Tractor & combine harvester

Tractor & combine harvester hire: what it costs in Australia

Updated 31 October 2026

Hiring a tractor or combine harvester in Australia is quoted per engine hour for tractors and per tonne for harvesting, both excluding GST. Suggested rates found online are about A$300 per engine hour for a tractor of at least 250 hp, and A$33 per tonne for harvesting. For a quote for your own job, describe it on BlaBlaPrice.

Do not read machine prices as hire rates. Combine harvesters listed for sale in Australia run from about A$27,000 to A$450,000, and new machines typically cost A$300,000 to A$800,000 or more, approximately, according to sellers' websites, October 2026. Those are purchase prices.

The hire price depends on:

• the size of the machine, for example 250 hp and above for a tractor
• whether an operator comes with it, or the machine is hired alone
• hours or hectares for the job, and tonnes for harvesting
• attachments such as headers, and transport to your property

Licences and road rules that change by state

Who may drive depends on the state and on the road. In Victoria, no car licence is needed to run a tractor on private property closed to the public, and the same applies in Western Australia. On public roads, a tractor of 4,500 kg or less can be driven on a Class C licence, and heavier ones need an application. In Tasmania, a person aged 16 or over with a current car learner licence can drive a farm tractor of up to 15 tonnes on the roads.

Large harvesters can also face access rules. Transport for New South Wales says harvesters, tractors, augers and conveyors may need access arrangements or permits, and a national notice exempts only eligible agricultural vehicles from some mass and size standards. Ask the seller which rules apply to the machine and your route.

Season: spring now, summer harvest ahead

The climate here has summer from December to February and winter from June to August, so late October falls in the spring lead-up to harvest. A transport notice says harvest season is approaching, and machines on the road must follow permit and speed rules. Give a firm deadline in the request, because sellers plan their machines around it.

How hire is quoted and delivered

Tell the seller both the hours and the area or tonnage you expect, so the total can be worked out. Work areas are measured in hectares. Some dealers offer transport across Australia, so ask whether trucking to your property is included, because the distance from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide changes the total a lot.

What to write in the request

Say which machine you need, the work it must do and whether an operator is included. Add the crop, the area, the nearest town, the date you need the machine and your budget per hour or per tonne. Mention any attachments.

On BlaBlaPrice you describe the job in your own words in a chat, and a photo of the field or machine helps. The AI asks for missing details, looks through sellers' websites and price lists in Australia, and shows the prices and businesses it finds. Registered sellers reply in the chat with their price, terms and delivery, and your contacts stay hidden until you decide to share them. For related jobs see vehicle and heavy equipment hire or tipper and grain trucks, or create a request.