DESPITE the relatively small size of last Friday's Primaries of WA-hosted clearing sale offering at Tambellup, about 177 punters registered to get in on the action.
With a limited machinery line-up presented on the day, most of the potential buyers were there to peruse the extensive sundry offering put up for sale by Brian Taylor and family, BG & BM Taylor & Co, who were keen to downsize their holdings in the lead up to a permanent move to Torbay on the South Coast.
But there was one piece of machinery that did have the crowd talking, with early whispers suggesting there'd be plenty of competition - the 142kW (190hp) Case 8920 front wheel-assist tractor (3666 hours), which was the second last lot of the main sale.
In the end it came down to two serious contenders who fought tooth and nail to secure the lot - forcing auctioneer Terry Zambonetti to continue his calls in $500 increments.
But it was Tambellup local Ken Schlueter, flanked by his wife Beth and daughter Amy, HG Schlueter & Co, whose final offer of $36,500 prompted the fall of the hammer and plenty of well wishes from the crowd.
Mr Schlueter and his family visited the Taylors the previous week to view and test drive the tractor.
Following the fall of the hammer Mr Schlueter said he and his family were keen to get their hands on the machine to tow their boomsprayer.
"It has a few more horsepower and will save our front-end loader which we currently use for spraying," he said.
"This way we can load fertiliser or feed cows and keep the boomsprayer on the move.
"We'll get going on our first knockdowns almost as soon as we get the tractor home."
Fair prices were also received for a handful of other pieces of machinery including a 88kW (118hp) Ford 8210 front wheel-assist tractor (4141hrs) with forks, bucket and three point linkage.
It sold to HJ Trevenen, Darlington, for $31,000.
The crowd was also impressed by the $18,000 paid by Winton Park Grazing Company, Tambellup, for a Forward Engineering 853 28-run combine with Harrington points and press wheels.
Lesser values were achieved for the rest of the machinery on offer, including $5900 paid by Dilkes Farm, Cattorick, for a Massey 178 tractor (5300hrs) and $3500 paid by Granor Farm Trust, Broomehill, for a John Deere 7720 header (4168hrs) with 9.1m (30ft) bat reel front and comb trailer.
PG Screaigh & Co, Lancelin, forked out $2600 for a Fiat 880 tractor (7922hrs) with forks and bucket, while Rustic Acres, Tenterden, bought a farm-licensed, petrol, four-wheel-drive 1984 Hilux ute for $800.
An unlicensed (not running) 2004 petrol two-wheel-drive Hilux ute sold for $750 alongside a 1964 International AA150 tray top truck for $500.
A number of plant items also sold to an expected price including a tow-behind sheep feeder to TM Sampson, Kendenup, for $1300, a 8.1m (27ft) auger with Honda motor to NH Winspear & Co, Broomehill, for $1300 and two Harris Engineering 28t field bins to P & W Bradshaw, Tambellup, for $2500 and TM Sampson, for $3800, respectively.
A Famson 10.6m (35ft) auger with Honda GX630 electric start motor and hydraulic lift and drive also sold to PJ & TJ Hams, Tambellup for $5600 alongside a 14t Jetstream field bin with auger for $800.
HJ Trevenen, Darlington, picked up the advertised Subaru Brumby ute for $2000.
The produce offering also sold well including 50 bales of oaten hay for $52 apiece.
Gary Cowcher, GB & AT Cowcher, Williams, took out the top price honours in the sheep section of the sale by purchasing 358 rising three-year-old Yallum Valley-blood Merino ewes for $100 a head.
Cluett & Sons, Mt Barker, paid $96 a head for 251 rising four and five-year-old Merino ewes while Naballing Estate, Woodanilling, paid $67 for 244 rising six and seven-year-old Merino ewes.
The ewe offering was December-shorn and had been running with Poll Dorset rams from January 14 for six weeks.
A total of 156 Merino ewe lambs sold for $52 a head while 155 Merino wether lambs were picked up for $51.
Eight mixed-age Poll Dorset rams were also offloaded for between $165 and $230 each.
Following the sale conducting agent Peter Sheridan said everything sold to expectation and the sale was very successful.
"A fair price was paid for the top price tractor and overall the vendors were very happy with the returns," he said.
