Thainstone
MORE than 2000 potential buyers were at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' Thainstone Centre for the third sale of plant, machinery and equipment of 2018 where 83% of the 2890 lots changed hands. 

Selling for the top price of £90,000, the highest of the year so far, was a 2016-registered Scania G490 CB 8x4 tipper with drawbar from the heavy commercial section. 

A 2017-reg JCB 3CX excavator headed up the tractor and plant section at £60,500 while light commercial and 4x4 vehicles hit £22,200 for a 2017 Ford Ranger Wildtrack double cab. 

In the farm implements section, the highest-priced items were a Wragg post driver and Kverneland ES100 five-furrow plough, both of which sold for £5,000. 

Mark Barrack, head of Thainstone Specialist Auctions, said: “These substantial sales prices are indicative of the high-quality nature of lots that sellers are putting forward, with buyers continuing to favour second-hand equipment over new to eliminate the extensive lead time that comes with purchasing from the factory.”

“Despite the looming Brexit uncertainty, there were an unprecedented number of lots sold at impressive prices, which exceeded all of our expectations. It was also particularly pleasing to see attendees join us on-site from as far as Ireland and Eastern Europe. With increased demand among buyers from the UK and internationally looking to purchase second-hand equipment, and with the tumultuous winter weather behind us, we expect to see more high-quality lots, continued strong attendance and strong prices realised at our upcoming sale in May.”

LEADING prices:

Tractor and plant machinery – 2017 JCB 3CX excavator £60,500; 2017 JCB 86 Midi tracked excavator £42,000; 2011 JCB 3CX contractor excavator £30,000; 2013 Manitou 932 telescopic handler £24,200; 2009 John Deere 6830 tractor £21,800; JCB JS145LC tracked excavator £19,000; 2004 John Deere 6830 tractor with loader £18,300; 2012 Thwaites nine-tonne dumper £15,000; JCB 8008 Micro tracked excavator£11,800. 
Light commercials and 4x4 vehicles – 2017 Ford Ranger Wildtrack double cab £22,200; 2014 Land Rover Defender high capacity-pick-up £16,500; 2017 Ford Transit 350 L2 H2 £14,000; 2014 Nissan Navara double cab £13,000; 2016 Ford Transit Custom 290 van £11,600; 2015 Ford Transit 350 van £11,200; 2014 Ford Transit 350 van £10,200; 2014 Citroen Berlingo 625 LX Hdi van £6100; 2009 Toyota Hilux Invincible double cab £5700. 
Heavy commercial vehicles – 2016 Scania G490 CB 8x4 tipper with drawbar £90,000; 2013 Volvo FH16 750 6x2 artic £51,500; 2009 Volvo FH16 660 6x4 artic £35,000; Andover Tri Axle Beavertail drag trailer £28,500; 2014 DAF LF220 12-tonne tipper £27,000. 
Trailers, caravans and containers – Lunar Zenith five-berth caravan £3400; Bailey Senator five-berth caravan £2900; Ifor Williams BV85 box trailer £2550; Ifor Williams HB511 horse box £2500; Brian James car transporter £2300; Ifor Williams 8x5 trailer £1800.
Farm machinery and equipment – Wragg post driver £5000; Kverneland ES100 five-furrow plough £5000; Portal frame shed £4600; Fleming 24 twin-axle trailer £4050; Set Vaderstad roller £4000; Poly tunnel £1700. 

Carlisle
A LARGE offering of 445 lots of implements were on offer at Harrison and Hetherington, and with a better show combined with a large crowd of buyers, all lots sold well and to a top of £4400 for a livestock trailer. 

LEADING prices:

Implements – £4400 livestock trailer; £2000 Tomahawk bale chopper; £2000 Honda quad bike; £1900 generator; £1650 wood chipper; £1300 flat-lift mole plough; £1150 Bateson horse box; £1100 Richardson livestock trailer; £900 Vigolo power harrows; £900 Ifor Williams flat-bed trailer; £800 Watson roller; £700 Storth slurry whisk; £650 Coutrax ride-on mower; £620 Ifor Williams calf trailer.

Stirling (Cal)
DESPITE some poor weather conditions, lots of plant, equipment and small tools selling through Caledonian Marts were keenly bid for to pas vendors' expectations and set a 91% clearance rate. 
A 2011-registered John Deer 6930 with Trima loader led the entry at £30,000, while implements reached £11,500 for a 15-tonne Gardiner grain trailer. 

LEADING prices:

Tractors – £30,000 John Deere 6930; £27,000 Massey Ferguson 5410. 
Implements – £11,500 16-tonne Gardiner grain trailer; £7000 42ft artic transport box; £4300 John Deere Gator; £3500 Browns grass seed harrows; £3000 K-Two dung spreader; £2400 Amazone AD302 Drill Star; £2200 Ifor Williams stock trailer; £1500 Rabbie power harrow; £1400 Master Cut topper; £1300 Lemken four-furrow reversible plough; £1200 Ritchie feed mixing bucket; £1100 haybob; £1000 Honda Fourtrax quad bike; £1000 Cambridge rollers; £900 cattle crush; £850 cultivator; £800 Amazone fertiliser spreader; £780 Anderson cement mixer; £550 Albut shear grab; £450 Tusk log splitter.

Cheffins
AN Albion Anglo-American Oil Company vehicle dating back to 1919 was the star attraction at Cheffins’ vintage sale at Sutton, Ely, when it sold for £60,900 – the highest price paid for a vintage commercial vehicle in the UK for some time. 

The Scottish Farmer:

          This Albion was well bid for, making £60,900

The vehicle had only two owners from new, selling to its second owner in 1985 before it was fully restored in 2011, including more than £1500 worth of gold leaf to recreate the sign writing. 

Selling for the top price of £97,700, however, was another vintage lot, a 1907 Davey Paxman steam engine, and one of only a handful of traction engines known to still be in existence. 

The Scottish Farmer:

          This Davey Paxman topped the sale at £98,700

With 3000 lots selling in total, dearest of the 212 classic and vintage tractors at £72,975 was a fully restored 1966 Doe-130, while Ford and Fordson conversions were also popular, peaking at £53,550 for a 118 version. 

Vintage motorcycles (46) hit £11,016 for a 1960 BMW R60, while a collection of six working models of tractors, balers and a combine from constructor Roger Townshend sold for a combined total of £52,800 having been topped by a Nuffield 10/60 model which realised £16,500.