Records were broken at a recent dispersal sale of an agricultural contractor's collection of machinery.

A Claas Xerion 5000 slurry tanker was sold for £525,000 - it's the highest amount ever paid for any secondhand piece of farm machinery at auction.

The RC Baker collection made more than £3million in the auction that took place on December 16 - the highest ever grossing on-site sale that Cheffins has ever held.

Hosted at the R C Baker Ltd premises in Banbury, Oxfordshire and also streamed live online, the auction included more than 150 lots, including a fleet of John Deere tractors and various other machinery items and implements.

Highlights from the sale include £425,000 for a 2017 Vredo 7028/3 self-propelled spreader, £183,000 for a 2020 John Deere 7R330, £126,000 for a 2013 Claas combine, £117,500 for a 2020 John Deere 6215R and £117,500 for a 2020 John Deere 6250R.

These were offered alongside a collection of implements, with a range of drills, cultivators, trailers, trailed tanks and muck spreaders as well as various slurry equipment.

Managing director of RC Baker, Charles Baker said: “We couldn’t be happier with the result of the sale. It all came together so well and the team at Cheffins were hugely efficient and professional from start to finish.

"I have taken the decision to retire and spend some more time with the family, so this was a fantastic way to finish off what has been an amazing journey, growing and developing the business for nearly half a century.”

Commenting on the record-breaking sale, Oliver Godfrey, director at Cheffins, said: “This was a standout sale and was supported worldwide, with bidders from all four corners of the UK and also from overseas joining us both online and in person.

"This was well-maintained equipment, and the Baker team have a fantastic reputation in the market, which directly translated into some very strong bidding across the board.

"This was the first time that many of these machines had been offered to the open market, and this helped to generate some real momentum in the lead up to the sale, which saw over 70,000 views online.”

Charles Baker, who started contracting in 1974, has an inspiring track record in the industry.

Starting out with his Ford 4000 he grew the business significantly over the years to having an extensive fleet of modern machines.

Mr Baker is a well-known figure in the farming world, having built up a strong and well-respected business.