How to sell a tractor on auction in 2024

Let's talk about how to sell a tractor in 2024, folks, because times have changed a lot — it's not 2003 anymore.

People complain to me all the time about what a pain it is to sell stuff online these days. Frankly, they're right. It doesn't matter if it's on an auction, Facebook, or any other marketplace — it takes time and effort. However, some people make it a lot harder than they need to.

Let's dig in to how to sell a tractor online these days. I'll caveat this by saying that your mileage may vary and there could be some individual nuances depending on how you're selling. Still, most of what's on my mind this week applies universally.

It all boils down to presentation.

I can hear some of you in the back: "Yeah, it's always been about presentation — where've you been, Interesting Iron guy?"

You're right, it's always been about presentation. Here's the thing, though: 20 years ago, "presentation" meant something completely different. The rules have changed.

Back in the day

Take an auction, for instance.

The criteria was different for how buyers judged presentation 25 years ago. It was more about how the auctioneer and seller did their jobs on auction day. How neatly was the equipment lined up? Were the tractors bunched together? Had they been cleaned up? How did the property look? Was it easy to get registered for a bidder number? Did the auctioneer sound good? How'd the coffee taste?

Yes, some of this is probably a little on the facetious side, but you get where I'm going with this.

Then about 15 or 20 years ago, a series of technology revolutions changed things.

Putting the internet in your pocket

In 2007, we started to see smartphones hit the market. They had big screens and could run a full-featured internet browser. Not long afterwards, auction sites started popping up. It wasn't the primary method of selling equipment, but it was an option if an auctioneer wanted to start messing with the internet. Most didn't.

Helping farmers get social in a hurry

Meanwhile, around the same time iPhones and Androids were getting popular, some guy named Mark from Harvard was building a website that would change the way people interacted with one another: Facebook.

Instantly, this world got a whole lot smaller. Row crop farmers from the I-states talked to fruit growers from Michigan. Two-cylinder nuts from Kentucky got to know two-cylinder nuts from Oregon. It didn't take too long for auctioneers to catch on, either. They figured out that social media could be a good way to spread the word about auctions if the bidders didn't have to be there in person.

More and more auctions went online, opening the market for equipment so the right people could find it. That's when the word "presentation" started to mean something different.

The tipping point

The real kicker was the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to restrictions on people assembling in groups, no one could have an in-person auction. Nearly every auction held after February 2020 was completely virtual — there weren’t any other options.

When all of that happened, it didn't matter if the coffee was any good or the equipment was lined up, because nobody could be onsite when the auction happened. The experience an auctioneer and a seller would work together to create at a farm had to be created on a phone screen.

Since 2020, that's become the primary method of conducting an auction. Auctioneers figured out that buyers would still buy what they couldn't see in person, but it changed the method of presenting equipment.

That brings us to today.

Now, it's all about the connection and experience you can bring to a buyer who might be three counties or three states away. That's not an easy thing to do, but it can be done.

It just takes a plan.

How to sell a tractor: the plan

From where I'm sitting, presentation breaks down to four pieces:

• Preparation
• Photos
• Description
• Video

I'm not trying to oversimplify things, but at the end of the day, it really is that simple. The goal is to build trust with potential buyers and help them see your tractor in their operation or collection. The way you go about each of these elements can make or break that goal.

So, that having been said, let's get into it.

Preparation: putting your best foot forward

This is a foundational step, and there's a lot that rides on it, especially when it comes to establishing trust. Even though we're taught not to judge a book by its cover, that's exactly what we do, and it's exactly what buyers do when they see a machine for the first time.

So, clean up the tractor inside and out. Put your best foot forward.

Inside

This is a pet peeve of mine, and there's no reason to sugarcoat it.

At the very least, get the garbage out and sweep out the dirt. If you brought it in with you, take it out when you leave. If I'm a buyer and I see last fall's Subway wrappers, an ancient can of ether, and a fossilized can of Kodiak in the photo, I'm moving on. It makes me think, "If they can't keep up on simple things like keeping the cab clean, what else have they neglected and how much is it going to cost me?"

I know that to a lot of you, this is pretty much common sense. I get that some people aren't neat freaks (I'm not), but when you go to sell it or trade it in, it seems like tidying up is kind of a no-brainer. Still, we all see this daily in online equipment listings!

Outside

Pull out the power washer and some soap and clean the exterior. How much elbow grease you put in is up to you, but bear in mind that you don’t want your buyer to have to imagine what your tractor looks like when it's clean. I understand that with an old tractor on the fencerow, there's only so much you can do. Still, buyers want to feel like you've put forth at least a little effort. If there are 16 pounds of bird poop on the tractor, at least attempt to get rid of that.

Don't go overboard

The last tip I'd offer is this. There's a fine line between putting your best foot forward and overdoing it. Three coats of wax and a bottle of tire shine applied to a 16,000-hour 4440 that lived outside won't make it new again. It won't fool buyers, either.

At the end of the day — unless it's listed as a restored classic — most buyers would rather see it in its cleaned-up work clothes. They'll appreciate the honesty, too.

Once the prep work is done, it's time to take photos. How do you take good ones?

Photos: worth a thousand words or more

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and, generally speaking, the photographer in me agrees. However, in this case, I think they're dead wrong.

If you're trying to sell a tractor online, a bad photo is worth diddly-squat. A good photo isn't worth a thousand words, but it is worth a click to the next photo, and that's something.

Fortunately, good photos aren't hard to take. You don't need a super-spendy digital camera. Pretty much any smartphone from the last five years can do the job just fine. However, you do need to be intentional about it.

Here's a cheat sheet with a few guiding principles. It's by no means exhaustive, but it's a good place to start.

Let's dig in to a few of the most important ones, from my perspective.

First, a couple of ground rules for taking photos when you're selling a tractor online. These don't really need explanation, in my opinion.

Say NO to portrait mode 

Okay, so now that that's out of the way, here's a few more tips, tricks, and suggestions for taking photos of the tractor you want to sell!

Nobody wants to see the inside of your barn

Spoiler alert: no one wants to see the inside of your barn. Take the tractor out in the daylight!

It's dark, cameras don't work well in there, and you usually can't show enough detail for anybody to actually make out what you're selling. Heck, I could've taken this photo with my big camera and it wouldn't have turned out!

If you're selling the machine, it needs come out of the barn to be cleaned up anyway. Be efficient with your time and kill two birds with one stone. Once the tractor has been cleaned and dried — the wet look doesn't fool anybody — put it in an uncluttered field or pasture.

Declutter your background

The goal is to take nicely centered photos that fit the tractor well within the screen, with nothing to take the focus away from it. As a society, our attention span is shorter than ever for stuff like this, so if there are lots of things in a photo, most people will end up looking at all the little stuff rather than the big thing.

If you can stage your tractor in a setting like this one, I can almost guarantee that it'll get more attention than a busy background!

Golden Hour: timing is everything

Everything, and I mean everything, looks better on camera during the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. Photographers refer to it as "Golden Hour" and it is an absolute game-changer. When the sun is low in the sky, it bathes everything in a golden glow. It makes colors feel vibrant and warmer.

The difference between a Golden Hour photo and one that's not is pretty striking, isn't it?

Take photos around the clock

Imagine that you're looking down on your tractor from up in the air. If you lay a clock over the top of the tractor, that's what I'm getting at. Take a photo at every hour/hash mark on the clock, making sure that you're able to get the entire tractor on the screen in landscape mode, even if you have to back up a little to fit it all in. Phone cameras take pretty big photos these days!

By doing this, you ensure that your buyers get a good look all the way around the tractor. That's pretty important in my book.

Always review your photos and zoom in! If they're blurry, retake them!

Photos to include

So, you've got a dozen photos walking all the way around the tractor thus far. What else?

Here's a few that I'd be looking for in a listing:

• Serial number: The tractor's serial number is a must. If it's not in the photos or the description, there's a very good chance I'm moving on. If you can't find the serial number, check the TractorData website. It'll usually give you a little direction as to the location if it's tricky to find.
• Drawbar: Stand directly over the top of the drawbar and take a photo of the hole. That goes a long way towards determining the age of the tractor, and whether or not the hours are accurate.
• Dents and broken items: If it's a major dent, I want a photo of it. The same goes for stuff that's broken. Show me the good, the bad, and the ugly.
• Tires and tire wear: Ideally, I'd like to see a photo of each tire so that the brand, size, and depth are legible. Additionally, I want to know if the tires are weather-checked or cracking. Major cracks deserve their own photo.
• Modifications: Whether or not you performed the modification, I'd want to see photos of it. Farmer-fied engineering is a real thing, but sometimes it might not dovetail with my plans for the tractor.
• Detailed engine photos: I want to see what the engine looks like. If the block has been patched back together or there's an aftermarket turbo kit like an M&W, include photos of all of it. If it's got an M&W oil pan, include a photo of that in the listing. That could potentially increase the value.
• PTO and 3-point: I'd like to see close-up photos of the PTO shaft(s), 3-point, and hydraulic remotes.

In the cab, I'd want to see:

• Tachometer: I want to visually verify how many hours are on the machine. If the tach has been changed and you still have the old one stashed away in the shop, pull it out and take a photo of that, too.
• Dash: Show me how the dash has held up.
• Controls: Show me how the controls have held up as well.
• Pedals: Pedal wear is a good indicator of if the tach has rolled over (i.e. 10,000 hours).
• Seat(s): If it's in great shape, I want to know that. If not, I want to know that too.
• Headliner: If I need to replace the headliner before I put the machine to work, I need to plan for that.

Paper trail

Lastly, I want records. I want photos or scans of as much of the service records you can possibly provide. By including those in the photo listing, you're establishing a pattern. Basically, you're telling me how well you cared for that tractor while you owned it. This includes receipts for parts and service work, a logbook full of entries for fluids and filters, etc.

If you don't have a scanner, there are a handful of pretty good ones on the Apple App store or the Google Play store. If I remember right, most of them are free, too.

One more thing that I didn't have a good spot for in the list above: If you bought it as a basket case and spent three years restoring it, I know you took some progress photos during the process. Include those in the listing, show me what you did!

Now, let's move on to descriptions.

Description: Making your words count

A good description backs up what you show in your photos and videos and fills in any gaps.

It needs to be complete, and above anything else, it needs to be completely transparent. The internet can sniff out a lie in a heartbeat, and it never forgets.

You have to be accurate, and you have to double-check yourself before you submit. Photos and videos might grab a buyer's attention, but the description is where they'll get serious.

If I'm a buyer, here's what I want to see in your description.

Just the facts, ma'am

Tell me the year, make, and model. Include the full serial number, and make sure it's the serial number for the tractor, not the cab or the engine. Cab and engine serial numbers aren't as important to me as the tractor’s.

If you don't include it and it's not in the photos, I'm going to assume the worst, and I'm not going to bid or start a buying conversation with you.

The internet has taught us all to be wary of stuff like this — history has taught us that sometimes there's a reason that serial numbers aren't included, and it's not always because the seller or auctioneer forgot to include it.

Tell me what you know

Tell me what you know about the history of this tractor. You don't have to wax poetic here; this isn't the place for a history of the farm, but hit the high points. Tell me when and where it came from, and tell me how you used it.

Shoot me straight

Be honest about the tractor. If it's a beat-up piece of junk but the sheet metal is fairly solid, tell me that. My priorities might be different than yours. Who knows, maybe I want a roached-out Arkansas 4-post that's baked in the sun for years.

I'd rather you be honest with me upfront than try to put one over on me. Like I said before, the internet is a big place full of smart people. They'll catch you in the lie, and they'll expose you for it.

Get the details right

This is where I get annoyed.

Details like spelling the manufacturer's name correctly seems like it's a no-brainer, right? John Deere has been making farm equipment for 187 years now. If I read one more auction or for sale listing that says "Jon Deer" in the description, I think I'll go insane. Four letters in the first name, five in the last, with an “E” on the end.

This is more than just a "Gosh, that makes the Interesting Iron guy blow a gasket!" kind of thing, though. Misspellings in the descriptions lead to search engines passing results because the words don't match. What if the search engine isn't smart enough to realize that "Jonh Durr" in a listing is actually "John Deere?" Anybody who's looking to buy a nice baler tractor isn't going to see the listing for your pristine 3000-hour 4440!

The same goes for getting model numbers right — and this is really prevalent in over-the-road semis. "________ truck" isn't acceptable. It's 2024. Call the dealer and give the parts counter guy the VIN. They'll tell you what the model is. Don't be lazy. Put in the five minutes to do it right.

At the end of the day, if my gut tells me that something's off, or I feel like you didn't take enough time to give your work a once-over, I'm moving on to the next one.

Okay, now that I've completely beaten this topic to death, we're almost finished, folks. Hopefully your phone's battery is still charged because we've got one more thing to use it for.

Video: make the connection with your buyer

I don't have a snazzy photo to add here, I'd like to see two videos. Neither of them are hard to make, and don't need to be longer than a minute or two. In a perfect world, they do need two people, though. Spouses, kids, grandkids, whoever’s around. They don't need to be award-winning directors, they just need to be able to hold the camera out of the wind without putting their fingers over the lens! (Some days that last part is a struggle for me.)

Show me the tractor in action

For this video, I'd like to see you cold start the tractor and let it idle for a minute. Walk me around the tractor and show me an abbreviated version of what you showed me in the photos. Take me up into the cab and show me around.

Then hand the phone off to somebody else (you don't even need to stop the video if you don't want to) and have them record you driving the tractor around. None of this 15 feet forward/15 feet backward nonsense. Take it through the gears and show me that it'll turn and stop like it should. Show me the PTO and 3-point do what they're supposed, too.

This is an easy video to make — it probably won't take you more than five minutes to make — and it could be the best five minutes you invest in selling a tractor.

The second video might be a little harder, but it's nothing to stress about.

Tell me what this tractor was to you

I want to know what this tractor was/is to you. I want you to use your voice to tell me about the tractor you're selling, and I want you to do it on camera.

Lots of people freak out when I suggest a video like this. They say stuff like, "I don't even know what I'd say about it," or "I don't like being on camera, it's not my thing."

Believe me, I get that. I don't really love the idea of getting in front of the camera and talking either. There's a reason that I bought a camera and started taking photos — if I'm behind the lens, I can't be in front of it!

Your video doesn't have to be perfect. There are marketing research firms who spend millions of dollars every year studying what kind of videos that everyday people like you and me react to. You know what they've found? Over the past few years, the research shows the videos that are resonating the most with consumers is the authentic, unscripted stuff. Videos where real people who don't sound or look like movie stars tell real stories.

Because I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is, I made a video just for this article. It's not super pretty. I repeat myself far more than I should've and stumbled on some words from time to time, but if I can do this, you can, too!

Tips for these kinds of videos

• If you're shooting the video outdoors, pick a day when the wind isn't blowing a million miles an hour. It makes it a lot easier to hear you.
• If you're shooting it indoors, kill the shop radio or TV for a few minutes while you record. It's hard to hear you when George Strait is singing about his exes in the background.
• Fight the urge to only tell me the good stuff, there's got to be something about this tractor that bothered you. Tell me what that was, and why.
• If it's an older machine, maybe stick to the high points in the light of time. I respect the fact that it was the first tractor that Dad bought new. However, if we're not talking about more recent history by the two-minute mark, you might lose my attention and I might miss something important.
• Lastly, be yourself. Get the facts right, but don't sweat the small stuff in the way you tell the story. I'm okay with hearing, "Uh..." once in a while as you gather your thoughts. Heck, use a cheat sheet if you need to. I don't mind.

Why are videos like these so important to me as a buyer?

They remind me that whether you're three counties or three states away, you're a human, and you farm because you love it and it's in your blood, just like I do. Knowing what kind of relationship you had with this machine reminds me that I have machines just like that on my farm.

It builds trust between me as a buyer and you as the seller. People buy farm equipment from other people, not vending machines. Having that common ground between us makes me that much more likely to pick up the phone or bid on your auction.

Wrapping it all up

I know this was a long one, but I hope there's some good information about how to sell a tractor in here. I'm sure I forgot something important along the way, so I hope you'll grant me a little grace for that. These are just my opinions, but I do feel like most of what I've written applies universally. I hope so, at any rate.

Until next time, make it a great week!

Hi! I'm Ryan, and I love tractors. It doesn't matter if it's a showpiece, an oddball, or seen its share of life ... if it's unique and it's listed by one of our auctioneer partners at Tractor Zoom, I'm going to show it off a little bit! This equipment is all up for auction RIGHT NOW so you can bid on it. I think it's cool, and I hope you will too! This is Interesting Iron!