The top equipment models expected to hold their original value over five years have been announced for the seventh-annual EquipmentWatch Highest Retained Value Awards.

This year, 21 unique manufacturers claimed the top spots across the 30 award categories in construction, lift and access, and agriculture equipment. 

The winners include Case, Kubota, Komatsu, John Deere, Gehl and others. Several winners, such as Komatsu, Deere and Gehl, have secured previous HRVA victories, but some, such as Wacker Neuson and ASV, were new to the awards.

Analysts reviewed and ranked more than 27,000 models through the categories. The categories capture the most popular types of equipment based on annually observed market activity. 

According to EquipmentWatch, owned by Randall Reilly, the parent company of Equipment World, within each award category, the analysis focused on the most popular brands, again based on observed market activity. Analysts limited any model-level review to models still being produced in 2022 to ensure these results can be applied to buying decisions now and throughout the year.

After filtering the data, the EquipmentWatch analysts chose three of the top models as finalists. The finalists represent the model series in each category projected to retain the highest percentage of original value during the next 5 years. 

Here is a breakdown of the winning manufacturers in the three primary categories. Look for more information on each of the construction equipment model in the coming weeks.

Construction

Komatsu had machines in finalist positions in several categories. The company’s large D85EX-18 dozer was first with a 72.71% 5-year residual value. The PC78US-10 small crawler excavator also took the top spot in its category with a 75.90% 5-year residual value.

Other multiple winning manufacturers include Case Construction Equipment, ASV, Volvo and Wacker Neuson.

Case’s small 1150M dozer had a 72.84% 5-year residual value. In addition, the CX250D medium crawler excavator was shown to carry a 72.74% 5-year residual value. Lastly, the company earned an award for the 821G medium wheel loader with an 80.36% 5-year residual value to overcome another Case model and a Liebherr medium wheel loader.

Volvo took the top ranking with its L250H in the large wheel loader category with a 71.13% 5-year-residual. The company’s larger crawler excavators, specifically the EC380E, earned a top spot as well, with a 66.31% 5-year residual value. 

New to the recognition, Wacker Neuson was honored in the compact excavator and tandem-drum compactor categories. The EZ17 compact excavator showed a 79.12% 5-year residual value, and the RD28-120 tandem drum compactor came in with a 73.49% 5-year residual value.

Combined, ASV and Yanmar were named winners in three separate categories. The ASV VT-70 compact track loader nets 77.69% 5-year residual value, and similarly, the ASV VS-60 large skid steer loader showed a 75.98% 5-year residual value. Meanwhile, Yanmar’s V10 compact wheel loader took the top spot with a 77.88% 5-year residual value.

Gehl led the way in small skid steer loaders against itself and Takeuchi, with its R150. It came in with an 81.22% 5-year residual value.

In the backhoe category, contenders included the winning Kubota L47 along with two Deere models. The L47 was identified with a 79.25% 5-year residual value. 

For drum compactors, the challenge was between a BOMAG model and two Hamm machines. The BOMAG BW124DH-5 was identified with the highest retained value with a 78.93% 5-year residual value.

When it comes to articulated dump trucks, the Doosan DA30-5 showed a 66.47% 5-year residual value to stave off the competition.

The winner in the motor grader category was the LeeBoy 685C with a 73.59% 5-year residual value.

Lift and Access

In the articulating boom lift category, the winner was the JLG H340AJ Hybrid with a 74.69% 5-year residual value. Also, the company’s FT70 took the top spot for telescopic boom lifts with a 78% 5-year residual value.

When it comes to electric scissor lifts, Snorkel took the prize with its S3219E, which nets a 74.41% 5-year residual value.

For the internal-combustion engine scissor lift category, the MEC 3084RT showed an 83.17% 5-year residual value for the victory.

JCB’s TM220 took the telehandler category with a 71.22% 5-year residual value. 

As for warehouse narrow-aisle fork lifts, the Hyundai 25D-9 reigns supreme with a 76.94% 5-year residual value.

Agricultural

For balers, there was never doubt that Kubota was the winner, but which model? It was the BV4180 that nets a 75.77% 5-year residual value. In addition, the company scored one final win with the M6-131 small wheel tractor, which nets a 76.62% 5-year residual value.

With two spots in the combine category, New Holland’s CR9.90 was victorious with a 72% 5-year residual value.

The Geringhoff RD 1200 B was the top-valued corn header with a 66.79% 5-year residual value.

Hagie STS 12 earned the top spot in self-propelled sprayers with a 69.49% 5-year residual value.

John Deere makes its appearance on the list with its 9570RT track tractor showing a 67.32% 5-year residual value.

The top large, wheeled tractor was the New Holland T9.645 with a 76.78% 5-year residual value.

Retained value

Below is a primer on what these retained values mean and how to incorporate them in to equipment buying decisions.

Retained values are what you can anticipate a piece of equipment to be worth after a given period. For EquipmentWatch’s HRVA awards, the timeframe chosen was five years, so the retained values shown here are the anticipated values for a piece of equipment five years from now.

Retained values are often related to the concept of depreciation, which is a measure of how far a piece of equipment’s value decreases over time. Retained values are an integral part of equipment purchase and maintenance decisions. 

“At every step, from the rent/buy decisions to leasing operations and fleet management, knowing and understanding retained values can provide powerful insights into the optimal choice,” says Jessica Carr, EquipmentWatch director of data and analytics.

At EquipmentWatch, the retained values are calculated using market data, depreciation standards and a proprietary algorithm. For more information on the methodology, click here.

Percentage vs. dollar value

Depreciation and retained values are inherently reliant upon purchase price. 

“With so many ways to adjust the value of a piece of equipment, which varies based on utilization, region, condition, components and more, it would be difficult to estimate exact dollar values in this analysis to cover every possible variation,” Carr said. “Instead, we measure retained values as the average percentage of initial value retained after five years for equipment purchased new or on the used market.”

Specifically for the Highest Retained Value Awards, the analysis is based on newly purchased, current model-year equipment.

Carr said the analysis provides an apples-to-apples way to compare equipment brands and provides EquipmentWatch with a clear and unbiased way to choose winners. She adds that using percentages eliminates confusion when comparing brands that may have materially different purchase prices and an asset with a higher dollar value at the end of the 5-year-period may have simply started with a higher original cost.