The harvest rush on second hand mobile batch grain driers

Harvest 2010 is looking a bit gloomy at the moment, the weather forecast continues to look unpromising and 75% of UK wheat is still standing in the fields. However, the prospect that wheat prices may remain bullish in the short term is a welcome distraction (especially if Ukraine impose export quotas this week). Unfavourable weather conditions do not only cause panic buying on the international wheat market but they also cause panic buying on the (slightly smaller but no less important) UK second hand grain drier market.

Buying second hand grain driers

This combination of dreary weather forecasts and crops standing in the field drive hurried enquiries for second hand grain driers, the sole criteria being – anything that works. The age old adage of buy in haste, repent at leisure is particularly apt in this situation. This season has been very lean for quality second hand machines, with those acting quickly in the Spring clearing up the best machines on the market. My advice to those searching for second hand machines at this time of year is:

• Beware hugely inflated prices – although, to an extent, this comes with the territory of buying grain driers during a wet harvest. Make sure all other viable options are exhausted before knowingly paying over the odds for a machine that may be of limited long term value
• Beware buying machines in poor condition – with farmers needing drying capacity, some may see this as an opportunity to push out unsaleable scrap from the back of the yard. Make sure you are buying a sound machine and insist on seeing it running before buying it, especially if you want to put it straight to work. Our previous post on buying second hand machines should be a good guide to buying directly off farm

The other option

The perceived long wait for new grain driers to arrive in the UK drives the second hand market at this time of year. At Seedar, we believe that it is always best to supply a new grain drier that suits a farmers exact needs. This is the only way to gain the maximum value from investing in grain drying capacity.

After undergoing a factory expansion in the winter and conducting a revision of the manufacturing process, Seedarcan now deliver new machines to the UK in 2-3 weeks, dependent on specification.  The advantages of buying  a new Seedargrain drier over a hurried second hand drier purchase include:

• the opportunity to select the exact specification of the drier
• the benefit of the increased performance, reliability and durability of a new Seedargrain drier
• the reassurance of a warranty and our comprehensive service and support

Clearly not every farm will be in a position to wait this length of time for a new grain drier. However, it is certainly a viable option for those who have the capacity to safely store wet grain for a short period of time. The longer term returns of buying a new grain drier suited to your application would soon outweigh the short term convenience of hastily purchasing a second hand machine.