Class 8 Dominates

Preharvest could be a good time to buy a used combine.

- Karen Jones

Class 8 combines have size and power that fits many farms well.

When Class 8 combines were introduced, around 2003, it quickly became apparent that their combination of size and power was a good fit for many farms. Even as combines have grown into Classes 9, 10, and 10-plus, Class 8 machines remain in high demand.

"Back in the day, they were saying combines would never get above a Class 7, that the roads wouldn’t be able to handle them," said Andy Campbell, Tractor Zoom director of insights.

"But now, the 8s are the dominant size, and people are saying that about the 9s and up, that roads and bridges can’t handle them, that they’re too difficult to transport.

"But I think one of the biggest limiters right now is the farm size of what I call the second buyer," he continued. "There's enough new buyers in the market to handle the 9-plus category, but it doesn’t appear that there’s there’s enough secondary buyers that need those big machines. And definitely not enough third buyers. But there are plenty of second and third buyers who can handle a Class 8 machine just fine."

Auction data from Tractor Zoom shows that in 2021–2022, Class 8 combines made up about 60% of the market, and those machines continue to find their place in the used market. In 2024, there was a surplus due to late deliveries in 2023, but that has largely flattened out.