Steel deals - hay mowers and windrowers

Manufacturers are having a hard time getting ahold of the steel and parts needed to build new equipment, so there’s been an odd flip in inventories of used machinery.

Dave Mowitz is the executive machinery and technology editor for Successful Farming magazine. He says a search of windrowers plus mower conditioners of any age produced fewer than 700 units available. That means there won’t be much if any room for haggling on the price.

"I’d just consider them rock-solid prices. I don’t think the dealer’s going to let them go for any less, unless of course you’re bargaining for a better trade-in on your older machine," says Mowitz. "But frankly, they know there’s very few of these machines available, and as a result, you pretty much can figure anything you see listed online when you go searching for these machines before you want to go buy, pretty much, that’s what you’re going to pay."

He says you can assume any late-model used haying equipment is about at the height of its marketplace value through at least mid-summer.

"And that may be the time to go look to buy, after the hay season starts and guys have gotten maybe the second cutting in. I’m guessing right now, if I could predict, that you probably just want to go and upgrade what you have on hand," he recommends. "Go through and replace worn parts, get it through another season, and then wait to see what happens."

 If you’re looking to unload the old equipment, this is a good time to sell it. And if you come across a piece of machinery that fits both your needs and the pocketbook, don’t hesitate to buy it.