Best value?

[Beefsmith]

For a 20 year life would it be better buying a brand new trailer at £20,000 from a premium brand or buying a well used one at £10,000.
Assume the same spec but £10,000 ones generally need new tyres which adds £2,000.

New one would be financed. Used one would be bought out of the business account. I’m thinking about looming repairs to the used trailer such as brakes, ram seals, pipe work, tyres and maybe leaky rollover sheet where as the new one would be good for at least 5 years as it’s for grain use only.

£20,000 over 3 years is £600/month so £21,600 in total, where as £10,000 out the current account is basically £10,000 as we aren’t earning any interest.

In 20 years time where will residual values be? I’m guessing the new trailer will be worth £10,000 ?? And the used trailer £5,000 ?? So new trailer looses £11,600 but probably have very few repairs where as the used trailer looses £5,000 but will have numerous repairs. Now for example it needs £2,000 on tyres.

Thoughts please.

 

[40 series]

Surely the used trailer tyres replace the breaks wheel bearings there shouldn't be much more to give bother altogether. But like anything you buy with your eyes.

 

[john432]

Buy another used trailer , and keep fixing as required, can never have too many trailers .

 

[Mur Huwcun]

The benefit of the new one will be new brakes, air brakes, load sensing, setup for ABS, LED lights etc etc which you will struggle to find all of them on a good not abused second hand trailer for a reasonable price. As you say tyres can be £2k, couple of air valves and couplings, a few hoses etc and it soon adds up. You may not need air and ABS and load sensing now but you will in 5 yrs and definitely in 20!!!

 

[Sharpy]

Depends what its been doing and what you will be doing with it. A 10 year old trailer from round here thats been shifting dung all winter for ten years is pretty shot, a grain only trailer kept inside should be like new after 10 harvests.

 

[Chuckie]

I bought a 5 year old trailer that would have been £20k new for under £10k last year. Good tyres on it as well... they are out there if you bide your time

 

[warksfarmer]

The million dollar question. Just going through this now and I’d prefer to buy two used instead of one new, but they are getting harder to find. Looking around it seems nearly new up to say 5 years old you might as well buy new as I’ve been and looked at 5 year old baileys for example that are priced at £14-£15k. New versions are under £20k so buy new.

Where as the 10 year old ones are anything from £7k - £12k depending on brand. This is where the Irish ones sit mostly and the basic U.K. brands. Older ones tend not to have commercial axles and brakes either so not sure how this fits with TILLY pass and future insurance at higher speeds.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

The million dollar question. Just going through this now and I’d prefer to buy two used instead of one new, but they are getting harder to find. Looking around it seems nearly new up to say 5 years old you might as well buy new as I’ve been and looked at 5 year old baileys for example that are priced at £14-£15k. New versions are under £20k so buy new.

Where as the 10 year old ones are anything from £7k - £12k depending on brand. This is where the Irish ones sit mostly and the basic U.K. brands. Older ones tend not to have commercial axles and brakes either so not sure how this fits with TILLY pass and future insurance at higher speeds.

Leave them where they are unless they have S cam brakes, slack adjusters and roughly 225mm wide brake shoes and drums. Just aint worth the hassle and bother of constantly adjusting, setting up and replacing brake shoes and still not stopping how you would like them to!! A lot will of change in the next 5 to 10 years!!!

 

[marco]

If 10k for a secondhand one is coming out of the account then surely you will only be financing the 10k difference on the new one? 166 a month over 5 years plus interest. At that rate I'd buy new.

 

[Tim G]

Just thinking how the hell have grain trailers got to £20k?

 

[Green oak]

Wait until the does show online auction. Hosted but cheffins. plenty of ex hire r western trailers on site.

 

[Still Farming]

Depends what your going to do with it and its earning potential possibly?

 

[Salopian_Will]

Trailers are one of the few things that I would always buy new. They hold their money well making second hand ones dear but allows relatively low cost to change when the time comes.

Also generally they have not seen the massive price increases of other machinery. New 12t RW in 1994 was 12k with hydraulic tail gate. 14t RWs in the 000s about 14k each. Now on 18tonne RWs with floatation tyres, commercial spec axles, mudguards, air brakes etc a little over £20k so not much more than £1000/t than as per 25 years ago but with much better spec.

 

[Salopian_Will]

Wait until the does show online auction. Hosted but cheffins. plenty of ex hire r western trailers on site.

See the wreckers thread for RW trailers on silage gangs...

 

[essexpete]

See the wreckers thread for RW trailers on silage gangs...

Yes but most of the Doe ex hire is like nearly new.