Lemken is selling the Dutch factory built for its mechanical-weeding range after demand failed to grow as strongly as the manufacturer expected.
Farmers Weekly reported on 23 September 2026 that Lemken invested €18 million in the Dinteloord site after buying Steketee in 2018. Production and assembly of the weeders are being moved to the company’s headquarters at Alpen in Germany.
This does not mean the product range has been withdrawn. Lemken says the range will continue, and its current website still lists EC-Weeder, IC-Weeder and Thulit models alongside spare and wear parts for hoeing equipment. The factory auction also describes the sale as resulting from a production relocation.
The distinction matters. A change in manufacturing location is not the same as a manufacturer abandoning existing machines. It is, however, a useful reminder that specialist equipment should be judged on more than its field performance on demonstration day.
Whether the proposed purchase is a camera-guided hoe, strip-till drill, telehandler attachment or automated feeder, the support model can affect its value for years. These seven checks help put that risk into the buying decision.
1. Define the job before comparing machines
Write down the result the machine must achieve and the conditions in which it will work.
For a mechanical weeder, that could include crops, row spacing, soil type, stone level, weed pressure, available tractor power, working window and the operator’s experience. Add the annual hectares and the cost of the current method.
A specialist machine can perform brilliantly in the right system and disappoint when bought around a headline feature. Ask the supplier to demonstrate it in conditions close to your own. Record forward speed, work rate, accuracy, fuel use, setup time and the quality of the finished job.
If a demonstration is impossible, speak to existing UK users operating a similar acreage and crop mix. A video from ideal land is not a substitute for evidence relevant to your farm.
2. Identify who supports the machine in Britain
The name on the bonnet or implement may not be the business that answers the phone when it stops.
Confirm in writing:
- The supplying dealer and territory
- Who diagnoses faults and carries out warranty work
- Where field engineers are based
- Normal and seasonal response times
- The escalation route for a difficult technical problem
- What happens if the dealer agreement changes
Ask whether another authorised dealer can support the machine if the original supplier closes, changes franchise or loses staff. For imported specialist equipment, establish whether technical support comes from the UK distributor or the overseas factory.
3. Test the parts promise with real examples
“Parts available” is too vague for a machine used during a narrow weather window.
Choose five or six likely requirements: a wearing part, sensor, bearing, hydraulic component, cable and machine-specific control module. Ask for the part numbers, current prices, stock location and typical lead times.
Separate standard components from proprietary ones. A common bearing may be obtainable locally; a manufacturer-specific camera, loom or circuit board may not be. Ask how long the manufacturer intends to support the current generation and whether parts from a successor are compatible.
Keep the answers with the quotation. They provide a better basis for comparing suppliers than a general assurance that “we can get anything”.
4. Check safety, conformity and instructions
The Health and Safety Executive’s buying guidance says new machinery should be suitable for its intended use, carry the appropriate UKCA or CE marking, have a Declaration of Conformity and include instructions in English. Buyers should also look for obvious defects and consider visibility, guarding, maintenance, blockage clearance, noise and vibration.
For a tractor-mounted or electronically controlled implement, check the complete combination. Consider safe coupling, hydraulic and electrical connections, transport width, lighting, braking where applicable, stored energy and access to adjustments.
Request the operator and workshop manuals before delivery. If the machine relies on a screen or app, confirm that safety information remains accessible when a subscription ends or a replacement terminal is used.
5. Understand software, data and subscriptions
Specialist machinery increasingly depends on cameras, licences, correction signals and cloud services.
Ask which functions work from day one and which require ongoing payments. Record the subscription period, renewal price, connectivity requirements and what stops working if the service is not renewed.
Clarify who owns field maps, images and machine data, where information is stored and whether it can be exported in a usable format. If the machine is sold, determine whether licences transfer to the buyer or must be purchased again.
A machine should not be valued as fully equipped if a crucial feature depends on a non-transferable account or an unpriced future subscription.
6. Calculate downtime and exit value
The purchase price is only one part of the cost. Model the effect of losing the machine during its busiest week.
Include contractor availability, extra passes, crop loss, hired replacement equipment and staff time. Ask whether the dealer offers a loan machine or priority support and whether that promise is written into the service agreement.
Then consider resale. Search current used listings, speak to more than one dealer and ask how specification, width, electronics and brand support influence demand. A highly specialised machine may save labour but have a smaller buyer pool.
Do not assume a production move automatically destroys residual value. The relevant questions are whether the range continues, parts remain available and buyers trust the support network.
7. Complete a documented acceptance check
Do not let delivery day become the first proper inspection.
Before final acceptance, confirm the machine matches the order, manuals and declarations are present, software is activated, guards and markings are complete, and every agreed accessory has arrived. Record serial numbers and photograph the condition.
Run the machine with the intended tractor and terminal. Check transport position, visibility, connections, calibration, emergency stops and safe access. Train each operator and record who completed the handover.
If the machine has a cab-based display, mount it without blocking the windscreen, controls or existing safety information. Farm Packs supplies heavy-duty tractor seat covers, but fit should be checked against the actual cab before use.
Buy the support system, not only the steel
Lemken’s production decision reflects softer demand for a category in which manufacturers had expected faster growth. It does not, on the confirmed information available, amount to withdrawal of the company’s mechanical-weeding range.
For buyers, the practical lesson is broader. Specialist machinery can deliver a real advantage, but only if the job is well defined and the machine remains serviceable through the seasons in which it is needed.
Test the equipment, identify the support chain, price likely parts, understand the software and document the handover. The best purchase is not simply the most impressive machine in the field. It is the one the business can operate, maintain and eventually sell with confidence.
This article provides general information and does not replace manufacturer instructions, competent engineering advice, HSE guidance, legal advice or a farm-specific investment appraisal.
Sources
Farmers Weekly: Mechanical weeder market turns sour for Lemken — 23 September 2026
Lemken: Mechanical weed control range — accessed 24 September 2026
Dome Auctions: Lemken Dinteloord machinery sale following production relocation — auction opened 3 September 2026; accessed 24 September 2026
HSE: Buying new agricultural machinery — accessed 24 September 2026
