This week, Machinery Pete turns the spotlight on well-maintained 1970s iron. Leading the charge as the Pick of the Week is a 1977 John Deere 4430 with 5,902 hours and a Quad Range transmission that brought in $27,250. Handled by the Iowa Auction Group on Oct. 17 at the Ryan Bainbridge farm retirement sale in Paullina, Iowa, the tractor commanded a significant premium. For context, the average auction price for a John Deere 4430 this year sits at $15,645 — compared to $10,898 a decade ago and $12,740 25 years ago.
That same Paullina sale saw strong bidding on other vintage green machines, including:
- 1974 John Deere 4030 with just under 5,500 hours sold for $19,750.
- 1972 John Deere 4020 sold for $22,500.
Meanwhile, that same day in Mabel, Minn., Sweeney Auction Services hosted the Dean & Deb Stortz farm retirement auction. The headliner was a 1973 International Harvester 1066 that sold for $22,500. That is well above the model’s current annual auction average of $13,728 — and nearly triple what it averaged 10 years ago ($7,681) and 25 years ago ($7,110).
The Stortz auction also had several more noteworthy sales, including:
- 2018 Case IH Magnum 250 with 1,878 hours sold for $127,000.
- 2010 Magnum 210 with 2,731 hours sold for $80,000.
- 2013 New Holland T8.275 with 4,034 hours sold for $62,000.
- 2011 New Holland T6030 with just over 6,900 hours sold for $38,000.
- 2022 New Holland Discbine 313 sold for $18,000.
- 2018 New Holland Roll-Belt 560 round baler with 11,880 bales sold for $15,000.
Staying up north in Manitowoc, Wis., on Oct. 16, Machinery Pete highlights a sale by Miller ‘N Co. Auctions. A 1985 Case IH 2294 two-wheel-drive with 4,199 hours sold for $24,500. This is the third-highest auction price for this model in the U.S. without a loader.
Upcoming Auction Includes Newer Sprayer
Looking ahead, Machinery Pete will be closely watching a DPA Auctions sale on Oct. 20. The sale has a few interesting pieces of equipment that he will be paying attention to:
- 2025 John Deere 412R sprayer with 591 hours
- 1970 IHC 1456 Turbo Diesel with 9,954 hours
- 2012 John Deere 9560R with 5,678 hours
- 2012 John Deere 9510RT with 3,100 hours
- 2021 Apache 650 with 1,370 hours
- 2018 John Deere R4038 dry spreader with 3,158 hours
- 2020 Case SV280B skid steer with 1,128 hours
