Machinery sales up almost 15% at well-known auction company

Machinery auction company Cheffins, which conducts a monthly sale of second-hand tractors and agricultural machinery, has reported sales of over £12.4 million in the first three months of 2026.

This was throughout the flagship Cambridge Machinery Sales at the firm’s site near Ely, and at on-farm auctions across the UK.

The company has said that sales are up 14.5% in comparison with Q1, 2025 which achieved total sales of £10,829,000.

In all, 4,800 lots were offered at both the Cambridge Machinery Sale and on-farm auctions, with the average lot price standing at £2,850.

Cheffins added that export demand has remained robust, with 34% of items sold at the Cambridge sales destined for overseas buyers, with leading locations including Spain, Poland, Ireland, Ukraine and the Netherlands.

To facilitate export, Cheffins said it processed 240 machines through its specialist washdown facility during the quarter, ensuring compliance with EU phytosanitary regulations for tractors, combines, self-propelled harvesters and a variety of other machinery.

A total of 3,000 lots were sold through the Cambridge Monthly Machinery Sale, with a notable increase in machinery consigned directly from farm, now accounting for approximately 25% of entries.

Cheffins auction prices

Headline prices from the Cambridge Monthly Machinery Sale show demand for high-quality, well-maintained equipment.

Some highlight sales from the quarter included:

£110,000 for a 2022 Horsch Avatar disc drill which had been consigned straight from a local farm;
£105,000 for a 2023 Case IH 300 Optum tractor;
£62,000 for a 2017 Fendt 724 Profi tractor;
£43,500 for a 2001 John Deere 8410T tractor;
£33,800 for a 2018 Manitou MLT 741-140V telehandler.

Director at Cheffins Joe Page said: “The first quarter of this year has been mainly characterised by a lack of stock.

“As farming weathers the shockwaves of the new inheritance tax ruling, a lack of government funding, high input costs and wider macroeconomic uncertainty, we have seen a significant slowdown in new machinery trade-ins.

“This has reduced the volume of equipment entering the auction market.

“In January, the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) reported that new tractor registrations totalled just 8,791 machines in 2025 – down 14% on the previous year and the lowest figure on record,” he added.

According to Cheffins, this trend is feeding directly into the second-hand sector, with fewer tractors coming forward for sale.

“However, while availability has tightened, the quality of machinery on offer has remained exceptionally high,” Page continued.

“We have seen a marked increase in items consigned direct from farm, which is exactly what both domestic and international buyers are seeking.”

Cheffins conducted a total of 12 on-farm sales in Q1 2026, with auctions hosted in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire.

One such sale was hosted on behalf of Baybutt Holdings in Preston, Lancashire.

It saw a series of high value modern machinery go under the hammer on behalf of a national salad grower.

Highlight lots from the quarter from on-site sales include:

£110,000 for a 2011 John Deere 7530 tractor;
£120,000 for a 1990 Mercedes MB Trac tractor;
£134,000 for a 2010 Fendt 820 Vario tractor;
£93,000 for a 2015 Claas Jaguar 870 tractor.

Director at Cheffins, Charles Wadsley said: “This quarter has seen a series of high-value on-site sales across the country, driven by a range of factors including retirement, business restructuring and fleet realignment with prices achieved holding firm due to the increasing cost of new machinery.

“Rising prices have led to farmers and contractors looking to purchase good quality second hand machinery in order to reinvest and improve their fleets ahead of the busy spring and summer months.

“A highlight of the first quarter was the auction on behalf of national salad grower, Baybutt Holdings, which saw high prices paid for well-maintained machinery.

“Looking ahead, we anticipate a busy period of large-scale auctions nationwide, as farmers look to rationalise machinery fleets and release capital ahead of harvest.”

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