Lack of quality combines

17 November 2000

Lack of quality combines

FALLING sales of new combines will mean smaller acreage growers will struggle to find quality second-hand combines, says Claas UK.

The firms Merv George says that until recently there has been a stock of good two to three-year-old machines available which have been bought by smaller scale growers who cannot justify buying new.

"Over the past two decades the new combine market has dropped from about 22,000 units sold annually in the 1980s to 11,000 units in the 1990s," says Mr George.

"With annual sales having dropped to just 600 units two years ago – and the market now majoring on larger machines being sold – there is now a shortage of second-hand combines." &#42