Where to Buy and Sell Used Dairy Equipment.
The North American dairy industry is HUGE. Canada alone has over 12,000 dairy farms with close to a million dairy cattle. The USA has almost 10 times this amount at approximately 9 million head, and around 50,000 dairy farms.
In an industry this large there are large volumes of equipment being bought and sold every day. Some farms buy new, others opt for often heavily discounted second hand dairy equipment.
If you are shopping for used dairy equipment (or looking to sell some of your own) where do you go?
Here is our list of 5 sites where you can buy or sell your used dairy equipment:
eBay
One of the most recognized classifieds sites in history, eBay has an enormous audience and excellent brand recognition. A great option for sellers to reach a BIG audience fast. Be prepared to pay some hefty commissions however, especially when selling high value items.
PurpleUdder.com
PurpleUdder has a strong focus on two things: making it super easy for those with dairy equipment for sale to list their second hand or specialty equipment and to make it even easier for people shopping for used dairy equipment to quickly find what they are looking for.
It is free to post ads on the site and buyers can contact sellers directly to set up a deal. They do also offer premium listings for those sellers looking for increased exposure and a quicker sale.
PurpleUdder does not have the brand recognition of some of the bigger sites such as eBay or Craigslist, but it does have a very engaged and specific user base that makes for quick and easy sales of pre-owned dairy equipment such as used bulk tanks, antique milking machines, or pasteurizing equipment.
Bid-on-Equipment
Bid-on-Equipment has a large catalog of items for sale. They are somewhat similar to eBay in that users bid on equipment and make offers via their online portal.
Seller details and contact information are not visible to shoppers and users must go through Bid-on-Equipment to make offers. Buyers cannot contact sellers directly. Because Bid-on-Equipment acts as an intermediary, they do charge a commision for selling on their site. Commissions range from 8-10% and there is a 5-step process to follow in order to purchase from the site.
Dairy Train
DairyTrain also offers a brokerage site for selling dairy equipment and a classifieds site where you can post items for $35-$50 per listing. This site has been around for a few years but is somewhat difficult to navigate and charges a significant brokerage fee for sold items.
Dairy Dealer
Somewhat similar to Dairy Train in that they offer a brokerage for used dairy equipment, Dairy Dealer charges a 5% commision on the total sale of items (which can add up significantly when selling high value items such as tractors or land).
Dairy Dealer has solid selection on their site but similar to some of the other brokerage sites it is somewhat “clunky” to navigate and the brokerage process is fairly involved.
In Conclusion
As you can see there are several options when it comes to shopping for or selling used dairy equipment. Have a look at the above sites and let us know which one you prefer!
