There is nothing wrong with setting out to buy a specific make and model of used combine. But keeping an open mind can be the key to securing the most cost-effective used buy. As long as local support for a different ‘colour’ of machine is available, choosing a combine solely upon its capacity and specification can make a great deal of sense. James de Havilland reports
There is a lot to consider when buying a used combine. Not only is it important to buy a mechanically sound machine, it is also vital to get the price to performance ratio into perspective. The way the new combine market has moved over the past decade has meant used ‘smaller’ machines are pretty thin on the ground, which means the lower capacity models that are available command a premium that many would consider at odds with their potential output.
This does not necessarily mean higher capacity models are, pro-rata, less expensive. It just means holding out for something smaller, in the belief it will be considerably cheaper, does not always hold true. Flexibility can also pay off when it comes to machine make. An open mind will help secure the right machine for the job.
To get a feel for prices and availability, call a number of dealers, giving them an accurate idea of how much you are prepared to spend, the crops and area to be harvested and any other important details such as ‘must haves’ in terms of specification. These initial enquiries establish how far a given budget can stretch.
Private or auction buys can turn up some bargains, but only if the machine in question is right both in terms of specification and price. Money ‘saved’ should be retained as insurance to cover any mechanical failures that may occur. In other words avoid blowing the entire budget on a private buy. As a next step, it pays to prepare some simple questions that need answering before going to view a machine.
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