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.

Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete Join Forces on the Moving Iron Podcast

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:11:20 GMT

With farmers tightening their budgetary belts during a challenging economic time, the equipment market is going through significant changes. Those changes trigger plenty of questions. Is now a good time to buy? Is it better to wait and see how the market evolves in the coming year? Are prices even on used equipment going to continue to climb?

Who better to answer these questions than Casey Seymour and Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson, two of the industry’s most trusted experts? And you can now hear them together. Seymour’s popular weekly Moving Iron podcast has moved to the Farm Journal podcast network and Peterson has joined as co-host.

“I’m excited about joining the Farm Journal podcast network and even more excited that I get to share this time with the one and only Greg ‘Machinery Pete’ Peterson,” Seymour says on the debut episode. Peterson shares that feeling, congratulating his new partner on building a large and loyal audience for both the podcast and the annual Moving Iron Summit event. “You’ve done great work and I’m excited to be part of it,” Peterson says.

Growers, dealers and anyone interested in the ag equipment marketplace will be just as excited. Each week the dynamic duo will explore and analyze news and trends in the business of ag equipment and the auction market. Episodes also will feature a dealer spotlight and a segment on technology. On their debut episode, Seymour and Peterson are joined by Shawn Hackett, climate and commodities expert, and Aaron Fintel, a used equipment specialist.

The discussion in the first episode ranges far and wide, as they dive into the boom-and-bust cycles in agriculture as well as in sales of ag equipment. Last year saw dealers taking an unprecedented volume of late-model equipment to the auction market, and the hosts don’t see that trend continuing into the new year. While they foresee the market’s recovery taking time, farmers and dealers could notice changes by the fourth quarter of 2025, even late in the third quarter.

As far as when to buy, Peterson says, “Don’t sit back too long because things are starting to firm up.” He adds that dealers he’s spoken to have been pleasantly surprised by an uptick in sales in December and January. Seymour attributes his optimism to a number of factors, such as decreasing interest rates, a slowing auction market, rising commodity prices and pent-up buying demand. He says, “There’s going to be a little more money out there by the end of the year.”

Watch the full episode of Moving Iron.

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