Auction Market Pulse: How Buyer Attitude Is Reflected In May–June 2025

The heavy-equipment industry always keeps a close eye on auction floors as spring gives way to summer. Major auction houses such as Ritchie Bros. and IronPlanet have provided insightful information about regional demand dynamics, fleet renewal trends, and changing buyer confidence in North American markets during the months of May and early June 2025.

Trends in Prices for Different Equipment Types

The quarterly reports from Ritchie Bros. paint a complex picture of used excavator values. Small wheel excavators for sale are still comparatively hard, but larger machines’ values have loosened and are down slightly from a year ago. This is partly due to a seasonal slowdown in infrastructure expansions and mining as budget cycles come to an end. However, the need from municipal buyers and rental fleets keeps smaller units competitive.

Popular items in May and June, such as mobile generators and electric scissor lifts, are selling well at IronPlanet auctions. Recent late-June listings include 2016 Skyjack units with 500+ hours landing close to US $3,750 and 2018 Genie lifts with 200–300 operating hours fetching opening bids around US $1,200–1,500. The consistent activity in this mid-range niche indicates that commercial buyers who weigh cost and quality are still confident, according to ironplanet.com.

Mexico and Canada: Active Purchasers

With 94% of the equipment remaining in the country, primarily in Alberta, Ritchie Bros.’ May Canadian auction event alone brought in over CA$224 million in gross transaction value. Despite the small number of foreign participants, the global participation rate has stayed consistent, indicating that Canadian fleets are leveraging the strength of their home market rather than looking overseas for deals.

Meanwhile, Mexican buyers have been more active at IronPlanet events held in the United States, particularly in the sub-US $5,000 category, where mini-equipment and utility items are the most reasonably priced. Despite the lack of a spike in volumes, participation has continuously increased, which is indicative of consistent fleet replenishment rather than speculative investment.

Is it a seller’s market or a buyer’s market?

The market appears to be cautiously balanced based on the mixed price movement across categories. 

Since contractors are opting for smaller fleets while they wait for larger projects or new budgets, a softer pricing trend for larger equipment indicates a buyer’s advantage. However, the stable holding of mid-to-mid-sized machine prices points to the resilience of a modest seller.

This balance is also evident in user behavior, which falls somewhere between timed digital auctions and on-site auctions. Instead of seeking out the best deals, buyers and sellers in May and June’s listings value openness, comprehensive equipment documentation, and reliable closing procedures. For instance, supplier pressure to provide assurance regarding asset condition is reflected in the increase in comprehensive IronClad inspection reports.

Prediction: What Will Happen Next?

According to industry analysts, the North American online equipment auction market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of almost 9%, from roughly USD 2.5 billion in 2024 to over USD 5 billion by 2033 (verifiedmarketreports.com). According to this trend, digital auctions are not only popular but are also taking over the used equipment market.

Expect continued strength in the compact and mid-sized machinery categories for the remainder of 2025, especially as rural equipment renewal cycles and federal infrastructure spending pick up steam. Larger machinery might still experience indirect pressure until a significant upswing in construction occurs. Although it will probably be more opportunistic than speculative, cross-border activity from Canada and Mexico will continue to be steady.

In a nutshell, the auction results for May and June point to a cautiously optimistic market. Demand is being driven by secondary and mid-tier buyers while big contractors are hunkering down. Set a fair price and stress the transparency of the inspection if you’re selling. Currently, the sweet spot is mid-range quality picks, so as a buyer, concentrate on these.

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