{farm sale}

South Norfolk dispersal sale enjoys big attendance and high prices

A late February farm machinery dispersal sale arranged by Durrants Machinery Auctions on behalf of WBA Gaze & Son proved extremely successful and attracted buyers from across the UK and overseas. David Williams was there.

The sale featured a wide selection of modern, well-maintained tractors and machinery which had been used on the Gaze family’s farm at Roydon, near Diss, along with a huge selection of ‘included’ lots entered by more than 30 local farmers. An extended period of dry weather prior to the sale meant that most local farmers were up to date with eld work, so many took time out to inspect the items on o er and to socialise with others from the farming community.

Change to contract farming

The sale was due to a change in farming policy for the land at Grove Farm, following the passing of farmer, Ben Gaze. His son, Robert Gaze, explained to Farmers Guide that Ben had been due to celebrate his 71st harvest last year, but passed away in June. The land will be contract-farmed.

Good, honest sale

“We had acted for the vendors previously,” explained auctioneer Richard Prentice. “The family was pleased with the attendance as well as the results achieved, and it was an extremely successful day.”

Richard estimated that 300–400 people attended the auction. “It was a good, honest sale which demonstrated the strong appetite for high quality, well-maintained machinery – especially with low hours.

“The Claas tractors sold particularly well, and we were stunned by prices achieved for some of the older tractors among the ‘included’ lots – especially a 2007 Massey Ferguson 6480 and a 2004 Massey Ferguson 6470. Bids were ying for the other Massey Ferguson tractors too, and the prices achieved for trailers were high.”

Machinery widely dispersed Successful bids saw machinery distributed to trade buyers and farmers throughout the UK. Several items went to new homes in Ireland, and Polish buyers bid successfully too.

The auctioneers were Nick Durrant who started the sale, Richard Prentice – who sold most of the Gaze family’s machines, and Nicholas Rudge who sold many of the ‘included’ lots. FG

Two large sprayers o ered for sale from the farm included this 1999 Bateman Hi-Lo RB16 self-propelled, with a 2,500-litre tank, a clean water tank and 24m booms. It had worked 8,981 hours and was displayed on Alliance Agristar 540/65R30 otation tyres with 90% tread and was sold complete with an additional set of Michelin AgriBib 320/85R34 rowcrop wheels and tyres with 50% tread but which were quite perished. It sold for £13,500.

Beef cattle feeders were sold in pairs, and prices ranged from £60–£75.

Construction equipment included this petrol engine-driven vibrating packer which appeared in good order and made £60.

Anvils are always in demand. At just 44cm long this example was easier to handle and transport than most, and it had a broken top corner. The winning bidder paid £110. The ve weights pictured beside it achieved £50.

The farm’s 2013 Dowdeswell 145 Series MA 6f (5+1) reversible plough had been protected from the weather and was in very tidy condition. With plenty of remaining metal and tted with skimmers, it sold for £6,200. Inset – Richard Prentice takes bids for the Dowdeswell plough.

The farm’s John Deere 6310 4wd loader tractor was a 2002 model, registered on an 02-plate. Like the farm’s other tractors, it was in superb condition for its age and attracted competitive bidding. It was on Good Year Optitrac tyres – 480/65R24 at the front and 540/65R38 at the back – all with 50% tread but some stone damage. The tractor displayed local Ben Burgess labels on the number plates, but JF Sales stickers on the panels. The tractor had worked 8,393 hours and was sold with its John Deere 631 front loader, pallet tines and a dirt bucket. It made £22,000.

A Claas front tombstone weight block (far right) made £10. Five front 35kg tractor wafer weights sold for £35 (left), and these four wafer weights (centre) sold for £50 carrying its original supplying dealer stickers and a G-pre x registration dating from 1989, was in good, original condition. It was on BKT 540/85R28 front tyres and 460/85R38 rears, with 20% and 80% tread respectively. The recorded hours were 12,551, and it sold for £5,500.

These assorted hand tools had been well looked after and were in excellent condition. Attracting a winning bid of just £6, they were one of only a few bargains on the day.

Two drills o ered included a Kuhn HR4002 4m power harrow drill combination, comprising an Accord pneumatic DA drill unit with a packer roller, bout markers, wheelmark eradicators, following tines and a stand. The combination sold for £4,400.

Beside it, a 2013 Mzuri Pro-Til one-pass drill with twin hoppers and trailing tines was in superb condition and attracted plenty of interest. The winning bid was an impressive £22,000.

An excellent selection of ‘included’ tractors was available for bids. These two Massey Fergusons had both come from the same farm. On the left – a 2007 6480 Dyna-6 4wd, registered on an 07-plate and which had worked only 3,605 hours was in excellent order. It had Pirelli 380/85R28 front tyres and 460/85R38 rears – all with 40% tread. It carried its Bruce Hopkins dealer stickers and sold for a very impressive £30,200.

The 2004 6470 with Dynashift transmission beside it was also impressively tidy. On an 04-plate it had worked just 4,620 hours and was on a mix of Michelin, Alliance and Firestone tyres with 10–60% remaining tread. It made £20,000.

This 2002 Massey Ferguson 8240 PowerControl was registered on an 02-plate and in very good condition. Still with its original Norfolk Farm Machinery dealer stickers, it had worked only 5,407 hours and had been on the same farm since new. It was bought by farmers and contractors BL Clarke, based at Morley St Botolph – just a few miles from the sale, and close to the farm where the Massey Ferguson had spent its working life to date.

Pictured – three generations of the Clarke family with their new tractor (l-r) Andrew Clarke, Sarah Applegate, Brian Clarke (Sarah’s father), and Thomas Applegate (Brian’s grandson). Brian explained that the new tractor will be used mainly for cultivations, and it appealed because of its low hours and because its history is well known to the family.

Brian also commented that he has received and read Farmers Guide every month since the magazine started. He looks forward to its arrival and uses it to buy new and used farm machinery, and to sell surplus equipment. “I’ve sold everything I ever advertised in it,” he said.

Maintenance machinery included this Shelbourne Reynolds HD60T Powerblade hedge cutter with a 41- ail head which was in superb condition despite being 13 years old. With its original Nicholsons supplying dealer stickers, it sold for £8,600. Beside it, a Spearhead Batwing topper – new in 2015 and which had also been supplied by Nicholsons – made £8,500.

This set of McConnel Consolidator 8m hydraulic folding rolls came with breaker rings and levelling boards. New in 2017, it was sold just in time for this year’s spring drilling and made £11,600.

From a local farm, this JCB 526-56 Agri telescopic handler was new in 2011 and registered on a 61-plate. The hours were relatively low at 4,562, and it came with a hydraulic rear trailer hitch and a dirt bucket. Carrying Nicholsons dealer stickers, and on BKT 460/70R24 tyres with between 20–40% tread, it was missing a rear mudguard but was otherwise tidy and it sold for £18,000.

Sumo Trio subsoilers have a great reputation, and this 3m model carried M&C Agricultural stickers. It sold for £9,000.

 An impressive set of Gaucho GAXHR 38-26 trailed 4m folding discs with a rear press sold for £3,000. There was considerable interest in the discs as Richard Prentice took the bids.