Will Amos, Machinery Sales Manager at StephensonsRural and York Auction Centre, looks back on a record year for on-farm dispersal sales; highlighting standout prices, nationwide online bidding and what’s already in the diary for early 2026.
2025 will go down in the history books as one of the most controversial years in British farming, with policy made that will massively shape the future of farming. This, however, has not deterred second-hand machinery purchases, with a record year at StephensonsRural for on-farm dispersal sales.
The season started off with a local sale for J E Coning and Son (Alne, Easingwold) with modern arable equipment on offer. Purchasers from all corners of the UK were ferociously bidding. The Claas Lexion 570+ with 2114 engine hours sold to a farmer from somerset for £58,200 and the 2016 Mecmar S40 grain drier sold to a Scottish farmer for a fantastic £61,200. The two items are now 520 miles apart! The sale was an absolute showcase of how effective and convenient online bidding is for purchasers further afield.
Following our February machinery sale was a reduction sale on behalf of Facebook celebrity Martin Stephenson, of GM Stephenson LTD at sunny Flixton. Highlights of the sale included a 2019 Deutz Agrotron M620 ProfiLine with 4000 hrs on selling for £24,800 and a Korte trailed rolling mill selling to a farmer in Lancashire for £11,000.
In early March, came a dispersal sale for utility contractors MRC Greenmoor LTD, whose fleet of eight 560-80 JCB Loadalls was quite something to see! The timed online auction was held on site at York Auction Centre for convenience and was a great success. A pair of 2021 John Deere 6155R tractors with just 903 hrs and 1522 hrs topped the day at £86,200 and £81,200 respectively. The JCBs ranged from 2017 to 2021 and all had less than 5,000hrs on the clock, selling collectively for £429,600.
Into May
Late May saw a dispersal sale on behalf of Brafferton Manor Farms at Helperby. The highlight of the sale was without a doubt the Massey Ferguson 8s.305. This highly specced tractor boasted a Dyna-VT gearbox and Novatel RTK guidance. The tractor was sold to a Welsh purchaser for £112,200.
Summer sale season saw two online timed auctions of some extraordinary classic tractors with very low hours. Both sales were in the Harrogate / Leeds area and ran on the same days for ease of viewing and transport.
The first of the two sales was for I Hall & Son. Ian’s favourite pastime was grounds maintenance and so the sale featured a fantastic range of grass cutting equipment, including a Toro Groundmaster 4100D 4wd 3m ride-on mower which sold for £6,600. The prime movers of the sale: a 2004 JCB 2135 Fastrac with 6370 hrs and a 2004 JCB 526 telescopic handler with 3808 hrs sold for £30,400 and £23,200 respectively.
The second of the sales, a dispersal on behalf of Mr Ambler Burns Esq, saw two remarkably low hour John Deeres go under the hammer. The newer of the duo, a 1996 John Deere 6506 4WD tractor with JD 740A loader, had just 1,671 hrs on the clock and after frantic last-minute bidding sold for a massive £38,800 to a farmer from Lancashire.
The penultimate sale of the year was undertaken on behalf of T A Chester and Son (Ripon). The sale arose sadly as a result of a tragic farming accident, and a massive crowd was in attendance on sale day to show their support to the Chester family. This hybrid auction had in-person bidding as well as online. The sale featured a trio of classic Case Magnums, with a 7140 Magnum on just 4,900 hrs selling for a fantastic £29,000 to a farmer from the North East.
Ending the year
The final sale of the year was a timed online auction held on behalf of D Colley Esq and featured possibly one of the most genuine, well-maintained and cared-for line-ups of arable machinery ever seen at a dispersal sale.
It was evident that David’s machinery was his pride and joy, deservedly showing in the end results of his sale. Top price on the day was for a New Holland CX8.70 combine selling for £139,200 to a local farmer. His trio of John Deere R series tractors all looked well sold netting £225,400 selling to York, Cumbria and Essex.
Again, the online system came into its own with bidders from the UK, Ireland and Mainland Europe. 99% of all the lots sold went straight to work to end user customers, who no doubt saw a saving when compared to new price.
We already have several sales booked for early 2026, with full details to be published on our website in the new year. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their support in 2025, and to wish you a great festive season and a Happy New Year.
If you’re considering a farm machinery sale in 2026, get in touch with Will Amos, and keep an eye on our website for upcoming sale dates.