Steel deals - disc rippers

Farmers stopped buying new disc rippers back in 2014 when commodity prices dropped, meaning fewer late-model machines have recently come in on trade. So, if you're looking to buy a used machine, good luck.

Dave Mowitz is the machinery editor for Successful Farming magazine. He says he is surprised at how few used disc rippers are out on the market, especially late-model machines that are five or six years old. This means dealer and auction prices are solid or rising.

"So, if you're thinking about changing disc rippers, I'd recommend you consider a new implement in your shopping. In particular, price out new old stock," says Mowitz. "Now, that's maybe where there's an opportunity here. New old stock, it's a ripper that's a 2020 or '19, or and '18. I even found disc rippers that were 2017, that were brand new, just sitting on dealer's lots."

He says you'll face prices north of $98,000 for an 18-foot disc ripper, or at least $120,000 for a 22-foot implement. Of course, prices will vary by how they're equipped.

"For example, this can include rolling baskets. They can add $2,000-$4,000 extra cost compared to say, a disc ripper that has a coil tine or a spike tooth harrow dragging behind the disc ripper. The number of shanks that it has. And they do vary. The width doesn't determine it because it used be, you had them set at a certain width and that was it across the industry," he says. "Well now, you can actually get disc rippers where the shanks are a little narrower. "