Tricks of the trade: Buying and selling farm equipment online

While it’s common for farmers to buy and/or sell their farm equipment at a local auction, a local dealer or in the classified ads of their local newspapers, the Internet is now becoming one of the best places to look for agricultural equipment.

As with all things, there are some important factors to consider before purchasing or selling agricultural equipment online. Below, farmers share tips about how to use the Internet to sell and buy equipment.

Selling farm equipment online (Farm Industry News)

• Good photos: Bad photos make for poor sales. It is important to make sure that the lightening is good and to show a variety of photos, such as tires, chains, wear points, paint and general appearance.

• Clean equipment: A good wash job on equipment can generally produce a 10 percent greater return. Once the equipment is clean, place it in a nice location like a clean shed on a well-kept farm (This is great place to take a good photo).

• Price: Price equipment reasonably well (check current auction information to help price equipment). In most instances, a farmer is never going to pay the asking price.

• Equipment details: The history of the machine is important. Make sure to provide all of the information that you would provide in a classified ad. Also, don’t forget to provide a way for farmers to contact you with questions.

Buying farm equipment online (Farm Management Software)

• Research: Compare websites for farm equipment — look at the quality of the products, the services they provide and their prices. These are some of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing quality agricultural equipment.

• Price: Don’t look for the least expensive prices because they could be the wrong choices. Instead, look for well-known brands, as they usually produce high quality products.

• Websites: Various websites specialize in agricultural equipment: www.tractorhouse.com; www.farmcountrytrader.com; www.machinerypete.com; www.auctions.farmindustrynews.com
  

As more farmers go online to buy and sell their farm equipment, it will be interesting to see what new online trends will surface. Could it be that more traditional methods to selling and buying farm equipment, like auctions and classified ads, will fade away?

Do you know a farmer who has bought or sold farm machinery online? Did they have a positive or negative experience?

Photo obtained from: farmmanagementsoftware.org/tips-to-buying-used-agricultural-equipment