Market Trends Report: Used Heavy Machinery and Industrial Vehicles, European Edition Q4 2021

A mobile crane and backhoe loader at the construction site.

In our quarterly Market Trends Report, we provide valuable insights on several used equipment market trends in Europe based on data available through Ritchie Bros., the global leader in heavy machinery and industrial vehicles disposition, and Mascus, the leading European online listing service for used heavy equipment.

With this edition, we take a closer look at the volume of machines for sale and the demand registered in the last quarter of 2021 for articulated dump trucks, backhoe loaders, midi excavators, mobile excavators, crawler tractors and all-terrain cranes.

Stats based on Mascus listings show a clear decrease in equipment stocks in our clients’ yards while the average age of used equipment for sale is rising. The same trend is occurring with auction lots where both the age of the machines and the prices are increasing.

Johan Lustig
Product Manager, Valuation Services

Below is a sample of the market insights that you will find in this report.

All-terrain cranes

The volume of all-terrain cranes for sale in 2021 remained elevated in Q4 2021 vs. the previous year. The demand for these cranes in Europe exceeded Q4 2020 by 32% and 11%, as reflected in direct calls to sellers and email requests, respectively.

Line chart of all-terrain cranes listed for sale on Mascus in Europe by month, 2021 above 2020 all year, peaking near 1,530 in Feb
Number of all-terrain cranes listed for sale on Mascus in Europe

Top 5 most wanted brands & top countries buying all-terrain cranes on Mascus

Liebherr was by far the most demanded brand of all-terrain cranes in the last quarter of 2021 in Europe. This data is based on the number of buying enquiries (emails, phone calls) to sellers. The strongest demand came from the Netherlands and Germany.

Bar charts of all-terrain crane buyer enquiries on Mascus: Liebherr leads brands; Netherlands and Germany top countries
Top demand for all-terrain cranes on Mascus during Q4 2021

Backhoe loaders

Median price of backhoe loaders sold in Ritchie Bros. sales channels across Europe increased by +44%

2021 ended on a high note for backhoe loaders sold through Ritchie Bros. sales channels, with the number of units sold almost doubling in Q4 compared to the previous year.

Bar chart comparing backhoe loaders sold by Ritchie Bros. in Europe by quarter, 2021 vs 2020, with Q4 rising from 30 to 58 units
Backhoe loaders sold by Ritchie Bros. in Europe in Q4 2021

Median pricing of these units registered a massive increase (+44%) in Q4 compared to 2020. JCB remained at the top of the brand list with the highest number of sold units in Q4. The Netherlands, Spain, and Italy were the top three countries buying backhoe loaders.

Table comparing Q4 2020 and Q4 2021 backhoe loader sales: top brands, median price up to 21,105 EUR, age, usage, buyer locations
Number of units sold by Ritchie Bros. in Europe
See also
hot-shot-truck-on-highway-hauling-excavator What is hotshot trucking? Requirements, trucks and costs
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