Western (U.S.)

Widespread Warmth, Lingering Drought Dominate Early November Outlook

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:54:00 GMT

It’s been an unusually warm start to November, a trend that’s gripping the West and preventing moisture from reaching areas that need it. But that trend could shift later in the month, at least in terms of temperatures.

Several parts of the U.S. experienced their warmest November days on record in 2025, including Denver, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz. Other locations like Goodland, Kan., Sidney, Neb., and La Junta, Colo., also set daily record highs. But just how high are we talking?

Denver : Broke its all-time record November high, reaching 83°F and significantly exceeding the previous record of 78°F
Tucson : Set a record for the hottest day of the year on Saturday with 88°F, then broke its own record the next day with 92°F
Cheyenne : Recorded its latest-ever 70°F
San Jose : Reached 80°F

Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe, of Brian Bledsoe Weather, says through the first half of November, he expects above-normal temperatures across the western two-thirds of the country, with the Southeast seeing slightly cooler conditions.

“The western two-thirds of the country are just going to be a blowtorch,” he says.

Not Good News for Chances of Rain

It’s not just the warmth, but also the lack of moisture in the forecast. Bledsoe says rain chances will stay limited for most regions, especially the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast, where below-normal precipitation is likely. The Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Rockies are the exceptions, potentially seeing wetter-than-average conditions.

“We’re continuing to build on some of these dry areas that have expanded across much of the country,” Bledsoe says. “If you look at the current drought monitor, there’s still a good bit of the country suffering from drought.”

The most recent look at the U.S. Drought Monitor paints a troubling picture heading into winter.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

He notes that drought persists in the Southwest, where the monsoon season failed to deliver consistent rainfall. Washington, Idaho, and northwest Montana are also struggling with dryness, while parts of the Corn Belt — and even sections of the Northeast — remain abnormally dry.

“Absolutely, we have areas we need to work on,” he says. “But the current pattern just isn’t conducive to big storms bringing widespread moisture.”

Ridge Holds Firm Across the West

Bledsoe explains a strong ridge of high pressure anchored over the interior West — covering Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico — is pushing most storm systems northward.

A look at how the warmth will shift in November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

“That ridge is basically diverting the storm track,” he says. “Meanwhile, farther east — across the eastern Great Lakes and into the far eastern Corn Belt — we’ll be under the influence of a trough of low pressure. That brings a few chances for colder air and maybe some brief moisture, but it’s not a setup for big storms.”

Pattern Shift Possible Later in November

There is some hope for change as the month progresses. Long-range European models show the upper-level ridge beginning to weaken, opening the door for a more active storm track.

“As that ridge gradually breaks down, we’ll start to see less of the drier-than-average pattern,” Bledsoe says. “Areas farther north will likely see moisture first, and then hopefully that extends farther south into the Plains.”

Precipitation outlook for the first half of November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

Snow in the Forecast?

While the heat was the headline to start November, and continues to be the case in the western U.S., there will be a blip of not just cooler air, but much colder air that could bring snow to the central and eastern parts of the country. But it won’t last long.

AccuWeather says you’ll need to brace for a big change this weekend and early next week in the central and eastern United States . AccuWeather meteorologists warn the weather pattern indicates a surge of cold air and at least one storm capable of producing a band of accumulating snow across parts of the Midwest, followed by lake-effect snow and perhaps a bit of snow in portions of the Appalachians to the south.

AccuWeather says cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast.

(AccuWeather)

AccuWeather is calling it “Christmastime cold” that’s on the way.
Their meteorologists say a large push of cold air arrives this weekend, which will cause conditions to drastically change.

A significant dip in the jet stream is forecast to begin this weekend for the Central and Eastern states.

“Temperatures will feel more like mid-December or even Christmastime in many places by next week,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok says.

A storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

(AccuWeather )

But the cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

It may be temporary, but the colder air will bring chances of accumulating snow in areas of the Midwest and the Appalachians that are farther south and rather low in elevation, according to AccuWeather. The storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

“As we see it now, the most likely time for snow showers in Chicago that can bring a small accumulation is late Saturday night to Sunday morning,” Pastelok says. “Around Detroit the most likely timing for accumulating snow showers is from Sunday morning to Sunday midday.”

While an excessive accumulation of snow is not anticipated on the roads, AccuWeather says the snow can fall at a heavy enough rate near the Interstate 94 and 80/90 corridor to make for slushy conditions in some areas.

Used Farm Equipment Heating Up: Experts Predict Buying and Selling Explosion Ahead

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:01:58 GMT

Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson are encouraged by what they are seeing from farmers-buyers and dealers in the used farm equipment market.

On the farmer side of the coin, Pete says they are using auction price data to understand market dynamics and find good deals for the equipment they need to run their operations. Once commodity prices rebound, he sees momentum building for an explosion of farmer buying activity on dealer lots and at auctions.

“It’s a powder keg sitting there waiting to go off, and that’s where if you’re able to through the rest of the year into ’26, be aggressive and call your dealer about any used equipment on lots you’re looking at updating,” Pete says. “It’s still a good time to do that.”

And on the dealer side of things, Seymour and Pete think increased dealer consolidation has imparted greater efficiency and bounce back upside into the network. There are currently 203 farm equipment dealers with five or more retail stores in North America, so these larger, professional dealer organizations can respond to market forces faster and more effectively today.

“A decade ago, when there were more owners with two, three, four stores, they kind of had to hold on and hope for better days, but it’s just so much more efficient right now,” says Pete.

Seymour and Pete also agree hay tools and livestock equipment — like utility loader tractors — are trending up. That’s because cattle ranchers have enjoyed a solid year profitwise, while row crop farmers are still stuck in a down cycle. And the gap between auction and dealer lot prices has tightened up, leading more farmers to explore both options before pulling the trigger on a buy.

“It’s the tale of two tapes there, but when I’m looking at how things are moving along, that space in between $50,000 to $150,000 and maybe up to $200,000, is really, really attractive [to buyers],” says Seymour. “And a lot of that has to do with, we’re at the bottom of the marketplace.”

Commodities Market Update

Rich Posson, host of the Critical Point podcast, joined Seymour to talk about the general state of the economy and Wall Street as “stagflation” continues to curtail growth in the economy.

“My model is willing to lean on the side of a growing GDP into 2027, but at the same time it’s suggesting this inflation has turned a corner — you can’t see it that way that much yet — but it looks like it’s ready to recover going into next year,” Posson says, adding he’s concerned inflation will actually get worse in 2026 before it goes down in 2027.

What’s Happening on the High Plains?

Dealer sales of new and used hay tools — like balers, windrowers and rakes — were a mixed bag this year, according to Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist, 21st Century Equipment.

“We had a pretty good flow with new windrowers, and that second [year] never hit the lot and the third was sold right away,” Fintel says. “Balers have not been what I thought they would be this year — there’s been used 3x4s that we get in; those have sold pretty good. And new round balers were quiet this year.”

Fintel adds that forage choppers, typically a machinery segment he jokes an equipment salesman “runs away from” at the dealer level, were a pleasant surprise and sold strong all year long.

Head on over to YouTube to watch the full episode . Go ahead and give it a “Thumbs Up” and hit the “Subscribe” button to get each new episode as soon as it drops.

Your Next Read: Machinery Pete’s 5 Pointers For Equipment Auctions

Winter Is Coming: Farm Equipment Prep Pointers From an Oil and Fuels Expert

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:49:56 GMT

Every winter, after fall harvest and tillage are wrapped up, farmers begin prepping farm equipment for the long slumber ahead until spring planting arrives. Or, if you plan on using that tractor or UTV to move snow or for other tasks around the farm, you need to prep your machinery for that as well.

There are several essential steps farmers need to consider for winter farm machinery use and storage, says Jonathan Woetzel. Woetzel has enjoyed a long career with Minnesota-based cooperative CHS, where he focuses on quality assurance for the Cenex brand, which is CHS’ in-house label for its fuels, lubricants and propane.

How to handle fuel

Cenex fuel at Shumaker Ringnecks Pheasant Farm

(Adam Hester )

His first piece of winter farm equipment preparation advice for farmers and fleet managers is make sure you have the right diesel fuel on hand.

“The wax that naturally occurs in diesel fuel, especially No. 2 diesel fuel, when it gets too cold, the wax crystallizes and becomes a solid form that doesn’t pass through filters very well,” Woetzel explains. “There are fuels available, like our Cenex Winter Master premium diesel fuel, that include additives to prevent gelling.”

That unwanted fuel thickening, or gelling as Woetzel calls it, is mitigated specifically by cold flow improver (CFI) additives in the fuel.

For any gasoline-fueled equipment you’re not planning on running this winter, Woetzel recommends adding a fuel stabilizer to the tank if you’re not able to empty it out prior to storage. Although, oftentimes a premium winter diesel fuel blend will already contain fuel stabilizers, so check with your fuel supplier before investing in aftermarket stabilizers.

Oil and lubricants

Oil_Analysis_Cenex_rev

Changing the oil in any equipment you store for winter is a good idea, he adds.

“I say that because used oil, if it’s been in there for quite some time, has lost some of its ability to prevent rust and corrosion,” Woetzel says. “So, get the old oil out and put in fresh oil and a new filter, and then fire it up and run it for 10 minutes or so to circulate the oil. Now all the internal engine parts are coated with oil to prevent rust and corrosion.”

The quiet winter period is also a great time to send off any used oil samples for lab analysis, which helps detect internal equipment issues (e.g., contaminants like coolant leaks or unusual engine wear), and then you can address maintenance needs before spring planting season. Most oil testing services turn samples around in 48 hours and will email a PDF of the results.

Another consideration is oil type. You want engine oil that will flow quickly as the machine starts up. Woetzel says you want to use high-quality synthetic oil.

“A full synthetic gives better cold starting capabilities and lubrication,” he adds. “And you want to make sure you have the right viscosity grade, like a 5W-40. That 5W means it’s going to flow very well right away at cold startup and work well in cold temperatures.”

Coolant and antifreeze

dan anderson coolant

Because coolants and antifreeze are formulated for a wide range of temperatures, there’s not much to worry about in that regard. Woetzel does recommend checking your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommended coolant change intervals, and if you’re due for a coolant swap, get that done (and a coolant flush) before winter hits.

If you’ve purchased a used machine that’s already full of antifreeze, but you’re not sure what type or if it’s the right formulation for your climate, there are handheld testers that you can purchase to verify the fluid’s actual freeze point.

Finally: hit those grease points

types of grease

(Dan Anderson)

Take a second and think about when you last greased up all the grease points on your tractor, combine, planter or tillage tool, Woetzel says. If you’re putting the machine into storage and won’t need it until it warms up, a standard No. 2 grease is good for spring, summer and fall. If you’re going to keep using it during the winter, he recommends using a No. 1 grease.

“We tell them to switch to a No. 1 grease, which is softer and easier to pump, and it flows better,” Woetzel explains.

Your Next Read: Record Breaking Used Hay Baler And Seed Drill Headline Pete’s Pick of the Week

Record Breaking Used Hay Baler And Seed Drill Headline Pete's Pick of the Week

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 18:22:49 GMT

Hay and livestock equipment is scorching hot on the used farm equipment auction market. This week’s Pete’s Pick of the Week is a shining example of positive momentum within the segment.

At a Jason Aycock Auctioneering sale Saturday in South Hill, Va., a “really sharp” New Holland BR7060 round baler (shown top of page) with 7,700 bales on it sold for $31,000. That topped the previous record auction price by $2,000.

(Jason Aycock Auctioneering)

In the same auction lot, a Hayduster 107 10-foot no-till seed drill (shown above) with 1,110 acres on it sold for $22,000, which once again broke the previous record high at auction by $2,000.

Here is a video from Machinery Pete’s Facebook page showing both machines being auctioned off:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And a few weeks ago, at a Richie Brothers auction in Saskatchewan, a 2017 John Deere 569 round baler with 5,968 bales under its belt (shown right) sold for $56,000 CA, which equates to just over $40,000 USD. Machinery Pete says that’s the seventh highest price all-time on a John Deere 569.

Used utility tractors with loader attachments also remain in high demand in the livestock/cattle producer markets.

(Jason Aycock Auctioneering)

At the Aycock sale in Virginia over the weekend, a New Holland T5070 with over 4,000 engine hours on it (shown above) with a NH 852 T loader implement included sold for $41,000. Pete says that’s not a record, but it still represents a “pretty, pretty strong price.”

And what about other livestock farming equipment, like feed trucks? Are those machines also bringing big dollar bids at auction? Yes, they sure are, says Pete.

(Purple Wave Auctions )

A 2024 Kenworth C500 feed mixer truck with a Rotomix 7002016 XD mixer (shown above) and 16,424 miles on it sold for $203,500 at a PurpleWave.com online auction last Wednesday.

“Whether it’s a round baler or a loader tractor, one of the things driving the market here is, you know, what’s a new one cost? When you’re buying horsepower on the used tractor market, it’s such a contrast with the price of new to a good used one that, even though it’s a record price, it’s still a big gap between the [price of a] new one. And that makes it awful attractive for used buyers,” Pete says.

Upcoming Auction

On November 4 Big Iron Auctions/Sullivan Auctioneers will be hosting the Jon and Marcia Kinzenbaw “No Reserve Collector Tractor Auction” in Williamsburg, Iowa, and online at BigIron.com. Jon Kinzenbaw founded Kinze Manufacturing Inc.

You can check out the auction docket for that sale here , bidding closes November 4 at 9:00 am CDT.

Your Next Read: Machinery Pete’s 5 Pointers For Equipment Auctions

Sign of the Tariff Times? Claas Shifts LEXION 8000 Combine Production From Omaha to Germany

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:47:33 GMT

German farm machinery manufacturer Claas has issued a statement reading, in part, that “to remain competitive in the Canadian market under current tariff and trade conditions, CLAAS will transition production of 2026 model year LEXION 8000 Series combines destined for Canada to Germany.”

By implementing this production shift, Claas would avoid paying the 50% steel and aluminum tariffs currently in place between the U.S. and Canada. Products manufactured in Germany and shipped into the U.S. are subject to a 15% blanket tariff, with some exemptions.

Related - From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made

Claas says the change will only apply to machines that will eventually harvest grain on farms in Canada. LEXION combines built for U.S. customers will continue to be assembled in Omaha, Neb., with most parts sourcing remaining local to the U.S.

A bit of good news amid the bad is Claas also says it will maintain stable prices in the U.S. until Dec. 31, despite the impact of tariffs.

So, if you’re looking at buying a new Claas combine, tractor or forage harvester, it sounds like you should think about locking in that pretariff price before the end of the year.

A busy 2025 at Claas

(Claas)

Claas recently soft launched its new Jaguar 1000 series forage harvesters (shown above) for the U.S. dairy market. That machine will hit the dairy industry in time for the 2026 forage harvest season when the first units manufactured over in Germany hit dealer lots.

Earlier this month, the company hosted a groundbreaking on its Omaha campus for a new North American R&D Center. And it recently expanded its dealer-network throughout a handful of states in the Midwest.

Back in August, we talked with senior vice president Eric Raby at the manufacturer’s booth at the Farm Progress Show . He told Farm Journal that Claas was absorbing the extra expenses from tariffs and “not passing all that on to the customer” but that the new-at-the-time 50% aluminum and steel tariffs would pose a significant challenge going forward.

“We’re still trying to figure out what are the implications because that is going to affect our industry much more broadly than just the tariffs on a country of origin for a specific machine,” Raby said at the time.

The manufacturer says it is currently reviewing preorder sales data to determine combine production requirements in Omaha . The company “sees strong potential in the future of U.S. agriculture and, with it, opportunities for continued growth.”

Despite the decision to move some combine production back to Germany, CLAAS is also actively recruiting new hires for sales and service throughout the U.S.

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Pete's Pick: 3 Used Loader Tractors Draw Big Bids, Plus A Heartwarming Classic John Deere Buy

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 22:55:59 GMT

The used farm equipment auction market continues to show robust demand and strong resale prices for good condition, used loader tractors .

That’s exactly why Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson highlights three strong loader tractor transactions as his most recent Pete’s Pick of the Week.

At a Purple Wave online auction, a 2022 New Holland T5.110 tractor (885 engine hours) with a loader implement (pictured top of page) sold for $61,600. Pete says that is the highest auction price ever for that year/make/model, according to MachineryPete.com sales data. The machine was from Broken Bow, Okla.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At a Younger Auction Company sale in Rockport, Mo., a 2014 Case IH Maxxum 125 tractor (2,135 hours) with a L756 loader sold for $72,500, which Pete says is the second-highest auction price ever for that model with a loader and more than 2,000 engine hours.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And at another Purple Wave online auction, a 2021 John Deere 6155M tractor (860 hours) with a 640R loader implement sold for $135,300. Pete says that is the third-highest auction price of all time with a loader and more than 500 hours.

“Dollars are tight all across ag and, you know, not much new stuff is selling — and we understand why,” Pete says. “I think [we saw] more layoffs at the manufacturer level last week , unfortunately. So when this continues to stretch out, but you [still] need horsepower and equipment on the farm, what you tend to look for is the best condition used [machinery].”

Pete also shares this nice story out of Plain City, Ohio, where a young farmer named Wyatt bought his great grandfather, Don Hess’s, old John Deere 430 tractor at an auction for $900. It was also the young man’s birthday, so quite the 24 hours for that auction goer out in Ohio.

“It was just very cool, and it made a lot of people happy to see a young person interested in their great grandfather’s history and tractor, and keeping that in the family,” Pete says.

Your next read: A Dive Deep Into Used Equipment Market Forces and Tips to DIY Your Next Sale

A Dive Deep Into Used Equipment Market Forces and Tips to DIY Your Next Sale

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:23:55 GMT

Farmers are feeling the squeeze of low commodity prices and uncertainty in the market — and that’s especially true for soybean growers right now — yet good condition, pre-DEF used farm equipment is still in strong demand.

Whether you’re selling a row crop tractor down at the local auction, parking the old combine out by the road with a “For Sale” sign on it, or throwing up a listing on Facebook Marketplace, Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson say there are best practices sellers need to use to present their machines in the best possible light.

Focus on taking a high quantity of clear images from a variety of angles, and show any defects with the machine. Make sure to wash and clean the machine as best as possible.

A detailed written description of the machine that includes its operating hours, how it was used on your farm and any maintenance history you can share is also recommended.

Use video (cell phone camera is fine) to give the online buyer a virtual “walk around” of the machine. Another tactic is recording a selfie video. Have the owner stand in front of the machine and speak directly to buyers about various upgrades and features on the machine and why they should consider buying it.

“You can throw a fishing lure, but if you don’t put any bait on the fricking hook, you’re not going to catch a fish,” says Pete.

Once pictures and videos are ready (that’s the bait on the hook), it’s time to cast the line into the water by setting a fair and realistic price. Use MachineryPete.com as well as other online auction platforms like Big Iron and Purple Wave to see how much the same make/models have sold for recently. Try to avoid emotion in your pricing decision, and do not say “Call for Price” in the listing. It sets off red flags that the machine will be overpriced.

“At the end of the day, there’s really three things that matter: how many pictures [and videos] do you have that tell a good story about the machine, what does your description look like and are you priced fairly in the market,” adds Seymour. “That’s it. Boom, boom, boom.”

Economics Update

Rich Posson, business cycles analyst, Critical Point & Ag Financial Strategies, correctly predicted the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates this week, and he thinks rates could bottom out early in 2026 and then rise again in 2027. Find out what he is seeing in the world of macro and microeconomics that will affect machinery sales.

The High Plains Perspective

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist, 21st Century Equipment, joined the podcast to unpack the for-sale-by-owner trend and how sellers who choose to go that route can make sure they don’t leave any cash on the table.

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode . Please be sure to hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

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Navigate The Used Farm Equipment Market With 5 Smart Buyer Hacks

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:40:38 GMT

If you’re looking to acquire a used machine in the next few months, this episode of the “Moving Iron” podcast is for you.

Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson and Casey Seymour have over 50 years of combined experience in the farm equipment industry. Over the decades, they’ve witnessed plenty of good and bad from buyers in the auction and secondary markets.

Here are a handful of tips they recommend buyers heed as they hit auctions and dealer lots this fall and winter:

Keep a close eye on interest rates. In the recent past when interest rates were sub-3%, watching rate fluctuations wasn’t as critical as it is today with 7% and 8% interest rates. Those high rates add a lot of dollars to the final price tag you’ll end up paying out over the years when you finance a tractor or combine.
Have cash on hand? Consider a higher down payment. High interest rates have a depreciating effect on equity in any high-value asset. One way to combat that is to increase your down payment. While 20% is normally the standard, you might consider going higher to 30% to 35% of the total cost of the machine.
Use data from MachineryPete.com and trusted sources. Its fine to be emotional about your favorite college football program or your trusty old farm dog, but emotion in the buying process should be kept to a minimum. Use auction data on the specific model you’re targeting to avoid emotional overpays and stay within current market value.
Get a handle on current machinery supply levels. How many used machines are sitting on dealer lots can have an effect on auction pricing. It’s basic supply and demand economics: if there are a lot of used machines of a particular make and model available on the secondary market, you can probably find a good deal on the auction circuit, and vice versa. You can even do your own unofficial research and take a spin past your local equipment dealer to see what’s on the lot.
Know the trends. Q4 and Q1 of the new year are two time periods when you’re likely to find used equipment bargains because, other than in 2015 and last year, used machinery values often drop once fall harvest wraps up. It remains to be seen, however, if that trend continues.

“I think we’re going to start seeing the numbers fall off, which will push things forward a little bit, [just] supply and demand stuff,” Seymour says. “But between now and probably the first quarter of ’26, that’s going to be your best opportunity to buy a machine at a good value. I don’t think you’re going to be able to buy it any cheaper than right now.”

Commodities and Market Updates

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO of Hackett Financial Advisors, gave an update on recent movement within USDA’s corn and soybean yield projections and how that will affect crop futures. He sees an upper $4 corn market and upper $11 soybean market as appropriate projections moving forward.

And used equipment specialist Aaron Fintel, 21st Century Equipment, says he focuses on how much equity he will be able to realize and how marketable the used machine will be six months from now when making a purchase decision.

You can head on over to YouTube to watch the full episode . Please be sure to hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

Auction Experts: Buy Used Farm Equipment Now Before Prices Jump, Machinery Specs Matter More Than Ever

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:53:14 GMT

With fall auction (and college football) season fully upon us, Moving Iron hosts Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson are paying close attention to how the used equipment resale market shakes out over the next few months.

According to Pete, last year was just the second fall auction season in the past 22 years that saw an overall drop in used machine values, but there are signs this fall will reverse that trend. That would be a positive development for dealers and private sellers looking to get good value for their used equipment at auction.

“I mean, if we get a little positivity in the market, if that continues, it might point toward maybe a stronger end of the year,” Pete says.

Pete also thinks interested buyers need to be aggressive now, because we might have hit the bottom of the market this summer and prices are only going up from this point forward.

Two used machines sold at a Big Iron Auctions sale in Illinois this week; the results show there are still good deals floating around in the auction market, but it is anyone’s guess how long that lasts.

A 2014 John Deere S680 combine with 3,340 operating hours sold for $69,000. Last year, the average auction price for that same model/year combine was $80,185, and the year prior it was right at $99,000.

And a 2017 John Deere 8370R tractor with 4,499 engine hours on it sold for $127,850, which is well below the average auction price of $182,500.

Seymour and Pete are also keeping close tabs on the upcoming Sept. 12 USDA corn production report. A rise in corn futures following the release of that report could increase used equipment buying activity significantly.

“I think if we start to see more people coming to the table to buy stuff, then we’ll see some organic growth in prices,” Seymour says. “But it feels like there could be some volume at the end of the year that gets gobbled up because of this, and that could bleed over to that first quarter [of 2026].”

Commodities Analysis

Chip Nellinger, co-owner, Blue Reef Agri-Marketing, says fall harvest is now underway south of I-70, but a lack of moisture in the Eastern Corn Belt and increased crop disease pressure throughout the Midwest have corn and soybeans on separate paths.

“In the case of corn, you have yields coming down, but demand is phenomenal, arguably in some segments the best it’s ever been, you combine that with shrinking yields, and it can become somewhat explosive,” Nellinger says. “[It’s] kind of the opposite in beans; yields are probably coming down, but we’ve yet to see any movement on a Chinese trade deal.”

High Plains Update

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist, 21^st Century Equipment, joined Seymour to break down how machinery specs and different features drive resale values both regionally and nationally. Fintel says smart buyers must have a conversation with their dealer during the purchasing process so they know which machine specs used equipment buyers are looking for.

For example, combines with four-wheel drive and “Tri-Power” (power fold, power cast and power rear) are critical specs for high resale value. In the tractor segment, PTO shafts and high flow hydraulics are the current must-haves.

“With that third and fourth buyer paying more attention [to machine specs] it’s as vital as ever to get the right specs,” Fintel says. “Even if the guy has ordered the same thing for 30 years, there needs to be a discussion [with the dealer] all the time, because with how technology drives so much in ag right now, things change weekly.”

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode. Hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

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New 2026 Balers and Hay Tools Launched By Case IH, John Deere, New Holland, And Vermeer

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:01:15 GMT

Case IH’s new RB6 series variable chamber round baler offers durability and less maintenance with triple seal bearings throughout the machine. This ensures contaminants stay out while lubricants stay in to maintain optimal operation.

The RB566 model includes several enhancement options:

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New double roller windguard increases compression and control for OSF pickups, allowing for increased capacity and ground speed.
The new Bale Weigh capability allows operators to monitor and record individual bale weight on an ongoing basis via in-cab monitoring. This capability weighs the bale in chamber without pausing the machine.
Pro 700 Plus display or Pro 1200 display compatibility.
FieldOps machine and telematics data via mobile and web apps have the ability to monitor individual bale data such as drop location, weight and moisture content.

“Another thing we’ve done is, on our pickup, we’ve went to a double roller windguard on the 566. Our customers who are bailing a lot of corn stalks, they’re dealing with some big windrows,” says Brian Williams, livestock product specialist, CNH Industrial. “And what this does is it pushes those windrows down and smashes them out and allows them to feed into the baler more fluidly so they can go faster.”

The RB6 series is manufactured in the U.S. in New Holland, Penn. , and order writing is open now. Orders signed this fall will begin shipping in March 2026.

John Deere intros V452M Round Baler with stepped-up automation features

(John Deere)

John Deere says its new V452M round baler provides enhanced productivity and precision ag tech integration for hay and forage operations.

The V452M headlines a newly updated lineup of VR and CR round baler models, introducing a new naming convention and advanced features purpose-built for heavy crop and silage conditions, while the current 1 Series round balers will continue to serve customer baling needs.

Expanding the versatility of John Deere’s round baler lineup, the VM, VR and CR lineup updates include variable-chamber and variable-wrapping combination models.

Key features of the V452M include:

Advanced Bale Chamber Technology: Three starting rolls and two belt drive rolls ensure consistent bale rotation.
Larger Bale Chamber: 4-by-5½ feet chamber width to maximize bale weight.
High-Density Silage Capability: Produces silage bales up to 11.7 pounds per cubic foot.

The full updated Model Year 2026 Deere baler lineup introduces several features to boost productivity (capabilities vary by model):

Industry-Leading Gate Cycle Time: As fast as three seconds for more bales per hour.
Moisture Sensors and Bale Scales: Seamlessly connect to the free John Deere Operations Center for near real-time bale documentation and yield insights.
G5 or G5e Monitor for in-cab adjustments and data-driven decisions.
High-Capacity Feeding System: A 7.2-foot-wide five-bar pickup handles heavy windrows with ease.
Baler Automation With New Unplug Assist automatically stops the tractor when the target bale size is reached and manages the gate cycle. When needed, Unplug Assist automatically stops the tractor and disengages the PTO when a plug is detected.

The VM, VR and CR balers will begin shipping in November 2025. For more information, contact your local John Deere dealer

New Holland rolls out Roll-Belt 1 Series Balers

(New Holland)

New for model year 2026, New Holland is introducing three updated Roll-Belt 1 Series models designed to work smarter, bale faster and ensure producers stay connected.

New Holland says feeding performance gets a boost with its Roll-Belt 451, 461 and 561 models. A newly designed single roller windguard now comes standard on all OSF (OverShot Feeder) pickup models. And a larger 8.4" roller — 60% larger in diameter than its predecessor — helps better compress the crop mat and improve feeding into the chamber.

For those baling larger windrows, a new dual roller windguard is available as an upgrade option on the 561 model. The front and rear rollers pivot independently, providing adaptive control in variable crop and ground conditions. Operators can also lock both rollers together when compressing loose or fluffy windrows.

“Each of these three models has a distinct fit. Take, for example, the Roll-Belt 561. In corn stalks, it truly shines,” says Alex Berwager, livestock and dairy business manager, New Holland. “We’re seeing a 16% improvement in feeding capacity thanks to the dual roller windguard, jumping from 43 to 50 tons per hour. That means less plugging from the controlled crop flow and greater productivity to tackle more when your time is short.”

Vermeer launches fleet of new baler and hay tools for 2026

(Vermeer)

Vermeer’s new model year 2026 baler and hay tool launch is led by the all-new ZR-2200 self-propelled baler.

The launch fleet also includes:

604 S series balers
605S Rancher baler
ZR-2200 self-propelled baler with the Z604S bale chamber
3 new models of carted wheel rakes.

“We’ve taken feedback from dealers and hay producers to build equipment that’s intuitive, durable and designed to deliver results,” said Shane Rourke, managing director of forage, Vermeer.

604S Premium Baler

(Vermeer)

The new 604 S series balers come in three models: Rancher, Signature and Premium (shown above).

Vermeer says the machines are built to help producers get more 6’x4' (1.8-m by 1.2-m) bales put up in a day.

The 604S Rancher is a reliable, straightforward option for value-focused producers who want durable components and convenient operation.
The 604S Signature features enhanced driveline capacity and rugged components, ideal for high-volume operations.
The 604S Premium pulls out all the stops with smart automation, comfort-focused features and productivity tools that help operators work faster, smarter and with less effort.

All three models share common components — including the camless wide pickup with a hydraulic pickup lift, a mechanical netwrap system and the Atlas Pro control system with in-cab density adjustments.

ZR-4S self-propelled baler.

(Vermeer)

Since the launch of the ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler in 2017, producers have consistently asked for a 4' (1.2-m) model that delivers the same level of automation, comfort and productivity.

Vermeer says it is answering that request with the new ZR-2200 self-propelled baler with the Z604S bale chamber (ZR-4S). The ZR-4S (pictured above) features zero-turn maneuverability, integrated automation and a premium cab packed with operator-focused features.

From auto tie and eject to real-time bale data and TempSense bearing temperature monitoring, the ZR-4S self-propelled baler is built to keep operators productive, informed and comfortable.

VRC Carted wheel rake

(Vermeer)

Three new carted wheel rakes — the VRC820, VRC1022 and VRC1224 — offer robust construction, updated hydraulics, and simple adjustments to help producers get the most out of every pass.

With raking widths ranging from 20' (6 m) to 24' (7.3 m), these rakes are designed for longevity and ease of use for operators of all sizes.

Full availability on these new hay tools is expected in Spring 2026.

Your Next Read: Less Work, Better Bales - John Deere Intros Weave Automation

Harvest Milestone: New Holland's Twin Rotor Technology Celebrates 50 Years of Threshing and Separating Power

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:08:03 GMT

Any innovation with a half-century worth of staying power deserves some recognition.

That includes New Holland’s transformative Twin Rotor combine technology (pictured below), which was invented by a team of engineers in Belgium and patented by the manufacturer in 1975 and has left an indelible mark on the harvesting equipment sector: Over 70,000 combines with the once “game changing” innovation have been built and shipped to farms around the world since its debut 50 years ago.

(New Holland)

The story of the twin rotor starts, according to New Holland’s Ryan Schaffer, vice president for North America, just over a decade prior when New Holland acquired Belgian combine manufacturer Leon Clay Co. in 1964.

Clay’s engineers had already started on a twin rotor prototype before the acquisition went through, and New Holland’s engineering team jumped in and finished the job.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“This was at a time when grain quality was becoming more important to farmers, because farming had shifted from producing for local markets to producing grain more as a globally marketed commodity,” Schaefer explains. “The twin rotor design works because it utilizes physics to thresh the grain faster and more gently than other combines of its time.”

Schaefer likens the twin rotor separation process to something most kids from the ’90s will surely remember: the barf-inducing, head spinning Gravitron fair ride.

For those that don’t know, the Gravitron was a UFO-shaped, LED-bedazzled amusement ride that fairgoers pile inside of, where they would position themselves against a vertically moving, slanted wall. The ride would then start to spin in a circle at a very high speed until it generated enough inertia and centrifugal force to push the interior walls against the riders with enough force (along with static electricity) to basically plaster them against the wall like a bug smashed against a window with a fly swatter. Then, the floor would drop and riders would be treated to a several stomach-turning seconds of feeling like they are floating in air and defying gravity

And that’s exactly how the twin rotor works: The two hollowed out rotors spin at high speeds, creating enough inertia and force to toss the heavier material, in this case the harvested grain, into the grain tank and lighter material like chaff and pieces of stalk is blasted out the back of the combine.

New Holland’s CR 11 combine.

( Emmanuel Bourgois)

While that twin rotor setup was initially used in New Holland’s flagship combine of the time, the TR 70, it has lasted throughout the years and today is at the very heart of New Holland’s mammoth, sensor-and-automation-tech-packed CR 11 combine. Case IH also offers a twin-rotor setup in its AF-11 machine.

“When we built the CR 11, we clearly set out to produce a larger machine with a higher (grain tank) capacity, but it also had to help improve the operator’s bottom line,” Schaefer says. “A focus on lowering the total cost of harvesting — which calculates everything from maintenance costs to harvest losses — for our farmers powers every design update we make to our combines.”

Combine History on Display

Jacob and Brittany Loftus and their 1975 New Holland TR 70.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

As part of New Holland’s yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary, it connected a group of ag media and social media influencers with southern Indiana farmers Jacob and Brittany Loftus.

The Loftuses are the proud owners of a 1975 New Holland TR 70 combine with the original four row corn head. They use the now rust-pocked, unassuming yellow and red classic every year to harvest 10 acres of organic corn. The couple mostly grows a diverse selection of specialty crops, and some corn and soybeans, across 200 acres in the fertile Ohio River Valley just northwest of Louisville, Ky.

“We acquired this in early 2000 when my Dad decided to upgrade combines, and then we ran it for about 15 years as our main combine. Back then we probably did about 400 acres of beans every year, so it’s done a lot of beans in its lifetime,” says Jacob Loftus.

The couple also keep a backup “parts combine” on hand to pull original parts from when something breaks.

“It’s kind of semi-retired these days, and we actually had two of them at one time before we lost one. It burnt up,” Loftus says.

Inside the Loftus’ 1975 TR 70: no AC and no Bluetooth radio. All nostalgia and classic Iron.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Loftus likens the old harvester to a 1970s muscle car: It just works, and there’s really not much that can break on it, he says. Think the old hand-crank car windows of yesteryear versus today’s automatic power windows.

“You can just set it and forget it, basically. I rarely have to do any adjustments on this machine year to year; it just picks good, clean corn,” he says. “Luckily the main components have never failed, just have to get some bearings, pulleys, chains and belts from the dealer here and there.”

Brittany Loftus gets a kick out of seeing the locals reactions when the unique relic of the past is out kicking up dust and chopping corn. It has to be quite the contrast to today’s modern, shiny steel and tempered glass ensconced futuristic harvesters.

“A lot of the little kids in the neighborhood, he’s like their idol because they’ll stop and watch and go, ‘oh, Jacob’s out in the field, Mom,’ and they are just like mesmerized by big equipment, so that’s really cool,” she says.

Check out this video from YouTube content creators and Wisconsin custom farmers, New Age Custom Harvesting , who were on hand to help celebrate the anniversary and check out the Loftuses’ classic combine:

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First Look: Fendt’s New Autonomy Ready Vario Tractors, Split Fold Optimum Planter

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:51:57 GMT

AGCO is not sitting idly by waiting out the new farm equipment sales downturn. The manufacturer is launching new Fendt-branded machines with integrated technology for row crop farmers.

That means new for Model Year 2026 is a massive 1000 Vario Gen4 high horsepower tractor series featuring four models (426 hp to 550 hp) already setup for autonomous tasking via factory-integrated PTx OutRun autonomy kits. And its Optimum 12-row, Precision Planting tech-packed planter represents a significant milestone for the German brand: It’s the first Fendt stack-fold planter to hit the U.S. market.

(AGCO/Fendt)

We’ll start with the new 1000 Vario Series tractor (shown above), which Fendt says is powered by a 12.4-liter MAN engine featuring DynamicPerformance. The new adaptive power feature reportedly optimizes the engine’s horsepower output and improves fuel efficiency.

Fendt is also saying its Gen4 tractor “raises the bar” with new cab improvements and smart farming tech integrations that help operators feel less fatigue and get more work done.

Most notable overall though is factory integrated autonomous tillage and grain cart robotics. The technology was previously marketed by PTx Trimble as a retrofit-only kit, but now it’s available from the factory on select Fendt 2026 tractor series.

“For farmers that are struggling with labor, efficiency or just trying to do timely operations on their farm to enhance their agronomic outcomes, we’re announcing both Fendt tractor integration and tillage,” says Bryce Baker, North America tactical marketing lead, PTx. “So with that, OutRun becomes a retrofit, mixed fleet, multitask autonomy system with more to come in the future.”

(AGCO/Fendt)

Arthur Santos, marketing manager, Fendt, says the top takeaway he is excited to share about the new Optimum stack-folding planter (shown above) is how it enables ultra-precise seed placement in raised bed farming.

Stack-fold planters, Santos adds, are popular with farmers in the Mississippi Delta, across the southwest in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in different pockets of Nebraska.

“Everything revolves around seed placement, right? And farmers understand that. Farmers can see how the row unit technology is important, but sometimes farmers don’t focus that much on where the row unit is, that environment that you create for the row unit technology,” Santos says. “This is what the Optimum planter will bring. That tool bar flex placing the row unit where it needs to be, and that adjusting hitch placing the row unit where it needs to be. That row unit technology can’t do its job if it’s not placed where it needs to be.”

Santos also points to the row units themselves on the new 12-row, split fold planter offering. He says the units are equipped with a full-suite of PTx-Precision Planting row unit technology.

“We’re taking the best of the best of the Precision Planting row unit technology — V-Set 2 meters, V-Drive, DeltaForce hydraulic downforce, Speed Tubes, and the latest FurrowForce and Reveal tech — and we’re putting it on a planter right onto the frame,” he says. “This is what will distinguish Fendt planters from any other planter, we’re taking that amazing row unit technology that all the brands are chasing and we’re bringing it right to the frame.”

Order writing for the 1000 Vario Gen4 tractor will open up later this year with first deliveries taking place sometime in 2026, AGCO reps state. And Optimum will be rolled out for interested buyers with an initial presale offering in spring 2026.

Fendt is also adding dry fertilizer spreading to its Momentum 30' planter for model year 2026, and the AGCO/Fendt RoGator 900 Series sprayer is also getting a suite of upgrades.

And last but not least, Fendt’s FarmEngage FMIS machinery data platform is now included with all new machinery purchases for three years at no additional cost. The program costs $600 per farm license if purchased a la carte and offers API compatibility with John Deere’s Operations Center and CNH’s FieldOps platform, along with other popular farm management digital tools from Raven, Topcon, and AgLeader.

PTx will also offer a Starlink mini connectivity bundle through its dealer network in the coming months, PTx representatives add.

To learn more about AGCO/Fendt’s 2026 Model Year updates and releases, reach out to your local Fendt dealer.

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Top Tier Story Telling Can Push Your Equipment's Value Higher In A Roller Coaster Market

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:21:40 GMT

Volatile is the word that best sums up the current state of the farm equipment auction world.

The market currently sits at a “tipping point” as the busy auction season approaches, according to “Moving Iron” podcast hosts Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete. One of the surest signals of an unsteady market is the fact that used machines with comparable engine hours and specs are selling for significant price differences.

Over the last six months, three used, late-model Case IH Steiger 715 tractors sold at auction experienced a massive $48,000 price difference spread.

Machinery Pete advises dealers trying to stay at the top end of the market to focus on “marketing the living hell” out of machines — and even the auction sale itself. And always hammer home the human faces and origin stories behind each machine.

“You don’t want people leaning backward in their chair. You want them leaning in,” Pete says. “You have to get them on the front of their seat. Back of the seat? That’s when you’re $40K soft.”

And with fall harvest fast approaching — or already on in some areas — the guys note late-model combines like John Deere’s S Series have softened value-wise over the last week. At the same time, well-conditioned, older tractors, combines and sprayers (7 to 10 years old) are still drawing above-average bids.

With the market in such flux, its crucial buyers do a lot of homework before buying and use sites like MachineryPete.com to monitor sales data to know a good deal from a pricey albatross.

“It’s the ‘80s stagflation thing [again] where supply is coming down, but the price isn’t moving,” Seymour says. “You’re seeing $430,000 combines sold with 250 hours that are 12-year-old machines. The (supply) volume goes down. but the price stays the same — it doesn’t go up or down. And that is where the market is. It’s not based on anything other than available capital, interest rates and what commodity prices look like and futures buying.”

Exploring Other Industry Trends

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO of Hackett Financial Advisors, says widespread disease and insect pressure noted last week by Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts across the Corn Belt will “take some of the top off” USDA yield estimates for corn and soybeans.

“Years like this, what you see from the road is not what you see in the middle of the field,” Hackett says. “My work says Pro Farmer is probably on the right track at 182.7, but anything 185 (bu/ac national average) or less — and the closer we get to under 182 — then we’ll get back into an upper $4 or lower $5 corn futures market.”

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21^st Century Equipment, takes viewers on a used corn head market deep dive with Seymour.

He says dealers should know the current “sweet spot” for used corn heads sits somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000, and the most in-demand models are two–to- five-year-old John Deere C Series heads. Anything over $125,000, he adds, is a tough sell.

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode. Hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

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Used Farm Equipment Swindle Alert: BBB Warns Virtual Vendor Vehicle Scams on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:49:31 GMT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning used equipment buyers nationwide about another sophisticated scam involving used farm equipment.

This particular grift, according to a press release from BBB, involved a fake online heavy equipment retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri dealership, Cook Equipment & Trucking (Marble Hill, Mo.).

Buyers from across the U.S., some even from as far away as California and Arizona, reported losing a total of $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads.

Related: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Victims say they were “ghosted” after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The BBB does not say whether the victims were able to dispute the fraudulent charges and claw back the proceeds from the scammers.

The reported fraudulent transactions include:

$45,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Oak Hills, Calif.
$32,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Hancock, Mich.
$29,500 for a trailer from a buyer in Amanda, Ohio
$29,000 for a trailer from a buyer in Greenville, N.C.
$28,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Eastman, Wis.
$31,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
$29,000 for a skid steer from a buyer in Blue, Ariz.

BBB says the real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales. The impersonators registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.

“Those shopping for heavy equipment and farm machinery online should do their due diligence so they don’t fall victim to a virtual vehicle vendor scam,” says Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO, BBB St. Louis. “If an item is priced well below market value, that’s a red flag.”

To avoid getting swept up in an online virtual vehicle vendor scam the Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

Research the business at bbb.org or call 888-996-3887
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true
Verify the website and contact the business directly
Read all terms and understand refund policies
Use a credit card for added protection
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker, your state attorney general, the FTC, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center , and notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered

To learn more about how to avoid online fraud in the used equipment auction world, check out BBB’s 2024 study on virtual vehicle vendor scams.

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Will 2027 Be The Big Bounce Back For New Equipment Sales?

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:17:32 GMT

With new farm equipment sales tracking downward as we venture into the used equipment auction busy season, more farmers are looking to late-model used machines. High interest rates for financing new equipment, as well as low commodity prices, are also factors driving interest in used machines.

Considering basic supply and demand principles, it makes sense Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete are seeing less late-model equipment inventory at auction than last year, and what is available now is starting to increase in price. They discuss the trend on a recent episode of the “Moving Iron” podcast.

“I mean, [John] Deere just laid off more people last week, and that was not unexpected, because you have one, now two, and we’re drifting into three years of lower sales of new [equipment]. There’s just less one-, two- and three-year-old units available — whether on the [dealer] lot, at auction or for sale privately,” Pete says.

(BrockAuction.com)

Pete says a recent auction transaction in western Iowa illustrates his point: a 2022 New Holland CR780 with 400 sep hours (pictured above) sold for $195,700. That’s in the ballpark of 54% of the total cost of a brand new CR7. With commodity prices where they are, Pete thought he would see a lower price come in on that machine, but it was only $7,000 off the all-time average auction price.

Seymour thinks dealers will start to move more equipment off their lots to the auction market if interest rates don’t go down, considering there are real, direct costs associated with machines sitting on the lot.

But even if Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell drops interest rates considerably — as President Donald Trump has been asking for months — Pete isn’t convinced farmers will rush to buy new equipment.

“We were already pretty iron-heavy going into this downturn. Farmers have a lot of iron,” Pete explains. “I think we could drift through ‘26 in the same belt tightening [mode], and then maybe we get into ‘27, and now its four years [into the downturn]. Does that become the point where we see more [buying] activity out of [farmer] need?”

Additional Industry Trends

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO, Hackett Financial, is spending his week closely following the results of Farm Journal’s Pro Farmer Crop Tour.

He doesn’t expect a big increase in projected corn yields coming out of the eastern Corn Belt, but he does anticipate some “really, really big numbers” from the western Iowa and eastern Nebraska portions of the tour.

“I think they’re going to come up with a crop yield somewhere around 185 to 186 (average bu./acre), and I think that is a more rational starting place for the crop based on what was planted,” Hackett says. “While that’s not going to create a problem for corn supplies anytime soon, it would move the carryout bushels and would more than justify a mid-$4 (corn) market.”

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21^st Century Equipment and CEO of High Plains Wholesale, says the two biggest needle movers in his area are two late-model John Deere machines: the 8RX tractor and S700 series combines.

Used forage harvesters are also starting to demand large dairy farmer and custom harvester businesses’ attention, he adds.

“It’s a market that used to be really wild and crazy in August and April. If you’re in the chopper business, it’s now become a more open market throughout the year — versus just those two months of activity,” Fintel says.

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode . Hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

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Why Used, Late-Model Equipment Is Surprisingly Strong, and Get Ready for a Packed Fall Auction Season

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:08:43 GMT

Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete say late-model, low-hour equipment values are stabilizing and even trending up as we get close to kicking off the used equipment auction busy season.

Pete says a few recent auction transactions display the value “firmness” bubbling up on like-new machines:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At a dealer auction in North Dakota this week, a 2023 New Holland T8.410 tractor (521 hours) went for $237,000. That’s a record-high auction price, according to MachineryPete.com historical data.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At the same North Dakota auction, a 2023 New Holland L334 skid steer with only 227 hours sold for $49,000. That’s another record-high auction price.

At a Steffes Auction Group sale in West Fargo, N.D., a 2023 John Deere 9RX 640 tractor sold for $477,278. The average auction price for that machine sits at $488,250. Taking into account low commodity prices, Pete says that’s not a bad price given the uncertainty in the farm economy.

“There’s different ways to see things,” Pete says. “That average auction price has remained flat, but if you look back two years the average auction price was about $597,000. So last year was the humongous drop down to $488,250, and then so far this year its kind of holding.”

Besides tracking used equipment values, Pete likes to look at land values and what he calls “the toy factor,” which are sales of vintage, unique show tractors that farmers love to collect.

Meanwhile, Seymour is anticipating a fall auction season with “big activity” as usual, but he thinks it will look a little different once we get into the thick of it.

“You’re going to see the same level of consignment dealership sale activity, but it’s going to be heavily mixed in with farm and retirement auctions,” he says.

Seymour and Peterson agree auction companies must continue to step their marketing and social media games up. There will be so many auctions taking place this fall that grabbing buyer attention will be absolutely critical for auctioneers.

“I guess that’s what keeps us on our toes, things don’t stay the same, they keep changing, even in our business,” Pete adds. “I mean, yeah, bring it on. That’s always been my — I try to keep that mindset despite being the gray-haired, grumpy old guy on the front porch.”

The Rest of the Episode

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21^st Century Equipment and founder of High Plains Wholesale, tells Seymour many farmers put off upgrading the combine for the last two years. Now it seems like everyone in his area is looking for a used combine.

“We’re getting to that point where guys haven’t done anything, and now they kind of have to,” Fintel says. “Combines are hot; combines $450K-plus are an absolute iceberg waiting for a big white boat to hit them. But $450K and under? You’re getting some action.”

He also is seeing more farmers buying based on model year over engine hours, which is a shift in buying behavior.

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO, Hackett Financial, gives an update on the price of corn, which is down in the sub-$4 range currently. He says we are in the middle of the third rainiest growing season over the past 50 years.

“You would think that we would get record yields and a record crop, and that’s what everyone is going with, but I wish it were that simple,” Hackett says. “It’s not that simple.”

And John Deere’s Bergen Nelson, go-to market manager – harvesting equipment, shared what he is seeing in the world of harvesting machinery and technology.

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode. Hit the “Thumbs Up” button to “Like” the video and click on the “Subscribe” button to get a notification when a new episode drops.

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Moving Iron: Used Farm Equipment Auction Activity Heats Up, Inventory Shifts Drive Machine Values Higher

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:37:14 GMT

An uptick in used farm equipment auction activity recently leveled the playing field for buyers, but now auction prices are swinging the other way and stabilizing. Moving forward, dealers should be able to command solid value for low-hour, well-conditioned equipment.

The market shift is most likely the result of mounting uncertainty in the farm economy, says Casey Seymour. Corn prices are down 16¢ off the summer high ($4.06) and agronomic problems like tight tassel wrap, derecho-level wind storms in the Upper Midwest this week , and pollination issues are clouding corn price projections for the time being.

Related: Insights From Seed Companies on Tackling Tassel Wrap Challenges

Not to mention, used machinery inventories are down from last year, as well.

“There’s definitely been a change in the feel of how things are looking,” Seymour says. “Go out and check how many $700,000 combines are on the market at this time last year compared to how many are out there today. It’s like 90% of them aren’t there anymore.”

With less late-model, used equipment inventory out on the auction market overall, Machinery Pete believes prices are stabilizing and dealers might be able to regain footing over the next few months. A Merit Auctions online dealer consignment sale last Wednesday is a prime example.

“They sold a ’22 model (John Deere) S780, 428 engine hours that went for $342,500. For comparison the average auction price on a ‘22 model S780 this year was just over $299,000, and the highest (price) I’d seen this year was $350,000,” Pete says. “And on the red side, they had a (Case IH) ’22 model 8250 – a few more hours on it, 681 engine – that did $282,500. [The] average auction price on an 8250 this year was $263,000 and change.”

“You start seeing people at the auction market look at the dealer side and say: ‘Well, maybe that’s not such a bad deal after all,’ and we’re seeing that now,” Seymour says.

High Plains Region and Commodities Updates

Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21^st Century Equipment and CEO of High Plains Wholesale, says we’re in the preharvest ramp-up period in the used equipment buying cycle. He says he is getting the most calls from buyers on used combines right now.

And Chip Nellinger, co-owner, Blue Reef Agri-Marketing, provides an update on the row crop commodities markets. He says heavy rains have increased yield projections and driven future prices lower, but he is also seeing a nice uptick in demand for corn exports and ethanol. Nellinger thinks the market is still sorting through tight tassel wrap and how that problem will impact prices heading into fall harvest.

Head over to YouTube to watch the full episode , and give it a “thumbs up” and hit the “subscribe” button to get every Moving Iron episode as soon as it drops.

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From Skyfall to Stable Growth: Why Used Equipment Sales Are Poised for a Breakout Into 2026

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:00:33 GMT

Recent used farm equipment auction activity shows a market gaining momentum and stability with harvest and the fall auction busy season just over the horizon.

Machinery Pete witnessed that renewed energy and enthusiasm from farmer-buyers in person at Freddie Berger’s farm estate auction on July 14 in Mandan, N.D. The sale featured a huge fleet of used machinery — more than 10 Bobcat skid steers, 12 UTVs, a row of wheel loaders and feed trucks — and there were strong prices across the board.

Yet, it was a gently-used hauler truck (pictured below) that has stuck in Pete’s craw a few days later.

(Ulmer Auctions. )

“The one that got me was a 2023 Peterbilt 537 truck with a Sioux Automation 4600 box — only had about 2,300 miles on it, so it was going to be high — it came in at $181,475,” Pete says. “Pretty much across the board everything was strong: the hay equipment, loader tractors, all of it.”

Speaking of loader tractors, those machines have been red-hot on the auction circuit, Machinery Pete adds.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At a sale in Rogers, Ohio, last week, a pair of low-hour John Deere 6M loader tractors also caught his attention. A 2023 6120M with 65 hours (pictured above) sold for $122,500, beating the previous auction record high for that model by $2,500.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2023 6140M with 252 hours and no loader sold for $112,500. Machinery Pete says that’s the second-highest auction price all time for that year/model.

Taking stock of used machine supplies across the auction market, Casey Seymour is seeing “tractors trend line down, planters trend line down and sprayers trend line down.” At the same time he is also seeing “combines peak up; we kind of expect that because a lot of those machines are coming on for fall harvest. But for the most part it feels like inventory is contracting.”

One market force that has taken Seymour and Pete somewhat by surprise is the ongoing downturn in used high horsepower row crop tractor demand. Normally, the guys expect those machines to be moving steadily right now while utility tractor activity settles down, but that trend has flipped.

In the months ahead, Machinery Pete says a handful of ag lenders and industry insiders he’s met with are bracing for a large wave of farm estate auctions. It’s an unfortunate but direct result of the low profitability, high operating expense environment grain farmers have been mired in for two years now, he admits.

“I think that last quarter of the year, and especially in those last couple weeks in November, I really feel like we’re going to start seeing a lot of positive (auction) movement that will carry over into ’26,” Seymour says. “Now, that said, we’re going to need to see some movement on commodity prices.”

You can head over to YouTube to watch the full episode of Moving Iron. Go ahead and give it a “thumbs up” if you like the show and hit the “Subscribe” button with the bell next to it so you get every new episode as soon as it drops.

From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:04:17 GMT

After releasing our “Where Farm Equipment Is Made” 2025 update in February , we circled back with farm equipment manufacturers to get a read on how tariffs will affect where machines are made.

Many companies across a wide range of industries are considering or even moving forward with plans to reshore production from overseas back into the United States. We’ve learned this process involves long-term, strategic investments in new facilities and/or expanding factories already established here in the States.

Although each manufacturer shared differing visions for how, when and where it plans to build out additional manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead, a common theme did emerge: farm equipment builders are investing big dollars into reshoring, and many have been for quite some time now.

Let’s hear what the machinery companies are planning:

AGCO Corp.

(AGCO Corp.)

The Duluth, Ga.-based equipment manufacturer says its dedication to American farmers and its own strategic investment plans are “key drivers of our overall growth strategy,” according to an AGCO spokesperson.

The rest of the statement from AGCO, which builds the Fendt and Massey Ferguson equipment brands along with its own AGCO machines, regarding U.S. expansion plans can be found below:

Since 2020, we have invested just under $3 billion in the U.S. across new and expanded manufacturing facilities, product innovations and the largest ag tech deal in the history of the industry. Our commitment has extended across our various brands, locations and Research & Development (R&D) efforts, including the notable 2024 joint venture establishing Colorado-based PTx Trimble, the inauguration of Fendt Lodge – the North American headquarters of Fendt – in Minnesota, a new precision ag production facility in Illinois, modernization of systems and technologies in one of our Kansas plants, and U.S.-based R&D for new sprayer and planter technology.

These investments, AGCO says, will not only enhance production at its U.S. facilities for years to come, but also ensure AGCO remains at the forefront of ag innovation around the world.

Claas

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Claas is still a somewhat fresh face to the North American farm equipment market, but the company has deep roots in Europe. It was founded over 100 years ago in a small German farming town, and today the company has global headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany.

But you may not be aware that Claas has also built a significant manufacturing operation in America’s heartland. The company opened its Lexion combine production campus, located just south of downtown Omaha, Neb., in 1997. This year marks 10,000 Lexion combines rolling off the main production line inside the 120,000 sq. ft. facility.

(Photos: John Deere, Matthew J. Grassi, AGCO, Kubota)

Claas has significant expansion plans in place for its Omaha campus, including doubling its overall production footprint for the main manufacturing building as well as adding a new training and apprenticeship building.

Here is the statement Matthias Ristow, president & managing director of business administration – Claas Omaha, shared regarding the company’s expansion plans:

Claas is investing significantly in its production hub in the United States, and not only recently. Over the last five years, we have added to our production facility to provide a better location for our rework and reconfiguration areas, as well as a dedicated work area for our quality control department for the pre-delivery inspections each machine must go through before being shipped. This is part of our comprehensive quality assurance program.

We also have built a new service academy where we train all the technicians from our U.S. dealer network (we have a similar location in Canada) so we can keep their skills up to date and make sure they have the proper certifications to work on our machines. Technology updates and changes are trained there as well.

Furthermore, our new service academy houses our apprenticeship program where we train the future assembly technicians in a three-year rigorous training program, managed by the German Chamber of Commerce. The program has several advantages. Technicians receive a regular paycheck (“earn while you learn”), receive an associate’s degree from a community college we partner with, receive a certificate from the German Chamber and have a job when they graduate from the program debt free.

Farm Journal recently had the opportunity to tour Claas’ Omaha operation, where we learned the manufacturer is also expanding its partnerships with domestic material and component manufacturers. For example, it recently began working with a finished parts supplier local to Nebraska to fabricate the grain spout for each Lexion combine.

CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland)

(CNH Industrial)

Although short on specifics, CNH Industrial (Racine, Wisc.) confirms it plans to “continue to expand our footprint through capital investments in our U.S. facilities, partnerships with local suppliers and programs that strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

CNH adds it currently employs more than 9,000 people across 17 U.S. states, with 14 manufacturing facilities and 22 R&D centers active throughout North America.

And approximately 70% of the components used in CNH Industrial’s U.S. plants are sourced from domestic suppliers while 95% its steel is purchased from U.S.-based mills. It says this approach to domestic material sourcing supports thousands of suppliers’ jobs and reinforces its investment in American-made quality.

John Deere

(John Deere)

The farm equipment manufacturer with global headquarters in Moline, Ill., was first to share its future investment plans with Farm Journal. Back in May, the company announced a 10-year, $20 billion outlay plan for its U.S. production base. This year alone, Deere says it will pour $100 million into its U.S. operations.

John Deere says this initiative includes:

A 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of the company’s remanufacturing facility in Missouri.
Construction of a new excavator factory in Kernersville, N.C.
Expansion of its Greeneville, Tenn., turf equipment factory.
New assembly lines for 9RX high-horsepower tractor production in Waterloo, Iowa.

John Deere plans to invest a total of $22.5 billion into its U.S. manufacturing network once the 10-year project is complete.

Kubota North America

(Kubota North America)

Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) established its North America headquarters in Grapevine, TX., in 2017. The Japanese equipment manufacturer shared the following statement regarding U.S. expansion plans.

North America is critical for Kubota, and the U.S. is our largest market. We firmly believe in local production for local consumption and have made more than $1 billion in U.S. infrastructure investments in the last couple years to meet the growing needs of our dealers and customers. For example, we recently announced the opening of a new loader facility in Gainesville, Ga., (invested $190 million), a new Western Distribution Center in California (invested $72 million), and an R&D facility (invested $100 million) that’s also in Georgia. We have other network investment announcements in the works, and we plan to continue to invest over the next five to 10 years as we respond to market demands. Today, we are more than 7,000 American workers strong who market and sell, and fabricate, weld and assemble equipment with domestic and global parts.

Want to learn more about where your favorite farm machines are made? Check out “From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made”.

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Farmers Are in the Buying Mindset for Used Equipment

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:10:24 GMT

Used machinery values are still picking up steam while sales of new equipment are spiraling downward. May’s AEM U.S. Ag Tractor and Combine Sales flash report shows new 4WD tractor sales down almost 40% compared with May 2024, and combine sales are down 21%.

Yet farmer buying sentiment when it comes to equipment is more positive now than it was at this time last year, and that’s helping used equipment auctioneers and dealers get solid returns.

“The pricing we’re seeing is solid,” Machinery Pete says. “And if you drift into anything with a little age on it, that’s in good condition, the pricing is actually almost going up.”

He says a pair of 2020 John Deere 9RX tractors that sold this week (pictured below) show farmers are getting back into the buying mindset.

(Big Iron Auctions)

“One 9620 RX had 1,105 hours, and it brought $348,000. The other 9620 RX with 1,623 hours sold for $341,750,” Pete says. The average auction price for that model is only down 6% from last year, which Machinery Pete anticipated would be lower.

Casey Seymour hopes the rise in used values is a sign that better times for dealers and machinery manufacturers are right around the corner.

“We’re coming out of a downturn, and we’re leveling out,” he says. “It’s also that time of the year where we’re setting the tone, we’re setting up for what the rest of year looks like. What it feels like now is in line with what we’ve talked about here so far this year. So, fingers crossed.”

When it comes auction format, Machinery Pete and Seymour continue to see a shift in the market to more online auctions. They agree the lines are starting to blur between dealer consignment, retirement auctions and estate sales. That makes building trust with farmers and buyers crucial.

“I think these days, even more so than ever, it’s super important for auctioneers and the dealers to just be super, super upfront and honest,” Pete says.

How well is hay equipment selling?

Out on the western Plains, hay season is right around the corner.

Aaron Fintel, CEO of High Plains Wholesale and used equipment specialist, 21^st Century Equipment, says he isn’t seeing a big push on baling equipment in his area just yet, but it’s coming soon.

As with most farm machinery types, new baler prices are elevated, so Fintel is comfortable predicting a wave of used buying activity. Once producers start firing up those balers and something inevitably breaks that isn’t an easy, cheap fix, that’s another driving force for upgrades. That’s often how a lot of hay operations will end up running multiple balers at the same time, Fintel adds.

“Once you fall under that $15K mark on balers, I mean, there’s just hundreds of them,” he says. “You get up to the middle of the alphabet and up level of buyer, and those guys go ‘We gotta go get that baler. Let’s roll.’”

Hay rakes are another story completely, Seymour adds. It’s often an impulse buy, and buyer beware when picking up a used one.

“My running joke with what that kind of stuff is, if someone’s trading one of those in, it’s used up or they’ve bounced it off of the bridge for the eighth time,” he jokes.

Swathers are another machine that farmers will run until the wheels fall off before they decide to upgrade. Basically, if you’re a dealer looking to move some used hay equipment, keep your expectations in check, because the buying cycle is nothing like it is in the row crop world.

“it’s just so wild how all the different parts of hay land operate compared to in the crop world,” Fintel adds.

Watch the full episode of “Moving Iron Podcast” on YouTube and hit the “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons to get new episodes as soon as they are released.

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Gear Up Time: Why You Should Buy Used Tractors and Combines Now

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:30:33 GMT

With corn planting at 97% complete and soybeans at 90%, Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete are seeing used equipment auction activity pick back up.

Analyzing buying activity is vital to understanding the market as a whole, but Pete also carefully studies dealer inventory levels, which he says are “in a normal cycle — we’re kind of moving things forward.”

“Another thing that’s pointing to things turning around is the Purdue (University) survey on farmer sentiment,” Seymour adds. “It was actually up; the rating was quite high compared to where it’s been in the past. One of the things they talk about is farmers are going to upgrade; they are going to go out and spend money on equipment.”

This 1997 CaseIH 8920 (2,819 hours) recently sold for $89,000 in Malcolm, Iowa, in a Steffes Group retirement auction. Its the sixth highest auction price for a used 8920. Pete says its a good example that shows “when the item is right, the dollars are there.”

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Pete agrees there’s an upward trend to the market right now, most notably on combines, which he views as a market health measuring stick (along with high horsepower tractors). Used John Deere X9 combines, for example, carry an average auction price today of $522,400; last year at this time it was well under $500,000.

Seymour and Pete are also forecasting what equipment dealers and farmers can expect from the market this fall and into 2026. Pete doesn’t think a big push of late-model machines to the auction circuit is likely.

“The rest of ‘25, particularly this summer, could be a tremendous (buying) opportunity,” he says. “Whatever your need is, whether it’s that tractor or that combine or a planter, you should be able to get it at a good price.”

The guys advise farmers to sit down and put together a purchasing plan for any foreseeable equipment needs. They think prices on new and used equipment will only continue to tick higher, so buying what you need as soon as possible looks to be the right play.

Farmer Purchasing Trends Out West
Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist, 21^st Century Equipment, joins Seymour to talk about used equipment buying activity. 21^st Century Equipment is a John Deere dealership with 25 retail location across Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming.

“The used buyer is waking up and paying attention. In the last five to 10 years it became a trend where you sell some used planters in July,” Fintel says. “The cool thing there is you’re buying it so far out, you just got done with yours and you know exactly what you want to do, it’s very fresh in your mind.”

Fintel says he is also seeing plenty of buying activity on used sprayers.

“It’s a great opportunity to look at sprayers and planters this time of year, and really, that’s what we’re seeing move (right now),” Seymour adds.

There is also growing demand in his neck of the woods on used row crop tractors, Fintel says. Anything priced under $500,000 is where most farmers look first.

“There’s just so many out there, farmers feel like they should take advantage,” he says.

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO, Hackett Financial, went over recent developments in the corn and soybean commodities markets. He thinks the growing season in the Midwest will experience weather-related challenges in June and July (hot, dry conditions) before flipping to a cool and wet pattern. That could lead to slow harvests and high moisture corn needing to be dried down, piling extra costs onto farmers. These factors could lead to a significant crop price rally later in the year, he predicts.

Anthony Styzinski, service development manager, John Deere, also joined Seymour to go over the latest technology advances within Deere’s line of planting equipment. He talks about ExactEmerge and MaxEmerge 5E electric seed metering tech, as well as seed and fertilizer level sensing and vacuum automation.

Watch the full episode of Moving Iron over on YouTube now.

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All The Details: Inside John Deere’s New F8 and F9 Forage Harvesters

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:20:36 GMT

John Deere is rolling out two new forage harvesters for North American dairy producers and custom harvesting operations.

The brand new F8 and F9 Series feature three factory-installed operator cab options, a technology stack that will one day enable autonomous operation, and enhanced feed quality via an integrated inoculant dosing system.

How are F8 and F9 different?
The F8 Series (425PS to 645PS) is a narrow base model that takes the place of Deere’s 8000 Series forage harvester, while the F9 Series (700PS to 1020PS) replaces the 9000 Series. Within the F9 Series is the F9 1000, which is Deere’s largest forage harvest machine to date.

(Editor’s Note: “PS” stands for Pferdestärke, which is the German term for horsepower. PS to horsepower is not an apples-to-apples equal ratio. The F9 1000, for example, features 1020PS which equates to 1,006HP, according to the manufacturer.)

The F9 is available in two engine options:

John Deere 18X (no DEF required)
Liebherr V12 24L

It has five horsepower options, while the F8 comes with the JD14X engine and can be configured across six horsepower options.

The manufacturer last rolled out completely new forage harvesters in 2019.

How much will each new model cost?

The feed rolls on John Deere’s F8 and F9 forage harvesters have integrated metal detection to keep unwanted material out of your feed.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

John Deere is not sharing its pricing just yet, but the two new models are built at its Zweibrucken, Germany, factory. John Deere dealers will begin taking orders for the aggressively styled, technology-packed harvesters this fall, with final delivery in time for the 2026 forage harvesting season.

Deere representatives declined comment on what effect, if any, the still-developing U.S.and E.U. tariff situation could have on its launch plans.

Ahead of the launch, Farm Journal went to Madison, Wisc., to kick the tires and learn all about the new machines. The F8 and F9 harvesters we viewed and climbed into were the first finished production units off the factory line. Deere says several units will be field tested with U.S. customers ahead of the full fall launch.

“We’re really excited about the new cab and the technology we’ve added to these machines like central tire inflation, ground speed automation and the new kernel processing units,” says Bergen Nelson, go-to-market manager, combines and forage harvesters.

Here’s some of what we learned about the new forage harvesters:

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Cab Comforts: The same three operator cab options offered with Deere’s X and S Series combines — Select, Premium and Ultimate — are available on the F8 and F9 Series. A smoothly swiveling captain’s chair, as well as an all-new corner post display that shows real-time machine data, are among the additions. Operators who spend long hours in the cab will also appreciate integrated entertainment like SXM Radio and an optional mini fridge.

(Matthew J. Grassi )

Foundational Deere Tech Stack: Each new forage harvester in the series includes Deere’s baseline precision tech enablement stack — which consists of its G5 display, Starfire 7500 receiver and JDLink modem.

Central Tire Inflation System: A completely new feature (top left inset photo) within the G5 display allows the operator to adjust front tire PSI up or down from the cab.

John Deere Inoculant Dosing System 2.0

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Inoculant Dosing System 2.0: New on both the F8 and F9, a high-volume 85 gallon inoculant tank and integrated pump allow the user to accurately adjust silage inoculant dosage rates from the G5 display in the cab. The system is easy to pump and prime as well with the touch of a button located at the rear of the machine.

Ground Speed Automation: This cruise control-like option reads RPMs and throttles the harvester up or down based on crop conditions. For example, harvesting corn at higher moisture levels will increase power output, so the machine will automatically slow down to ensure it doesn’t plug up or do a sub-optimal job harvesting. This feature comes standard on all base models for both series and does not require a yearly subscription unlock or per-acre fee.

Pro Touch Harvest: Another new feature within the G5 display allows the operator to shift the machine from road transport mode to harvest mode in a single click. It can also be used to quickly engage AutoTrac and ground speed automation once the operator arrives at the edge of field.

This all-new XStream 305 Kernel Processing (KP) unit is built by Scherer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New Kernal Processing (KP) Units: The new harvesters feature two completely redesigned KP units, the Ultimate 250 (also made in Germany) and the Scherer XStream 305, which is made in Sioux Falls, S.D. An integrated winch and internal rail mounting system makes switching the machine from corn forage to hay forage in the field quick and simple. The number signifies each KP unit’s roll diameter width in millimeters.

“Both KPs will go in both machines and have four different roll options depending on how aggressive the dairyman wants their end feed quality to be,” says Shane Campbell, product marketing manager, forage harvesters.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Integrated Harvest Lab 3000: This on-demand constituent sensing module pulls over 4,000 samples per second with +/- 2% accuracy, and John Deere says it can save dairy operations time and money versus collecting and sending samples to a lab. The sensor tech (available as an add-on option) enables accurate measurement and documentation of dry matter, starch, protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber for both harvested forage and manure. The data can be stored, organized and shared via Deere’s Operations Center. Within Operations Center, users can take geo-referenced data and build out spatial starch content — as well as moisture and protein — maps for hybrid selection and fertility management. Because if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

Active Fill Control 3.0: Using sensors and cameras on the grain spout, this tech feature automatically detects the trailer or grain cart next to the forage harvester and begins filling it with a preselected fill strategy. This reduces the number of times an operator has to adjust the spout manually and also lessens fatigue and neck strain, according to Deere.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New Operating Modes: Several of the models within the F9 Series offer what Deere is calling its “Engine Power Plus” feature — which gives a sizeable horsepower boost when the machines senses it needs a little extra chopping power to the harvesting head. There is also an ECO mode that can be toggled on when the machines don’t need the extra torque.

Ease-Of-Access: Both models have side and rear panels that easily open to grant full access to the inner workings of the machines, making the new forage harvesters much easier to service and maintain without a lift or other heavy specialized equipment. The machine is setup so techs and mechanically-minded farmers will not have to climb underneath it to perform daily maintenance.

“At the end of the day, we know it’s all about the cow, and these machines will put out quality feed,” Nelson says. “We’ll have these out at the farm shows this summer, including Farm Progress Show, World Ag Expo, World Dairy Expo and the U.S. Custom Harvesters Convention.”

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Grit, Grease, and Gears: Meet the Colorado Teen Breathing New Life into Old Tractors

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 19:57:13 GMT

Colorado teenager Tyson Hansen is a shining example of that old saying “If you start them young…”

That’s because Hansen, 17, has cultivated a rare passion for buying and restoring classic tractors. It is a passion passed down from his great grandfather, who started the Hansen family farm and pieced together a massive tractor fleet over the years.

“He had over 200-some tractors, mostly two-cylinder, and when he passed, they had the big auction and my dad bought one to remember him by, and well now it’s our family tractor,” Hansen remembers. “My dad still talks about the first day he let me drive it, and he always says since that first ride, I was just hooked.”

The tractor that launched his lifelong love for tractors - the 1934 John Deere GP in all its glory.

(Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions)

That first taste of classic tractor heaven was on the hardened steel green seat of a 1934 John Deere GP, a popular two-plow row crop setup John Deere built and sold from 1928 to 1935.

The high school junior says he’s wrenched on about 16 to 17 classic tractors at this point, all while participating in his high school FFA program and wrestling for the varsity team. And it’s not a hobby he tackles alone in a dusty, dark barn – his dad, stepmom, and brother all pitch in and help out. Because everyone knows nothing brings a family closer than bonding over busted knuckles and stripped chassis bolts.

Tyson says his family is “pretty much a John Deere family” but that he has started to feel the pull from other legacy brands.

“I started out as a John Deere guy, but I don’t even actually own any John Deeres,” he says, adding that right now his personal collection consists of two classic Case IH tractors and two Farmalls.

That doesn’t mean a young man can’t dream big, though, and Tyson’s big dream restoration project is to someday fix up a John Deere Model R.

He purchased his latest tractor, a Case 400 Super Diesel Western Special Edition with a hand clutch – one of only eight ever built, he says – with the goal of fixing it up and flipping it to raise enough cash to make that dream a reality.

“Once I got that tractor I went online and looked up some Facebook groups where the guys are all about Case, and I didn’t know anything about them at the time, so I just started asking guys for help and next thing I know within an hour I had about seven or eight texts from guys asking to buy that thing off me,” he says. “That’s when I realized that 400 is a little rarer than I figured it would have been.”

His Case 400 is also going to end up helping his fellow students in the FFA program. Tyson’s FFA teacher has asked him to bring the 400 in and is going to let the young man lead his classmates through a lesson on how diesel engines work.

Work is a key word in any farming family, and the Hansen family is no different.

“I don’t know why, my dad always tells me I won’t like it when I am out of high school, but I like to work,” Hansen says. “I guess I’ve just got a working mindset – I’m not the biggest fan of sitting in the house.”

Check out Tyson Hansen’s latest Tractor Tales spotlight below, where the teen shows off his rebuilt Case 400 tractor. And subscribe to the Farm Journal YouTube channel to get all of the latest Tractor Tale videos.

Also keep an eye on U.S. Farm Report every Saturday morning for the debut of the newest Tractor Tales feature.

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2024 Land Value Influencers in Your Region

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:41:34 GMT

Using a combination of data with boots on the ground experience, Peoples Company has released its fourth annual land values report.

The report shows a three-year period of remarkable land appreciation across the country – something Bruce Sherrick, professor and director of the TIAA Center for Farmland Research at the University of Illinois, says has not been surprising.

“We kind of have a rolling narrative around this and quite often people will remark it’s shocking that farmland almost anticipated inflation or that it’s shocking how well that’s done through time. And I don’t think I’m surprised by that,” he says. “I’m surprised by the accuracy or the degree or the strength of that relationship if anything.”

Annual rates of return have been in the double digits for many regions. In the Northern Plains region specifically, the rate of change in the past year has been especially high.

“In the last year, what we’ve seen is really quite remarkable in the middle of the country,” Sherrick says. “That area has kind of caught up to previous years in the Midwest and Lake states.”

As far as what’s affecting land values in the rest of the country, Peoples Company breaks the data into eight regions.

Pacific West

Annual performance on permanent cropland in the Pacific West and California has suffered in recent years due to a period of low nut prices, tariffs, water challenges and high operating capital.

3 Unique Characteristics of The Permanent Crop Industry

Steve Bruere, president of Peoples Company, anticipates a lot of land transactions in the California market in 2024.

“The amount of irrigated, plantable acreage is shrinking,” he adds. “The acreage left standing will be more valuable over time because of the optionality of what you can grow on it.”

Pacific Northwest

Similar to the Pacific West, the Pacific Northwest has had a period of good returns and offers a lot of optionality of what can be grown on the land. The land values in comparison to its western neighbors, however, are much lower to produce a similar product. That factor – alongside increased access to water resources – allows the region to absorb displaced production from other areas.

“We’re seeing at least that phase of exploration on some of those fresh market crops that may have some compressed acreage and higher water costs to deal with in California looking at the Pacific Northwest, the Columbia River Basin area in particular, as a transition point,” says Dave Muth, Peoples Company’s capital markets managing director.

Southern Plains

The Southern Plains region – Texas and Oklahoma – is experiencing good land value returns despite water issues and labor complications. As these challenges continue, renewable energy projects are becoming key to the region’s profitability.

“Think about it: 20,30, or 40 years ago, when someone was looking to buy a ranch, if transmission lines ran across it, that might take it off the list. Now those same transmission lines are seen as a huge asset,” says Eric O’Keefe, editor of The Land Report. “This emphasis on energy, whether it be in terms of oil and gas or renewables including direct carbon capture, is going to be a complete game changer. I think it’s going to be driving land values in Texas for decades to come.”

Northern Plains

Total returns per year in the Northern Plains over the past three years are averaged at 18.5% - the highest in the country.

“The increase in values have been rather dramatic compared to other parts of the country in the last three-year period. Part of that’s driven by relative yield gains, but it’s also the genetics and the attention to doing genetics for this part of the country by the major seed corn and other seed producers,” Sherrick says. “It has made this a possible competitor for the rest of the country.”

The focus on foreign and corporate ownership in this area also makes it unique in comparison to other regions.

“You see a difference in these types of markets where the farmers aren’t driving values,” Bruere says. “If you take that institutional investor out of the market, it definitely impacts land values and we saw that real time this summer and Kansas and Colorado.”

Delta Market

The Delta Market – Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas – has seen the most stable returns over time when compared to other regions across the country, which makes it attractive to outside investors.

“You don’t get necessarily the same swings that we get in the Midwest in this market. And I’m really bullish – you’ve got plenty of water and you’ve got large fields,” Bruere says. “One of the issues we do struggle with in this market is the tenant pool. You don’t have that same competitive nature for tenants that you’ve gotten Midwest.”

Southeast Market

The Southeast – Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina – has seen moderate returns in comparison to the other regions. The increase in severe weather as well as development in the area leads Sherrick to expect quite a bit of transition in the future.

“I’m actually not worried about land values, hardly at all in this region, for traditional agricultural things,” he says. “Land that gets displaced for a retirement community, a park, golf course or major league baseball facility aren’t reductions in value. They’re just a reduction in the use of it for agriculture.”

Lake States

The Great Lakes region is one Sherrick describes as “still trying to figure out who they’re going to be”.

“There’s great optionality, reasonable acquisition prices and massive increases in land values that have kind of kept the returns high, very correlated with inflation as well,” he says.

Though the yields in the region may not be as high as in the corn belt, the area’s total returns per year over the past three years have averaged 14%.

Corn Belt

Sherrick refers to Illinois and Indiana as indicators and predictors of what’s happening in the agriculture industry.

The region continues to have high appreciation values and above average farm incomes, though transactions have slowed in 2023. The corn belt is anticipated to have continued interest from non-operating investors.

Looking at 2024
Overall, Peoples Company reports the driving factors behind land values are income, interest rates and inflation. As we move into 2024, they expect this will begin to normalize.

Buyer demand is also expected to remain a key player.

“There’s more money that wants to own farmland in there as farmland for sale. That dynamic is not going to change in 2024,” says Bruere. “Right now it feels like interest rates are pulling back a little bit and I think the landmark is going to remain pretty stable in 2024.”

John Phipps: Why Water is the New Oil for Landowners

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:38:50 GMT

There are signs that water is the new oil.

This is a question sent in by U.S. Farm Report viewer David Marshall of Lafayette, Indiana: “You’ve covered the subject of foreign land ownership and rightly noted that it’s a very small percentage. I think the issue that we really need to address, especially in the southwestern states, is the purchasing of farmland by corporate entities that have nothing to do with farming but who solely want to obtain the water rights that the purchase of the ground includes. Their main reason for purchasing the land is to have a resource that they can sell to the highest bidder. How long before hedge funds and corporations own all the water rights and the farmer and the public are left to be the highest bidder or do without the needed resource?”

As Mark Twain said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting”. While our arguably arcane water rights laws have provided thousands of billable hours for water lawyers in the West, I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.

“First in time, first in line” may have seemed like a good idea centuries ago when rivers and groundwater appeared inexhaustible, the enormous use by modern agriculture - about 80% of our nation’s resources - is testing the practicality of those laws. I can’t imagine modern lawmakers reforming our laws with the needed speed, so the backup method of acquisition for water consumers is to buy the water needed from agriculture.

Bluntly put, there is a price for every gallon, and many farmers are just now realizing how extremely valuable those gallons are.

As I have argued in every land-use debate -from solar panels to suburban development - with rare exceptions due to location or unique qualities, the rights of landowners should be preeminent to allow the market to redistribute those assets.

Consider the rapidly growing cities of the Southwest, like Phoenix. Spending millions to buy water rights from nearby farmers currently growing alfalfa in the desert to feed dairy cows, when milk is being dumped in Wisconsin, looks to me like an inefficient market hampered by regulation and unable to rationally allocate assets.

Between our outdated milk pricing programs and water laws, the outcome you describe is capitalism’s way of solving a problem. Farming may always be the optimal use for our ever-scarcer water.

I think not, but I think this is a problem being solved by accountants, not lawyers.

From Fresh Berries to Lettuce, What We Now Know About the Agricultural Losses Caused by Flooding in California

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 21:18:25 GMT

California farmers are facing another round of flooding , with fields still bearing fresh scars from January’s flood event . An area known for the production of fresh berries, as well as leafy greens, is bracing for the worst, and officials expect the March flooding to spread over more acres than January.

The Monterey County Ag Commissioner’s office conducted an assessment of the January floods, which projected the flood waters covered 20,000 acres in Monterey County, which is home to the Salinas Valley. The losses were pegged at $330 million , and that was at a time when the majority of the spring crops hadn’t been planted yet.

“Now we have March flooding, so those farms adjacent to the Salinas River, and in other low lying areas, which are at most risk for flooding again, I think the difference this time is kind of two-fold,” says Chris Valadez, the president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California . “One, you had crops planted in the ground for the upcoming spring harvest. So, there is direct crop damage this time more so than there was and would have been in the January event, and two, not only did you know virtually all of the 20,000 or so acres, flood again, but this weather system and the resulting flood and volume of water that was coming down the Salinas River and spilled over laterally into farm fields was more aggressive.”

Related Story: California Strawberry Commission shares update on devastation from river flooding

This week, the atmospheric rivers are having a larger cut due to a levee breach. The water is impacting fields planted in fresh berries, like strawberries and raspberries. Some of the low-lying area are also home to leafy green production like lettuce. While the damage will be severe for those in the flood water’s path, Valadez says the entire area includes close to 360,000 acres of productive farmland, most of which is expected to still be harvested this year.

“There are an array of different row crops, vegetables, and others that that are planted in that will be harvested and shipped come this spring. That is just kind of the good news, if there’s any to share from this event,” he says. “The bad news is there’s more acreage there’s going to be more direct crop loss, there’s going to be more negative impact onto the agricultural economy, families and farm workers that will continue kind of suffering through this region.”

Residents in the rural community of Porterville, California, say it took 15 minutes for floodwaters from a broken levee to devastate their homes. Some are now wading through the murky waters to feed their animals, as they say they had no warning that the flood was about to hit pic.twitter.com/UEjVyHUgTo
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2023

Valadez says this March flood event will have a negative impact on the farming communities, as well as the farm families and employees who rely on the production each year. That’s a concern Supervisor Luis Alejo of the California State Association of Counties in District 1, also told CNN.

“The pain is going to be prolonged for many weeks and months. This should have been the beginning of the harvest season,” says Alejo.

Related Story: California farm groups praise governor’s actions to recharge aquifers

There are concerns about what any crop loss will do to overall supplies this year, and the damage is still unknown.

“There will be more crop losses as areas that have not experienced flooding now are now experiencing it for the first time,” says Norm Groot with Monterey County Farm Bureau.

Valadez says if previous flood and drought events have taught the area one thing, it’s farmers in that part of California are extremely resilient, but Valadez says the weeks and months ahead will be hard for those producers, and they’re going to need help.

“In some cases, they’re going to need people to get out of the way, we’re going to need to cut some red tape at the local level, perhaps at the state level as well, regulatory speaking, to get berms and levees back up so that the river can handle appropriate water levels getting from point A to B, so that they’re not as at risk to flow laterally and on to ag fields,” he says. “And so reducing red tape, allowing farmers to kind of put the pieces back together and really allow them to rebound because they are naturally resilient and history has shown they’ll come back stronger than ever.”

Valadez says the area is confident they will be able to work together and overcome the challenges Mother Nature is throwing their way, as the ultimate goal is to get farms back to a healthy state so those fields can start producing valuable crops again.

'It Looks Like a War Zone': Texas Farmer Describes Wheat Crop Now Ravaged by Sunday's Derecho and Dust Storm

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 20:54:26 GMT

Scenes across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas this week strongly resembled the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. Winds topping 100 mph only added to the scars the two-year drought has etched into the area. Now, growers are dealing with a dryland wheat crop that could already see abandonment as high as 80%.

Photos and videos from the area portray scenes from Sunday’s storm. Quentin Shieldknight, a farmer in Spearman, Texas, says the area had already been ravaged by high winds this month. Sunday’s storm then finished off some of the wheat crop.

PEAK WIND GUSTS 2/26/2023 - Memphis, Texas takes the cake for highest wind yesterday by a long shot. I have seen my fair share of wind gusts near 100 mph before but have never seen one at 114 MPH until yesterday for our region.#txwx #okwx #nmwx #phwx @ABC7Amarillo @StormSearch7 pic.twitter.com/z4L9xMIv04
— Corbin Voges WX (@CorbinVogesWX) February 27, 2023

“I would say the dryland wheat’s probably done,” Shieldknight told Farm Journal. “I would say the static electricity generated by that storm yesterday is probably going to be rather significant.”

That area of the Texas Panhandle sees an average rainfall total of 17 inches per year. However, it has seen only 12 inches of rain the past two years combined. “It’s been a two-year drought for us where we haven’t had a significant rain event,” he says. “What rains we did get got some crops up on the dryland fields, but it didn’t sustain them. This northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle into the Oklahoma Panhandle into southwest Kansas, it almost looks like a ‘war zone,’ is what somebody called it. It’s just so bad.”

This is unpleasant. pic.twitter.com/rqzBnFVIxJ
— Brad Heffington 🌵🌵🏈 (@BradHeffington) February 26, 2023

Brad Heffington lives just north of Littlefield, Texas. He says Sunday’s dust storm was as bad as he’s seen in his 35-year farming career. He also is growing less optimistic about crop prospects this year, with his estimate of losses being at least 80% on dryland winter wheat. Heffington says it’s getting so bad, even some of the irrigated wheat in his area has ben killed off by the dry and windy weather.

While crop losses could continue to mount, Shieldknight says adjusters will be assessing fields this week, but winter wheat abandonment on dryland could be as high as 80% in his area. That’s after Sunday’s weather was created, a picture that eerily resembled the Dust Bowl.

“Even before the storms built up behind all that wind, there was just significant dust in the air,” he says. “It was hot, extremely high winds. You had to be careful if you were in a high-profile vehicle. If you were driving and went around a corner or drove by a set of bins, you better be hanging onto the steering wheel pretty good. There were times where you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of your face if you went by certain fields that were blowing.”

Almost paradise in west Texas 🥴

Top wind hit 78mph in Morton! pic.twitter.com/kmyYwsuiN9
— Railey Silhan (@RaileyKayBrown) February 27, 2023

What’s also scary to Shieldknight is how early the wind events started this year. Typically, March and April are the months that start producing high winds. That was the case last year, when a similar wind event took out much of the winter wheat crop in April. This year, the month of February produced two windstorms, with the major one hitting on Sunday.

Now, the Texas farmer is considering changing up his planting plans for this year, as the long-term weather prospects don’t look promising for the spring-planted crops.

“One thought in my mind last night was I might need to load up on some sorghum instead of more corn, because sorghum uses less water. The risk’s there that we will have more days like this all the way into April or May,” he says. “It’s going to change some crop plans from corn to low-use water crops, because that risk on corn could be significant. If our long-range weather forecast for July and August doesn’t change, I think guys have got to really start thinking about what crops do we need to roll back to and not have that risk out there.”

The sun is almost still visible pic.twitter.com/csTYDTFdpS
— Mr Optimism🤔🌵 (@bwhite70) February 26, 2023

Shieldknight is also aware of some of the criticism around why farmers in the area don’t plant more cover crops to help prevent dust storms like Sunday’s event. But the Texas farmer points out you need moisture to get any type of crop established, something that the area hasn’t really seen this year. Any cover crop or wheat that’s been planted in dryland is barely hanging on or was already killed off from drought and wind.

Farming in that area of the Plains is tough, which is why the area is also heavy into strip-tillage and other minimal-tillage practices to preserve any drop of moisture they can. But in years when it doesn’t rain, on fields that don’t have irrigation, there’s not much area farmers can do.

“We are in a unique place in the Texas Panhandle. You have to have a heck of a backbone and a strong faith in God, and it really takes a big one, because if it does not rain there is no chance you can get a crop up. There’s just not a chance,” he says. “And we have windows where we get rain, and if you can’t get a crop up in those windows, or planting at a time it doesn’t rain, it’s nearly impossible. And so, most guys do the best job they can to leave cover on. That’s why we try to plant winter wheat, or we try to leave our sorghum stalks or stuff on our dryland, because we can’t raise dryland corn here.”

The weather hasn’t only been devastating to wheat farmers, but also cattle producers who typically use those fields for grazing this time of year.