Farm and ag equipment donations
Donate farm equipment and let good iron work for someone again
Land changes hands and the machinery stays behind. A tractor that came with the place, a combine parked at the end of a season that never came again, a barn full of implements nobody in the family will use. Ag equipment holds value for decades and sells to people who will run it for decades more.
- Pickup from a field, a barn or a farmstead, trailer and driver provided.
- Estate and retirement clearances handled as one coordinated pickup.
- No title needed. A bill of sale, dealer paperwork or estate documents are enough.
Have the make, model and hours handy and call (888) 228-7320.
Start with the machine you have
A row-crop tractor, a combine and a round baler each have their own buyers, transport and value drivers. More machine pages are added every week.
Whole-farm dispersals are what we do best. If you are clearing a place rather than moving one machine, list everything on one form: tractors, harvest equipment, tillage, the hay outfit, grain handling, the shed row of three-point implements, the UTV. One assessment and one mobilization across a whole dispersal returns dramatically more to the cause than separate pickups, and it is less work for you. We also accept rock pickers, stone rakes, silage wagons, gravity boxes, bale wrappers, feed carts, livestock handling equipment and shop tools. If the land itself is going too, our sister organization accepts farmland: donating farmland through Real Estate with Causes. Related: construction equipment, trailer donations, grain trailers.
Where donated farm equipment comes from
Estates and retirements account for most of it. A parent's farm or acreage sells and the equipment does not go with the house. A farmer retires, rents the ground out and has no use for a line of machinery. A family that inherited land three states away has a machine shed they have never seen the inside of. Operators upgrade and the older tractor is worth more to a small farm than it is to them as a trade-in.
Selling machinery privately from a rural property means strangers coming to look at it over the course of weeks, while an estate stays open and the equipment keeps sitting outside. A consignment auction takes transport and commission off the top and you wait for a sale date. A donation clears the property on a scheduled day, with Giving Center handling transport and sale and Form 1098-C following after.
Picked up from wherever it sits, including the back forty
Compact and utility tractors up to about 60 horsepower move on a gooseneck or heavy equipment trailer. Larger row-crop and four-wheel-drive tractors need a step-deck or lowboy, and duals or wide floaters sometimes call for permits. Combines are hauled with the head removed and often need oversize permits. Giving Center books the right trailer and covers the cost.
We ask about access before scheduling: lane width, low branches and wires, gate openings, and whether the ground will hold a loaded trailer after rain. Machines that start and move are driven on; those that do not are winched. Implements ride along when there is room, or on a second trip when a whole shed is being cleared.
Tractor and implement makers, both by name
Ag equipment is bought on make, model and hours, and implements are bought on make and working width. Both belong on the form, along with the serial plate.
- Tractors: John Deere, Case IH, Farmall and International Harvester, New Holland, Kubota, Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Claas, Challenger, AGCO, Allis-Chalmers, Oliver, Minneapolis-Moline, Ford, Deutz-Fahr, Zetor, Mahindra, LS, Branson, TYM, Yanmar, Landini, McCormick, Steiger, Versatile, White.
- Harvest: John Deere S and X series combines, Case IH Axial-Flow, New Holland CR and TR, Claas Lexion and Jaguar, Gleaner, Massey Ferguson, Drago, Geringhoff and Shelbourne heads.
- Hay and forage: Vermeer, Krone, Kuhn, New Holland, John Deere, Case IH, Hesston, Massey Ferguson, Claas, Sitrex, H&S, Miller Pro.
- Tillage, planting and spraying: Great Plains, Sunflower, Landoll, Brillion, Kinze, White Planters, Monosem, Salford, Wil-Rich, Hardi, Apache, Miller, Ag Leader.
- Handling, barn and other: Unverferth, J&M, Brent, Brandt, Westfield, Sukup, GSI, Behlen, Patz, Knight, NDE, Jaylor, Kuhn Knight, Nuhn, Valley, Zimmatic, Reinke, Lindsay, Art's Way, New Idea, Bush Hog, Woods, Land Pride, Rhino.
Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own vehicle. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.
What you can deduct for donated farm equipment
Working ag machinery frequently clears $5,000, so the appraisal question comes up more often here than with cars.
| Your situation | What you deduct | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|
| Giving Center sells the machine, as is typical | The gross sale proceeds | Form 1098-C from Giving Center |
| Proceeds exceed $5,000, common for tractors with loaders, combines and newer implements | Gross proceeds, and the IRS requires a qualified appraisal you obtain | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section B, signed by your appraiser and by Giving Center |
| Proceeds are $500 to $5,000, common for older utility tractors and implements | Gross proceeds | Form 1098-C plus Form 8283 Section A |
| The machine sells for under $500 | The lesser of fair market value or $500 | Written acknowledgment from Giving Center |
| The donation is made from an estate | The estate claims it, subject to its own return | Form 1098-C issued to the estate; executor documents required |
Giving Center does not provide tax, legal or financial advice. Donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and Publication 4303, and consult a tax professional.
Ag equipment is not titled, so this is the paperwork that matters
No state titles a tractor or a combine. Ownership is shown by a bill of sale, a manufacturer's statement of origin for a newer machine, dealer purchase paperwork, or a farm asset and depreciation schedule. For an estate, letters testamentary or a small-estate affidavit naming the executor is what authorizes the donation, and the receipt is issued to the estate.
If nothing survives, which is common for a machine that has been on the same ground for thirty years, a notarized affidavit of ownership with the serial number is accepted by most buyers and auction houses. Equipment financed through a dealer or the Farm Credit system needs a lien release, and we will help you request it.
What decides what your machinery brings
- Brand and model. Well-known green, red, blue and orange machines sell reliably; some older models are sought by collectors and small farms alike.
- Hours and function. Whether it starts, the hydraulics lift, the PTO engages and the transmission shifts matters more than the hour meter.
- Loader or head. A front-end loader on a tractor, or the right head with a combine, can change the number substantially.
- Tires and tracks. Ag tires are expensive and tread depth is checked first.
- Storage. A machine kept in a shed brings noticeably more than one left in a fence row.
- Implements included. Mowers, blades, tillers, plows and discs all add to the sale.
Farm equipment donation questions
Construction machines are on construction equipment donations. More in the full FAQ.
Do you take antique and vintage tractors?
Yes. Well-known older models have an active collector market and sometimes bring more than a newer utility tractor. Original condition, matching numbers and rare options matter; tell us what you know of its history.
Can you clear a whole machine shed at once?
Yes, and it is the most efficient way to do it. Send a list or a few photos of what is there and we will plan the trailers and the number of trips, then coordinate one date with you or the executor.
It has not started in years. Still worth donating?
Often. A tractor stored inside frequently needs only fuel, a battery and fresh fluids. One left outdoors with a seized engine is harder to place. Describe how it was stored and we will give you a straight answer.
Can I donate implements without the tractor?
Yes. Loaders, backhoes, mowers, plows, discs, planters and grain equipment are accepted on their own and sell readily to nearby farms.
I am the executor of an estate. Whose name goes on the receipt?
The estate's. We need a copy of the letters testamentary or the equivalent document naming you, and the 1098-C is issued to the estate for its return.
How far will you travel?
Nationwide, though distance affects the outcome. Every transport cost falls on Giving Center once the machine is turned over, so for a small implement a long way from a buyer we will tell you honestly whether a local sale would do more good.
Tell us what is in the shed
Make, model, hours and where it sits. That is enough for a transport plan and an honest read on value.
Part of vehicle donations. Related: construction equipment · trailers · trucks