ATVs and Utility Vehicles

Why Now is the Time To Move Used Construction Iron in the Farm Equipment Auction World

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:51:24 GMT

Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson agree now is the time when many farmers spend time shopping for what they call auxiliary machinery — things like wheel loaders, skid steers, track loaders and other compact and heavy utility equipment types.

“Skid steers are one of the first things that pop up when in my mind when I start thinking about that right now,” says Seymour, adding there is almost always a healthy supply of the versatile material movers in the used market.

Machinery Pete recalls skid steer values falling a bit last year due to that high supply, but this year is a different story. Values are trending up on used because, once again, the cost of a brand-new skid steer is high.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

“Pifer’s Auction had a sale (recently), and I think it was a 2024 Deere 335 P-Tier with 275 hours on it, give or take, and I thought that sold really well at $94,000 hard cash,” Pete says.

Another notable transaction came out of Illinois, Pete recalls. At a Joel Everett Tractors & Auction sale, a 2009 John Deere 325 with under 300 hours sold for $36,000, which was well over the previous auction high of $28,500.

“It was interesting. When they got to the skid steer they paused and said, ‘Hey, folks, this 2009 model is loaded with every single option,’ which is unusual for a 16-year-old model,” Pete adds. “But again, it was palpable how many people wanted that thing, and you know, $36,000 is a big check — but for hardly any hours on it and what you’re going to pay for a new one?”

Pete and Seymour also discuss the firming up they are seeing with used values on some of the large construction equipment seen around the farm, including excavators, wheel loaders and bulldozers.

How Kerr Auctions is Unlocking Export Markets

Alex Kerr of Kerr Auctions joined the guys next to discuss how his auction house is carving out space in the export market.

Kerr says the company has capitalized on growing equipment demand overseas by creating specialized sales that cater to export buyers. These sales often feature equipment that may not have strong domestic buyer interest due to age or condition.

Kerr has established partnerships to help overseas buyers handle logistics and shipping, and the company made the decision to eliminate buyer penalties for high bidders. Both decisions demonstrate a level of transparency and trust that helps put buyer minds at ease, he thinks.

“Specialized sales do well,” Kerr says. “We got to thinking that the export buyers, they hate some of the auction things they deal with. They don’t speak the language; you’ve got to talk to them on WhatsApp, or they have an online only presence.”

Kerr Auction’s next big export-focused Inaugural Farmer/Dealer Consignment Sale is set for Aug. 14. Check out all the details here.

The Rest of the Episode

Shawn Hackett, president and CEO of Hackett Financial, joined the show for an update on where commodity markets sit today and row crop futures prices. Glen Birnbaum, principal with Sikich, came on to talk machine depreciation rates and upcoming changes to tax law.

And Aaron Fintel, used equipment specialist with 21st Century Equipment, gave his view on moving used compact construction equipment out on the western plains.

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.

Machinery Pete: Versatile Skid Steers, Used Tractors Are Hotter Than Fish Grease

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:46:48 GMT

What goes well alongside sweltering summer Midwest heat and humidity?

Well, if you answered used farm equipment auctions, you’re on the same wavelength as our used equipment-obsessed friend, Machinery Pete. He hit the road last week, capturing all of that sweet, sweet iron moving at auction.

All jokes aside, the extreme heat and humidity that hit the Upper Midwest this weekend can indeed be a bad omen for farm auction results, Pete says. Good thing there’s plenty of online auctions this summer so you can avoid the sweaty, sunburned crowds while still getting down on all the bidding action.

Here’s a quick sample of what Pete says stood out from the past seven days of red-hot farm equipment auction sales:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

In an online Pifer Group auction that pulled used farm equipment from Minnesota and the Dakotas, a 2024 John Deere 335 P-Tier skid steer (pictured above) with 275 hours sold for $94,000. Pete says that’s a pretty good deal considering the only comparable model listed for sale at MachineryPete.com right now is a 2025 335 P-Tier. That bad boy starts at $159,000, though.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And a 2009 John Deere 325I skid steer with only 124 hours on it sold for $36,000 at the Harry and Lola Blackburn farm estate sale in Iowa.

On the tractor front, on Tuesday of last week, the folks at DPA Auctions moved a pair of late-model John Deere tractors that originated from farms in South Dakota.

(DPA Auctions)

In that sale, two 2024 John Deere 8R 280 MFWD tractors, one with just under 1,200 hours (pictured above) and another with 1,451 hours on it, sold for $315,000 and $296,000, respectively.

“Those were both above the average auction price this year, which is just over $282,600,” Pete says. “And interestingly, that’s up from last year’s average which was just over $258,000.”

And finally, Pete’s “Pick of the Week” is a pair of used tractors:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At the Blackburn estate auction in Iowa, a Gold Key Certified 2009 John Deere 7230 Premium 2WD tractor (above) with only 1,076 hours sold for $94,500.

And at the Al Bruhn farm auction sale Saturday in Mapleton, Iowa, a vintage 1968 International Harvester 756 German diesel tractor set a new all-time record at $29,000. The previous high for that year/model was $21,000.

Auction to Watch This Week

Sullivan Auctioneers and Big Iron Auctions is having a “No Reserve Dealer Inventory Reduction” online auction for Sinclair Tractor featuring a huge collection of machines from the dealer’s Iowa stores. Check out the video preview from auctioneer Dan Sullivan above.

Your Next Read: Farmers Are in the Buying Mindset for Used Equipment

How Does Your Utility Machinery Roster Stack Up?

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 21:15:10 GMT

Industrial equipment — dozers, wheel loaders, excavators and backhoes — has become agriculture’s mechanical equivalent of a baseball utility player. While planters, combines and sprayers are agriculture’s designated hitters or relief pitchers, specialists who do their specific jobs well but sit on the bench much of the year, industrial equipment is in the game year-round.

Here’s a list of industrial machines found on hog operations with strengths and weaknesses to identify which players might fit well on your machinery roster.

Skid-Steer Loaders

Skid steers come in a range of sizes, from compact units that can clean confinement pens to large machines designed to move bulk commodities.

Scouting report: Rubber-tired, skid-steer loaders work best on pavement or hard-packed dirt. They often fumble in soft dirt or mud. Their greatest strengths are their optional front-end accessories including grapples, post hole augers, snow blowers, pallet forks, oversize buckets for carcass management and trenchers.

“We offer more than 100 different optional front-end attachments,” says John Deere’s Luke Gribble, solutions marketing manager for wheel loaders and skid steers. “Quick-tach front plates make switching easy, so a skid steer ends up being a multipurpose machine.”

Compact Track Loaders

(CTL) are skid-steer loaders with tracks instead of wheels. A CTL can do everything a skid-steer loader can with the same front-end accessories, but it performs better on specific playing surfaces.

Scouting report: Tracks excel off-road, in mud, slop, loose dirt and conditions where their flotation and increased traction outperform rubber tires. Metal tracks stumble on pavement where they slip and slide, making them second-team for work inside confinement barns. Rubber tracks are an all-surface option.

“Eighty percent of the skid steers I sell are on tracks,” says Ziegler Cat’s Matt Johnson. “They’re so much smoother riding than wheels. Anybody who rides in a track skid-steer loader never goes back to wheels.”

Utility Work Machines

Bobcat’s Tool Cat is a unique blend of a side-by-side-style utility vehicle and a light-duty skid-steer loader.

Scouting report: Tool Cats aren’t for day-long digging and loading, but they offer a platform for a wide range of boom-mounted accessories, including a standard bucket, a grapple bucket, a tined rock bucket, snow blower, snow blade and front-mount-rotary cutter. A two-range transmission gives road speeds up to 16 mph.

Wheel Loaders

Wheel loaders are designed for heavy-duty lifting and loading. Small wheel loaders are popular in higher-clearance buildings that accommodate their 10' to 15' cab heights.

Scouting report: Wheel loaders offer easier cab access, better visibility and higher lift-height compared to skid-steer and CTL loaders. A new generation of mini-wheel loaders brings articulated frame, higher ground clearance and rubber-tired traction in a smaller package that’s well-suited for work inside deep-bedded hoop buildings and other large structures.

Excavators

Excavators used to be specialists, like designated hitters or relief pitchers, but they have become utility players in farm and livestock operations. The track-mounted machines reduce problems associated with tractor-mounted backhoes in soft ground. They range in size from mini-excavators like Kubota’s 10.3 hp K008-5 excavator that can carve a 1'-wide trench up to 6' deep to industrial diggers like Case’s 460 hp CX750D with capacity to open an 8'-wide trench 30' deep.

Scouting report: Interest in excavators on agricultural operations has surged. Not only do they excel at trenching and general excavation, but optional concrete breakers, post hole augers and other boom-mounted accessories expand their functions.

“We do a lot of digging and trenching with our Case excavator, but we really like it for working with manure pumps,” says Greg VanDonkelaar, with Hoogland Dairy at Maurice, Iowa. “We’ve got a lot of pumps that need to be lifted up and down, and the excavator works great for that because it has long reach and you can be very precise and gentle to put things exactly where we want them.”

Backhoes

Rubber-tired industrial tractors with a bucket loader on the front and a boom for digging on the rear, often find second careers on livestock operations after retiring from big league construction companies.

Scouting report: The ability of a backhoe to move and load dirt with its bucket and also dig holes or trenches with the backhoe makes it a multipurpose machine. They offer reasonable road speeds, reducing the need for a trailer when moving moderate distances by road. Backhoes can only rotate 90 degrees to their axis to dump dirt, and their hydraulic stabilizers must be raised and lowered every time the machine is repositioned, which can slow progress when digging long ditches.

Telehandlers

Telehandlers look like a wheel loader but their single-boom design and unique steering give them useful skills. A flick of a switch offers a choice of front-wheel steer, rear-wheel steer or crab steer. Low-positioned, side-entry cabs provide easy access, and their single-arm boom gives exceptional lift-height. Some come with a boom that extends hydraulically to increase its reach.

Scouting report: Telehandlers are designed for lifting more than pushing. They can be used to lift and load materials but favor straw or corn stalk bedding rather than gravel and rocks.

“We sell a lot of JCB Agri Telehandlers,” says Reuter’s Equipment’s Broderson. “A lot of mid- to large buckets for general bucket-work at livestock operations. Guys also put a man-basket on the boom and use them to trim trees, do roof repairs and other elevated work rather than climb a ladder.”

ROXOR Side-By-Side: ‘Tough As A Hammer'

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 20:49:27 GMT

Mahindra launches its new ROXOR off-road side-by-side (SXS), a rugged workhorse for farmers, ranchers, off-road enthusiasts and rural lifestyle customers.

The simple, yet sturdy design makes the ROXOR a unique vehicle for everyday chores around the farm or ranch with the reliability to venture into rugged terrain when the need arises.

“We are redefining the SXS category with this strong and rugged machine. It is designed and built for reliability and performance that will exceed customer expectations,” said Viren Popli, President and CEO, Mahindra Ag North America and Mahindra Automotive North America. “It’s a side-by-side unlike any other.”

(Farm Journal)

During a demonstration for media held at the Don Imus Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, the ROXOR proved reliable, comfortable and easy to operate. Farmers and ranchers will like ROXOR’s boxed steel frame, steel body, a Mahindra 2.5-liter turbo diesel engine with unmatched toque and towing power. The steel frame and body are superior to the light-duty, plastic-bodies found on other side-by-sides. The test drive over rugged ranch trails also revealed how the sturdy design and reliability of the low-torque engine improves operator safety compared to other side-by-sides.

“We’ve redesigned the ROXOR to better reflect those things that are hallmarks of the Mahindra and ROXOR brand – strength, ruggedness, toughness and capability,” said Rich Ansell, VP of Marketing for Mahindra Automotive North America. “One of our customers said the ROXOR is built like a hammer – this is a heavy-duty vehicle. It has solid axels, leaf springs, turbo diesel and a real transmission. Other side-by-sides are toys in comparison.”

Two ROXOR vehicles are currently offered, said Mike Dragojevic, vice president of sales and service. The base machine is open-platform and priced at $18,999. “The base is a blank canvas to add whatever you want,” Dragojevic says. “Customers will enjoy the simplicity.”

The All-Weather ROXOR features a full cab with standard heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The windscreen has a durable polycarbon design called “military-grade.” The All-Weather model has a sturdy steel bumper and Warn 8,000-pound winch and priced at $26,299. The machines are available in two colors, red or black.

ROXOR has a wheelbase length of 96 inches with an overall length of 148 inches. The vehicle is just over 60-inches wide, with a ground clearance of 9 inches and a lift kit is available as an option that raises that to 12-inches. Towing capacity is 3,490 pounds and ROXOR can carry a payload of 349 pounds plus the driver and passenger. The vehicle comes with a 2-speed transfer case, full-floating axles, disc brakes up front, drum brakes at the rear and standard 16-inch wheels. Rollover protection is standard.

(Farm Journal)

Much of the company focus with the launch of the redesigned ROXOR will be on the farm and ranch segment.

“The demand for the ROXOR with farmers and ranchers is strong due to the vehicle’s ability to take on the tough jobs around their property,” Ansell said. “They already know and like the Mahindra brand because of how successful we’ve been with our tractors, and we intend to build on this strong reputation for tough, easy-to-use products.”

“The Mahindra brand is synonymous with tough and ROXOR further solidifies this position,” said Popli. “We are excited to create a new definition of SXS, one that matches our tractors for tough and handles any job with ease.”

Click here to view the ROXOR Base Model spec sheet. Click here to view the ROXOR All-Weather Model Spec Sheet.
For more information, visit www.roxoroffroad.com and follow ROXOR on social media via facebook.com/roxoroffroad and @roxoroffroad on Twitter and Instagram.

Stay Safe Operating UTVs and ATVs: 8 Tips

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:41 GMT

In a recent Drovers poll, more than half of nearly 400 respondents said they own both an ATV and an utility vehicle (UTV) and use them in different ways on the farm or ranch.

As this area of equipment evolves, keep safety in mind. ATVs and UTVs both offer good utility on the farm and they can respond differently in times of challenge.

Reports by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report that Memorial Day weekend is the peak time for emergency room visits associated with ATV and UTV usage.

Here’s eight tips to stay safe:

1. Understand all manufacturer’s guidelines and operator instruments.

While modern utility vehicles have similar instruments as other farm machinery, drivers should be familiar with the specific model’s capabilities. Flags, reflectors and lights should be used to make vehicles more visible. Always use seat belts when available.

2. Allow only age appropriate use.

Children are involved in about 30% of all ATV-related deaths and emergency room-treated injuries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP ).

Manufacturers of most off-road ATVs and UTVs found on farms suggest operators to be 16-years of age or older, but state laws can vary. All ATV riders should take a hands-on safety training course.

Use the Cultivate Safety tool to help determine what farm tasks are safe for youth of varying ages. And click here to find the laws about ATV use in your state.

3. The number of seat belts equals the number of passengers.

A passenger should ride only in his or her own seat and that person should be tall enough to reach the handholds while sitting properly in the passenger seat. Operators and passengers alike should keep their legs and arms inside the UTV when the vehicle is in motion. Even if your utility vehicle is equipped with a roll bar, remember that the seat belts for you and your passenger must be securely buckled to provide protection in the event of a rollover.

Most ATVs are designed for only one person.

4. Watch what you wear.

All riders should wear helmets, eye protection, sturdy shoes (no flip-flops) and protective, reflective clothing. Appropriate helmets are those designed for motorcycle (not bicycle) use and should include safety visors/face shields for eye protection. Wearing a helmet may prevent or reduce the severity of these injuries.

5. Go slow on rough terrain.

To reduce the risk of an overturn incident, decrease speed when traveling on rough terrain—this lowers the risk of the operator or passenger being thrown from the vehicle. When driving on an incline, remember that driving up or down the slope is safer than driving across. If making a turn on a sloped area, drive completely up the hill or down the hill before making the turn.

6. Secure loads in the cargo bed to prevent them shifting during transportation.

Utility vehicles allow for a wide range of supplies to be transported—from semen tanks, feed, equipment, to pallets of seed. The UTV’s center of gravity is raised when hauling loads in the cargo bed. To reduce the risk of overturning, especially when carrying a heavy load, it is important to drive slowly and smoothly when making turns.

7. Understand street-legal requirements.

While UTVs and ATVs are great on-farm tools, beware of the laws of on-road use.

Also, ATVs lack the common safety equipment found on vehicles that are designed for street use. ATV tires are not designed to grip on pavement, so operators should not ride on paved roads. Parents should never permit nighttime riding or street use of off-road vehicles.

8. Never drink and drive.

As with any type of machinery, never use drugs or alcohol prior to or while operating an ATV or UTV.

ATVs and Utility Vehicles

Why Now is the Time To Move Used Construction Iron in the Farm Equipment Auction World

How Kerr Auctions is Unlocking Export Markets

The Rest of the Episode

Machinery Pete: Versatile Skid Steers, Used Tractors Are Hotter Than Fish Grease

How Does Your Utility Machinery Roster Stack Up?

Skid-Steer Loaders

Compact Track Loaders

Utility Work Machines

Wheel Loaders

Excavators

Backhoes

Telehandlers

ROXOR Side-By-Side: ‘Tough As A Hammer'

Stay Safe Operating UTVs and ATVs: 8 Tips

1. Understand all manufacturer’s guidelines and operator instruments.

2. Allow only age appropriate use.

3. The number of seat belts equals the number of passengers.

4. Watch what you wear.

5. Go slow on rough terrain.

6. Secure loads in the cargo bed to prevent them shifting during transportation.

7. Understand street-legal requirements.

8. Never drink and drive.

Related Articles:

Livestock Producers Weigh In: ATVs, UTVs Or Both?

Safety in Working and Handling Livestock

Kids Working On The Farm: How Young Is Too Young?