Overall tractor sales down, large equipment market remains 'strong' in November

Sales for combine harvesters and 4WD tractors were up in November, despite overall losses in sales compared to last year, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

“While the total sales markets are down, the sale of larger ag-focused equipment continues to be strong,” says Curt Blades, senior vice president, industry sectors and product leadership at the AEM. “The overall reduction in numbers is attributed to small tractor sales, which were experiencing unprecedented growth during the pandemic. However, with the efficiency and yield gains in new row-crop tractors and harvesters, it’s easy to see why those segments continue to grow.”

Photo credit: AEM

Tractor sales

Total farm tractor sales for November 2022 were down 14.5% from 2021. Year to date, AEM reports 250,688 total farm tractors were sold as of November this year, down from 293,099 this time last year. Tractor sales are broken down by horsepower range as follows:

Sales for 2WD sub-40 hp. tractors in November were down 27.9% from 2021, with 8,266 sales this year and 11,470 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 163,105 tractors have been sold in this category, down from 200,768 at the same time last year. 

Sales for 2WD 40-100 hp. tractors were down 10.7%, with 4,055 sales this year and 4,542 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 60,969 tractors have been sold in this category, down from 68,316 at the same time last year. 

Sales for 2WD 100+ hp. tractors in November were up again at 6.2%, with 1,278 sales this year and 1,203 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 23,665 tractors have been sold in this category, up from 20,878 at the same time last year. 

Sales for 4WD tractors were up 7.1% in November, with 165 sales this year and 154 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 2,949 tractors have been sold in this category, down from 3,137 at the same time last year. 

Combine Sales

Sales for self-propelled combines were up in November, up 8.3% with 314 sales this year compared to 290 last year. Year to date, AEM reports 6,535 combines have been sold as of November, up from 6,535 at the same time last year.