Is Now the Best Time of Year to Get a Bargain on a Brush Hog or Implement?

I had a question from Bill the Tractor Man (check out his YouTube Channel, a link is below) that had two parts. Bill would like to update to a new (or newer) rotary cutter, or bush hog, or brush hog, or topper, or slasher, whatever you call a rough cut mower. He noted that finding good used ones was tough and wanted to know if late fall would be a good time to purchase a new one.

First, we'll discuss the difficulties of finding a good used cutter. Most of the time a brush cutter doesn't get traded in until it is totally wore out or broken. Maybe on some of the bigger cutters a farmer will trade so he can expense it off his taxes, but you rarely see that on smaller cutter like most of us own. Occasionally, someone will buy a bigger tractor or get a wider cutter for their existing tractor and trade in a like-new older cutter. That's pretty rare, and when it happens, those cutters usually don't stay around long on a dealer's lot and bring a premium price. That's one segment of the equipment market where the demand outstrips the supply...by a long shot.

Bill's question about when to purchase a new cutter is a good one. As I post this in November, it could be an excellent time to purchase a new cutter.

Each implement company has an order writing program when dealers have to order their machines for the following year. I've been out of the business for five years, so this could have changed, but at that time, implement order writing usually occurred in late summer. Most rotary cutters sell in the June-August period, so it would make sense that manufacturers would be soliciting orders when retail sales were brisk and inventories low.

Bargains come for two reasons...the weather changed or the economy had a dip. Let's say I'm a dealer and am selling two or three bush hogs a day in July. My rep comes around in August and I order a whole bunch of new ones. Then, it quits raining or the stock market goes down. All of a sudden I have a supply of current year machines, ordered the previous year; and next year's machines that I just ordered...and none of it is selling.

A dealer might look out on the lot this time of year and realize that he needs to get rid of some inventory. November is usually a really slow month for sales anyway, so it's a great time to be looking for a deal.

My advice to Bill is to call around to dealers in his area and see if there's any of last year's inventory remaining on the lot. If it failed to sell in a year, a low-ball offer might take it home. It's already going to be 2-4% less money than what is coming in (that's the normal annual price increase), and unless there have been some innovations, is likely the same product as the one just built and shipped. If you find a dealer with an overabundance of inventory, you might get a bargain.

If there's no old inventory remaining, you can put off buying until you need it next year. It should still be there, at the same price, and you can leave the money in the bank over the winter.

That's the opinion of an old machinery guy. November is a great time of year to buy if there's old inventory laying around. Thanks for the question Bill!

Here's the link to Bill the Tractor Man's You Tube channel:


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