Steel Deals - Late Model Disks

The farm economy has taken a toll on sales of new implements, particularly disks. This means there are plenty of disks for sale from the past few years that are still shiny and new. But if you're looking for a used disk at a lower price, good luck.

Dave Mowitz is the executive machinery editor for Successful Farming magazine and researches price trends on used machinery. The last time he explored the values of used one-to-five-year-old disks was in 2016. There were plenty to be found back then. He says this year, he's surprised by how few are sitting on dealer's lots.

"The good news about this is scant supplies of late-model disks means that your existing disk will be in demand. So, now would be a ripe time to look to sell or trade in your existing disk for a new model," says Mowitz. "And, the opportunity is ripe to get top trade-in values, especially if your disk has been well-cared for."

The not so good news is that dealers are aware of lack of supplies of late-model disks. If you're in the market for one, expect to pay top dollar. But there is another option.

"You know, it could be that the values are getting close enough to new that you're just better off instead of buying used, just go buy new," he says. "And, dealers certainly are looking to make deals out there. They want to start moving equipment."

Because they're hard to transport, most are bought and sold close to home so used values are also determined by the economy of the area.