A solid trade was seen at the last Hennessy Auctioneers monthly machinery auction at Portlaoise Mart. John Hennessy said there was a lower turnout of buyers than usual.

He put this down to the good weather and farmers trying to get the last of the first-cut silage complete. It didn’t seem to hamper the trade, with a 81% clearance of 620 lots. John noted that the trade for fresh secondhand machinery at the auctions over the past two years has been very strong, especially for clean 10-20-year-old 4WD tractors selling in the €15,000 to €30,000 price bracket, but he fears a recent strengthening of the euro against sterling may affect this, with farmers and dealers going to the UK to buy machinery.

Unsold items

  • 02 New Holland TM135 with 7,200 hours bid to €15,000.
  • 2001 Redrock 18ft Silage/Grain Trailer, bogie trailer bid to €7,400.
  • MF 50H Digger in good condition with a back actor bid to €4,000.
  • Claas Jaguar Self Propelled 300 pickup failed to sell at €3,500.