£15.1 million-worth of second-hand machinery sold in Q3 2026, compared to £23 million-worth sold in Q2 2026 and £12.4 million-worth of machinery sold in Q1 2026
10,059 lots offered during Q3, up from 9,325 in Q3 2025
£8.34 million-worth of machinery sold through Cheffins’ Cambridge Monthly Machinery Sales
More than 50% of machinery sold through the Cambridge sales was exported, with buyers from 23 countries
September saw the busiest month for machinery sales in Cheffins’ 200-year history
Cheffins, which conducts the largest monthly sale of second-hand tractors and agricultural machinery in the world, has reported sales of over £15.1 million of second-hand machinery in Q3 2026 throughout both the flagship Cambridge Machinery Sales at the firm’s dedicated site near Ely, its April Vintage Auction and at on-farm auctions across the UK.
The Q3 total represents a 34% decrease on the £23 million-worth of machinery sold during Q2 2026, although sales remained ahead of the £12.4 million recorded in Q1 2026. The softer quarter reflects the seasonal slowdown traditionally seen during harvest, alongside wider uncertainty within the farming sector ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Despite the reduction in overall sales value, the number of lots offered increased year-on-year. Cheffins offered 10,059 lots during Q3 2026, compared with 9,325 during the same quarter in 2025, an increase of almost 8%.
The quarter also culminated in a particularly strong September, with Cheffins recording its busiest September for machinery sales in the firm’s 200-year history.
Oliver Godfrey, Head of Machinery Sales at Cheffins, said:
“Q3 is always our quietest time of year as farmers turn their attentions to harvest rather than buying new kit. However, this year we saw a renewed vigour in September, when we conducted more sales than ever before in our 200-year history.”
Sales were led by Cheffins’ monthly machinery auctions which generated some £8,344,205 across 5,040 lots during Q3, compared with £6,816,496 across 4,855 lots in Q3 2025. The export market remained an important driver of demand, with approximately 50% of lots sold through the Cambridge sales being exported overseas. Buyers from 23 different countries purchased machinery during the quarter, with Ireland, Spain and Poland among the leading export markets. Cheffins also recorded sales to a number of newer overseas markets, including New Zealand, Guyana, Hungary and the Netherlands, while buyers from Ukraine have returned to the sale ground, purchasing both agricultural and plant machinery.
Cheffins’ on-site auction team conducted 12 auctions in September alone, generating gross sales of £5,434,695 across 2,421 lots. The sales were held across Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, with significant collections brought to market on behalf of retiring farmers and those leaving the industry. Sales were hosted on behalf of important vendors including Velcourt Ltd and a variety of other large scale farmers. The July Vintage Sale and Harrogate Vintage Sale contributed a further £1.3 million to the quarter’s results.
Across all Q3 sales, the average lot value was £2,251.60, compared with £2,658.09 in Q3 2025, representing a decrease of approximately 15%.
The top-selling lots through Cheffins’ Cambridge Monthly Machinery Sales during Q3 included:
£92,500 – New Holland T8.435
£84,000 – 2022 John Deere 6250R
£83,000 – 2023 John Deere 6R195
£44,000 – 2017 Horsch PT 280 self-propelled sprayer
£28,000 – 2015 Hardi Alpha Evo 4100 self-propelled sprayer
The highest-value lots sold through Cheffins’ on-farm auctions included:
£165,000 – 2022 John Deere S785 combine harvester
£125,000 – 2019 New Holland CX7.90SL straw walker combine
£93,000 – 2018 John Deere T670i combine harvester
£156,000 – 2023 Bateman RB35 sprayer
£101,000 – Amazone Pantera self-propelled sprayer
£70,500 – 2014 Bateman RB35 sprayer
Oliver Godfrey, Head of Machinery Sales at Cheffins, said:
“The combination of the Autumn Budget, harvest and ongoing financial instability has dampened demand for the third quarter of this year. While the summer months are always our quietest, we did have the busiest September we have seen in terms of machinery sales in the firm’s 200-year history.”
“However, this activity perhaps has not been reflected in the total figures, as the average lot price reduced against last year. Undoubtedly, the Government’s policies towards farming and inheritance tax have had their impacts.”
“We have seen that 80% of the on-farm sales we hosted were due to farmers retiring or simply coming out of the industry altogether. Similarly, the economic outlook for farmers has meant that many have been holding on to older kit and putting off replacing items in their fleets until after the Budget. As financial pressures continue to take a hold on future decisions for the farming fraternity, I wouldn’t expect to see the bottleneck in new machinery purchases ease until after the Autumn Budget.”
“Despite this, we have a strong calendar for the last quarter of this year and into early 2027 and continue to work with farmers to release cash from their machinery assets quickly and efficiently. Thankfully, the export market continues to be strong as overseas buyers look to capitalise on the domestic farming situation, meaning we saw sales to more than 23 different countries this quarter.”
To view the calendar of upcoming machinery sales at Cheffins, please click here
For more information, please visit contact Cheffins Machinery Department on 01353 777 767, [email protected]