Shelling out for spare parts is always a bit of a wrench but it can be an easier pill to swallow if you know you’re paying the same as customers in other countries.

Farmers Weekly took part in a Europe-wide survey of what farmers pay for replacement parts at the dealership. Magazines across the Continent were invited to take part and most of the major players were there, although you’ll note a couple of glaring absentees.

Certain machines just weren’t available in some countries so there are some prices missing. Standard specification varies between nations and you’ll see there are some notable variations in the cost of certain spares because of this. The parts chosen are a random selection – very random in some cases. They were selected by a colleague in Sweden where farmers obviously have different problems to those experienced here in the UK.

However abstract, they should prove a good indicator of how we measure up against our European counterparts.

HOW DO WE FARE?

On the whole the UK doesn’t get too bad a deal. Parts prices are by no means the cheapest here but the cost of spares is lower across the board than the European average.

The greatest anomaly lies with lifting shares for Holmer’s Terra Dos beet harvester. The shares used in the UK are different to those fitted on the continent so cannot be used as a direct comparison.

So who are the overall winners and losers? In general Italian farmers get the best deal and our friends in Scandinanvia pay the heftiest bills. Manufacturers argue that this is down to the cost of logistics and the effect of fluctuating exchange rates.

Case New Holland’s prices are the most stable. The trans-global mega-corporation pretty much standardises parts costs across Europe, with the exception of Norway and Finland.

See the European spare parts survey in full