IT IS rare that three farm businesses in the same region choose to retire at the same time but even rarer that they should have such a wide variety of excellent machinery to offer for sale on one day.

This was the case on September 21 in Chirk, near Wrexham, where R H Manford & Sons, Paul Eccleston and John Gregory instructed auctioneers Halls to sell more than 500 lots of tools, livestock equipment, farm machinery, tractors, trailers, a combine and a forage harvester.

The sale was extremely well attended which was of no surprise considering the extensive lot list and national marketing that had taken place.

Bidders flocked to a field just outside the town of Chirk in their hundreds. There was plenty of competition on the phones and via I-Bidder online. Interest came from as far as Aberdeen in the north to Cornwall in the south.

Following an efficient and quick registration the auctioneers set to the task of auctioning the 501 lots of the sale.

High prices were realised for most lots with particular interest in top quality Kuhn equipment ranging from a six-furrow reversible plough (at £10,800) to a 5m folding power harrow, maxi pack roller (at £10,000).

Competition for lots increased as the sale progressed to the bigger ticket items. Two Richard Western silage trailers sold for £10,600 and £13,700 respectively and two Claas Quadrant 2100 balers sold for £14,500 and £23,000.

Tractors saw high prices achieved with a Massey Ferguson 6614 selling for £45,000 and a New Holland T7 270 with auto command selling for £47,500. However, excitement peaked when £50,000 was realised for a New Holland CX840 SL Sieves Combine and £140,000 was bid for the last lot of the day, a Claas Jaguar 970 self-propelled forage harvester.

David Giles, Halls managing director, was in charge on the day and sold the larger lots, he commented: "It is rare that sales of this kind come about. For two local farmers and a farm contractor to work together in this way with Halls has created a record sale with excellent prices throughout. We are grateful for the instruction and for so many local and national bidders attending, this really has been a superb day."

Sale prices on the day included:

2015 Kverneland Accord Optima Vedrive 2 6 row maize drill £19,200

2012 McHale 998 square bale wrapper £17,400

2012 McConnel Discaerator £10,000

2010 Pichon 8109 Ltr. Vacuum tanker £10,000

1997 Matbro TR200 pivotsteer loader £11,000

456 Gutler Simplex front press £4,000

437 Spearhead Excel 565 hedge cutter £6,000

Tractors included:

2004 New Holland T01254 £19,700

Massey Ferguson 6445 c/w MF 946 loader £30,000

Massey Ferguson 6614 £45,000

Massey Ferguson 5610 tractor £30,500