Generally speaking, the bulk of the work is done by tractors under 5 years old. There are usually good zero % finance deals that make a new tractor cheaper to own than a used one. Then add in known running costs with a good warranty, businesses can offset depreciation of fixed assets against tax and new machines are easier to set up to new, tech hungry machines which makes new primemovers more attractive.

Usually there is a strong export market, particularly now that Sterling is weak, which make our exports cheap which helps cost to change.

Most of the big farms that are buying the new gear run a pretty tight ship so there is no slack and machines have to run. These are also generally manned by employed staff. If you want to attract good, skilled staff, upto date machines help a lot.

Places like north Wales which predominantly a low output livestock area do buy old machines. It's pretty much a one way trip for a tractor when it goes to Wales. Even then, they do buy a surprising number of new, small loader tractors, 5700 series Masseys seemed to have a huge presence when I was there in February.

There is quite a classic tractor scene which a rather good magazine called Classic Tractor https://www.classictractormagazine.co.uk/ and people do buy tractors to restore. What we don't get so much of is major repairs and overhauls. Generally speaking if your prime mover is doing any sort of work it will be moved on before something major breaks down or wears out. Out of warranty if you get a major componant failure it might get repaired then the machine moved on or moved down the pecking ordered at the first opportunity. For a lot of farm the season can be very long and there isn't the time on the farm to be overhauling engines. There are plenty of farms farimg a full compliment of combinable crops along with maybe sugar beet and or potatoes. These guys will be getting busy at the end of Feb and be still busy in November with the last of the harvesting and possibly into January on beet. Staff need a break and machines have to run. Then while we don't get the part time crop farmers, many have got other enterprises on the far, such as old farm building converted into industrial units.

Some people will hold onto their grandads old tractor and there are people still trying to track down old machines. This is easier for us because they will almost always be road registered, just like a car, and the number plate can be traced for a small fee. You can also see if it is still taxed which will indicate it's still in the country. The last two tractors I dad seem to have gone abroad because they're not showing up as taxed. Road tax on a tractor is currently £0, so farmers do go through the process of taxing them.

Grain isn't augered anywhere by tractor driven augers like you guys do, so people have no need for an old tractor to sit on an auger.

The farm I work on got sold to a neighbour a few years ago and he also bought most of the machines. We retained the telehandler which nearly 13 years old. It's only done about 5,000 hours. He alwys used to rroll them over at about 10 years and looked at changing this one but the price has rocketed. However, it is currently at the dealers for major surgery which will probably cost over £7k. Yes, much less than the £60K for a new one, but it knocks a hole in the payments fora new one and when it comes home will still be 13 years old. The new owner has bought us a machine to do his work with, so ours will have a much easier life now. Before the sale of the farm we couldn't afford to have the loader out of action for 2 weeks at this time of the year, so we would have the repair bill plus the cost of 2 weeks machine hire.

One the subject of hiring. There are plenty of firms to hire your new tractor from like this https://www.rowlandtractors.co.uk/ It often means having to drive a John Deere, and nobody wants that... He buys tractors by the dozen so gets a big disount. YOu ring him up with your requirements, could be for a week, could be for 3 years, could be a low spec tractor, could be all singing and all dancing and he gives you a price. Then all you have to do is driver, diesel, dipstick. If it breaks and you haven't broken it, he fixes it or replaces it. You can buy it at the end, so can send it back. He will keep them for 2 or 3 years and sell them on replacing with new. There are lots of other hire firms too and you can do it with combines, foragers, loaders and just about every piece of construction equipment you can think of.

Any more questions, just ask.