Waltons Geraldton, WA, branch manager Terry Macanas says many of the traded units are low-to-medium-hour, huge capacity, John Deere STS harvesters of the 50 and 60 series, some just two seasons old with platforms that vary in size from 9.1-metre 'tin fronts' to similar size machines having 10.9m JD draper fronts. Honey Bee and MacDon fronts are also available.

"All the combines have come from solid John Deere customers and all have been regularly maintained by our fully-trained service technicians," Mr Macanas said.

"On top of this, all the machines have been thoroughly checked, cleaned and adjusted in our workshops ready for delivery anywhere in Australia".

Mr Macanas says Waltons has built a reputation for supplying good-quality secondhand machines, particularly combine harvesters, to customers in SA and the eastern states.

"It is an important part of our business and we specialise in the cleaning of machines to quarantine standards" he said.

"We have combines that are virtually in new condition and just run-in with less than 700 separation hours on the clock.

"We have combines priced at $372,000 which represent a saving of around $200,000 on the cost of a new machine today, down to about $30,000 for some older machines.

"Many of the newer machines are equipped with straw choppers and spreaders, some with dual-drive wheels and many with the latest electronic devices for yield monitoring and guidance."

* Extract from a full Machine of the Week report in Stock Journal, July 16 issue.