Throughout 2025, there has been a decline in new equipment sales, with some experts predicting a bottoming out in late 2025 or early 2026. However, that hasn’t yet translated into a big uptick in used equipment prices because the supply is still strong.
However, four-wheel-drive tractors seem to be an exception. With strong inventory, prices remain strong as well, demonstrating the investment value these machines have on the farm. The ability to do many tasks, from tillage to planting to pulling a grain cart make them invaluable in many operations, especially as the size of implements continues to grow to keep up with efficiency demands.
Dealerships are still willing to work with farmers to make deals, and many are reporting their service departments are overloaded with work through the end of the year as some farmers choose to repair over replace, until the dust settles on the 2025 growing season.
Meet Andy Campbell
Andy Campbell is director of insights at Tractor Zoom. As a past engineer, professor, and entrepreneur, Campbell is passionate about bridging the gap between data and action for farmers, dealers, auctioneers, and ag lenders. He continues to help operate his family farm in Iowa.
Tractor Zoom was started in 2017 to help farmers and other decision makers have access to current equipment values and make data-driven decisions about heavy equipment.
Meet Dave Mowitz
Dave Mowitz worked at Successful Farming from 1982 to 2022, covering equipment trends for Successful Farming magazine, the Successful Farming TV show, and the Ageless Iron Almanac. Although recently retired, he continues to serve as a contributing editor and now podcast host.
Mowitz was raised on a family farm in Nebraska, of which he is now a part-owner.
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Episode Highlights
- Four-wheel-drive tractors have strong inventory supply, and prices for used machines remain strong as well, making them a good investment for many farms.
- While auctions remain a good source for buying used equipment, dealerships are taking a one-on-one approach to find the right machinery and make the right deal with potential customers.
- Dealers are reporting huge service volumes, likely due to farmers choosing to repair equipment instead of replace this year.
“Farmers and dealerships are realizing if they’re both going to survive, they need to have more of a symbiotic relationship. I’d say the biggest concern I see from a lot of the smaller and even midsize dealers is they don’t want farms to consolidate because they’d lose their customer base. They’d lose their neighbors. They’d lose their friends. So I think they are really starting to see each other as a relationship working together.” – Andy Campbell