IT was indeed a wondrous thing to experience gentle, steady rain on Thursday, September 28 in the WA Wheatbelt – unless of course you are standing in it slowly getting wetter and colder.
This was the experience for the large crowd at the GM & DG Freind clearing sale at Dowerin, but as the umbrellas and raincoats appeared, the bidding continued and Landmark auctioneer Michael Altus and the Landmark Livestock & Land, Kellerberin/Cunderdin team never missed a beat.
The proceedings were helped by the vendor’s superb presentation, with geometrically-precise lines of quality items – all lined up and all in tremendous order.
The day’s top price of $76,500 was paid for a JCB 531-70 Telehandler, equipped with pallet forks, hay forks, and bucket – and with only 2200 hours on the clock.
A second JCB, a Fastrac with 9000km travelled and set up to accept booms with a gooseneck hitch, was also sought after, finally selling for $25,000.
The second highest price of $61,000 was paid for a John Deere 9420 4WD tractor with 7923 hours and dual wheels, a second JD, a 4630 with duals and 9300 hours, sold for $4500 and an International 866 tractor on duals made $3500.
The rain falling on the bidders must have been extra encouragement when the grain handling items were offered, with a 25t Grain King Chaser Bin selling for $48,000.
A selection of 45t Brereton field bins were offered, going for $14,000, $10,500 and $10,000, a 13 metre x 25 centimetre (42 foot x 10 inch) Cole hydraulic auger made $7000, while a Walinga Agrivac 6614 PTO grain blower sold for $6000.
Enough Toyota utes were offered to start a small dealership, with 4WD HiLux diesels fetching $6500, $5250, and $4500, a 2WD HiLux diesel sold for $6000 while an unlicensed 1998 4WD LandCruiser ute with Brunswick Diesel engine and lazy axle made $3500.
Two boomsprays were sold with a 36m (120ft) Hydroboom with 7000L tank and gooseneck hitch making $30,000, while a 22m Jen-ell with 2700L tank and gooseneck hitch sold for $2000.
A couple of smaller trucks sold, with a Isuzu 4 x 4 with hiab and 7000L tank making $19,000, while a 2006 Mitsubishi Canter (299,000km) with four doors and seven seats plus 4.1m tray sold for $15,000.
A 10t Marshall Multi spreader sold for $19,500, while some of the quality sundries included a self-contained Ingersoll Rand air compressor on trailer ($6500), Lincoln mobile welder/generator ($900), Suzuki 200DR farm bike ($1500) and eight Universal sheep feeders which sold for prices between $1050 and $1700.
