Case Steiger sells for $414,000 at Kulja clearing sale

All of vendor Bresland Farming's big equipment offered for sale was washed, polished and the presentation was a credit to the Lang family and their workers, noted sale organiser Jeff Brennan, Elders Wongan Hills, but the 441 kiloWatt four-wheel-drive tractor's appearance really did bely its age and 5424 hours showing.

If anyone had any questions about the tractor or its performance, its operator for the past seven years, farm worker Josh Smith, was on hand to answer them and Tim Boekeman from Boekeman Machinery, which had originally supplied both the tractor and sprayer, was in the crowd.

Elders auctioneer Steele Hathway accepted an opening bid of $350,000 on the tractor and subsequent bids in $5000 increments until $400,000, before relenting and accepting smaller increases.

A final bid of $414,000 claimed the big Steiger, on duals with near-new tyres all round and ready for seeding work, for GM & TL McLennon, Borden, one of a number of distant buyers who travelled far to attend or engaged the services of Elders staff to bid on their behalf.

Several people at the sale noted the price paid was very likely more than the tractor had cost new in 2013, but the buyer could take it home at the end of the sale and put it straight to work, particularly knowing, as local farmers pointed out, vendor Brett Lang was meticulous in looking after his equipment.

Besides, ordering an equivalent new big horsepower tractor could involve a wait of up to 18 months for delivery and a considerably higher price tag.

Next lot up for auction was the Patriot sprayer with 2902 hours, 36.5 metre boom, 6300 litre tank and Case's AIM Command FLEX advanced spray technology.

Again, an opening bid of $350,000 was accepted and the price moved quickly to $400,000, but a bidding contest continued until GM & EU Mudie, Ravensthorpe, claimed the sprayer with a winning bid of $442,000.

A 2017 Case IH Axial Flow 9240 combine harvester in seemingly as-new condition with 13.7m MacDon front on a trailer was next item up, but was passed in when bidding stalled at $350,000.

However, a 12.5 metre Case IH Varicut tin front to suit the header sold to P & WM Kelly, Wongan Hills, for $132,000.

Earlier, a complete Seed Hawk seeding outfit with 21.9m bar, 600 bin and electronics hooked up, was passed in at $200,000.

There was strong interest in tillage equipment irrespective of age.

A Grizzly 136 plate heavy west coast offset disc plough eventually sold for $165,000 after an opening bid of just $60,000.

It was bought by P & WM Kelly who beat two phone bidders and also bought the header front.

There was another bidding contest for a 2012 18.2m wide Kelly diamond harrows with the green paint barely chipped.

It eventually went to phone bidder V & G Carbone, Salmon Gums, for $135,000.

A Burando Hill A300 offset disc plough in as-new condition sold for $20,000 and Dave Ure, Goodlands, made sure he secured an older 10.9m Argroplow deep ripper that several bidders were chasing, by upping the ante from $10,500 to $20,000 with one bid.

He also bought a bare Agroplow frame for $10,000.

An old 10.9m Horwood Bagshaw chisel plough with rolling chain sold for $700 and 12.1m Gro Mor prickle harrows sold for $2700 to S & A Fordham, Hill River, who also paid $6000 for a Chamberlain C6100 tractor.

A later Chamberlain 4480B sold for $9500 to PD & SH Bryant, Bassendene, and a similar vintage Case 2290 tractor sold for $12,800 to RN & JG Stewart, Miling.

Two Massey Ferguson 1155 tractors sold to different buyers for $6500 and $5000, a six-wheel farm trailer sold for $10,000, 45 tonne field bins sold for between $5000 and $10,000, and a 32t field bin sold for $3000.

A 25t Wongan Steel chaser bin in excellent condition sold for $64,000 and a Rite Way 900ST rock picker eventually went for $52,000 after two competing bids of $10,000 each pushed the price up from $30,000.

Gen Y Grazing, Northam, tossed a late bid of $106,000 in and drove home in a tandem-drive ACCO 2250 diesel tray truck with an unmarked Conquest Smart Bin mounted on the tray, while tri-axle tipping grain trailers went to different buyers for $76,000 and $73,000 and an older 2004 five-axle Howard Porter dog trailer stayed local for $50,000.

Hyde Park Farms, Dalwallinu, bought a 22,000 litre tri-axle fuel tanker trailer for $32,000, while KR & SL Mutton, Wyalkatchem, bought a 2005 Mack prime mover rated at 90t and with 835,646 kilometres on the clock and a broken windscreen for $38,000.

A 1995 Isuzu 4x4 fire truck sold to a phone bidder for $78,000, a tandem-axle Fuso 15,000lt fuel tanker sold for $53,000, a 1994 4x4 Hino Osprey truck fitted out as a liquid fertiliser carrier sold for $28,000 and a short wheelbase Ford 8000 Louiseville with 8t Marshall Multispread on the back and a 1988 Leyland fuel truck both sold for $3000 each to different buyers.

Colanmerv Pty Ltd, Wubin, successfully bid $40,000 for a 2018 4x4 Ford Ranger ute and Stanley Ag, Kalannie, paid $29,000 for a manual 4x4 2014 Nissan Navara ute.

READ MORE:

A Holden Barina sedan sold for $1400.

Despite some interest, a Hitachi Zaxis 330 excavator was passed in close to its reserve price at $44,000, but lot 122, the last lot of the day, a late 1940s, early 1950s vintage Caterpillar D68U bulldozer with winch and cable-raised bull rake and blade, failed to attract a bid from the nearly 200 bidders who had registered for the sale.

"We're very pleased with the way the sale went," Mr Lang said afterwards.

"Some of the items sold very well and I'm sure the equipment that didn't sell today will be sold in coming weeks," Mr Lang said.

His wife Jane said the family will continue living on the property but the paddocks had been leased out.

"Brett has some things he wants to do, I'm working at the Kalannie school, our son is at boarding school in Perth and we love living here, so now we can enjoy doing that without having to worry about sowing and looking after a crop," Ms Lang said.