The Time to Buy Is Now

If you're in the market, you could find deals on 300-400-hp tractors this summer.

- By Karen Jones

If you're looking for a 300-400-hp tractor, the time to buy is now, according to Jon Walker, a sales manager at Baker Implement Company, a Case IH and Kubota dealer, with 14 locations in Missouri and Arkansas.

“Now’s the time to buy because dealers are willing to do whatever they need to do to move it along,” he said. “They’re itching to sell it, and you’re going to get a better deal on the cash price, a better financing option, and probably even a warranty.”

Walker said used prices in his area have dropped considerably for this category of tractors — as much as 35%.

“It used to be that the 280s were the tractor everyone wanted. But in the last five years, it’s shifted and moved into the 310 area, and all the way up to the 380s is the hot spot,” he said.

“It was all about the price; you could save $30,000—40,000 on a 280 over a 340. Now, people are seeing they can pull a bigger implement with a 340 and get more work done off the width of the pass. Labor plays into it more.”

Andy Campbell, director of insights for Tractor Zoom, said he sees the market softening in general, especially as tractors approach the 2,500—3,000-hour mark.

“Usually, the person looking at a tractor with more hours is going to be your second, maybe third owner, and typically, they have less cash reserves and are more price sensitive,” he said.