150R topped £39,000 and a 6125R of the same age made almost £44,000.

A John Deere 8530 was top price of the day at £56,000 and the biggest tractor was a 2001 Case STX 440 for £32,000, both off to Germany. Most sought after tractors were probably Fastracs. We just about sold out and top machine was a 2007 3200 for £29,000.

Sale 2 tractors had buyers from Kenya, Sudan, Lebanon and European buyers whom snapped up a good quantity in this section. Stocks of these older Masseys etc. are low and with the improving trade, entries of such are invited for next month.

Plant

Following its’ initial success in March, this month’s ‘drive-through’ Plant sale held on well to the audience of potential buyers collected in the marquee building for it’s start just before 3pm. Home and export buyers competed for the varied line up of digger loaders, telescopic handlers, loading shovels, rollers and dumpers that were on offer.

Being in short supply throughout the country, JCB 3CXs created the most interest with buyers from the UAE, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and the UK ensuring that we achieved an incredible 100% success rate with most exceeding their reserves. Top prices included two 2004 Powershifts, one at just over £20,000 and one just over £21,000, and Manuals from 1994, 1995 and 1997 making £12K, just over £13,000 and just under £21,000 respectively. The talking point was a 2001 Powershift from the Training College having worked just 1300 hours which went to over £24,000.

With the yard now empty of this type of machine Cheffins desperately need new entries for May please. Manuals still command a premium but Powershift versions were equally in demand. Give Cheffins a call to see what we can make of your machine. A very low houred, early 1990s Massey 50HX with a telegraph pole grab also sold well, exceeding its’ £8,500 reserve by almost 20% and staying in the UK.

A slightly lower entry of telescopic handlers benefitted again from driving past the gathered crowd which did however prove to be rather make selective. Unusually, Manitous struggled to find new owners as did Merlos. It was JCBs again which attracted the trade from Eire, Ukraine, Spain and the UK with just about 60% getting away and achieving strong prices.

A couple of nice rollers from a local contractor sold well with a Bomag 138D showing just 381 hours and a 2001 Benford Terex TV1700 with 2033 hours making around £8,000 and £11,000 respectively, together with a Bitelli BB621C paver at around £9,000. An immaculate 1993 JCB 926 forklift straight from the Training College and showing just 2,300 hours made good money at just under £7,000. The dumpers driven through met with a selective trade, the most popular being either small, skip loaders or 9 to 10 tonne examples.

In the tracked section, sold examples included a 2007 Kubota KX161 at over £13,000 and a 2015 Caterpillar 3014.7 just over £10,000. The vast majority of mini-diggers got away to a good export and home trade and we are getting inquiries for this type of machine on a regular basis so your entries for May sale would be greatly appreciated.

With the success in most sections of the plant sale we are looking to refill our stock for the May sale which is always one of the best attended auctions of the year. Please let us have your entries as soon as possible especially in the digger loader, telescopic handler and mini-digger sections.

Machinery

A fantastic selection of machinery was available on Monday for the buyers at the auction. Spreader trade was slightly quieter than previous months but still a good percentage sold with buyers from all corners of Europe vying for the choice models.

Trailers continue to remain in demand with all makes and models being sought after, Ifor Williams examples remain as popular as ever. However, a Marston 10 ton grain trailer was the star of the show crashing past its reserve before closing out at just under £4,000.

Baler trade was very good on Monday, with round, conventional and big square examples creating a lot of interest. European and overseas customers keenly contested for their choice models and online bidding was as strong as ever. One of the stand out examples was a splendid McHale F540 which, after much bidding, eventually sold at over £7,000.

Horticultural

Once again the horticultural section had a full entry and with a few rays of sunshine on buyer’s backs, trade was as akin to last month.

Chains saws, hedge cutters, strimmers etc. sold well in the building and were no doubt used with vengeance this last weekend. Such stock is always on buyers shopping list and even a large percentage of these smaller items are destined overseas. Mowers, ride-ons, ATVs, compact tractors etc. are ever popular and a few example prices would include: a little McCormick X10.25 made almost £4,500, a Kubota B7001 achieved £1,400, a John Deere 355D took £800 and almost £5,500 was made of a 2015 Polaris Diesel Ranger.

The next sale will be on Monday 8th May at the Sutton Sale Ground. For more information please visit www.cheffins.co.uk, or call Cheffins auctioneers on 01223 213777.

The spring vintage sale will take place before this and includes over 3,000 lots. This will be on April 22nd, at the Sutton Sale Ground.