We're at the doorstep of everybody's favorite season this week - autumn (or "fall," if you're trying to rhyme it with something.) The color of the leaves matches the light, and the first night you throw an extra blanket on the bed signals that winter can't be far away.

Our friends at Quinn Heavy Rentals are doing some autumn clearing, which means you have the opportunity to buy late-model, low-hour equipment like this 2012 Cat 420F 4x4 Backhoe Loader, this 2013 Cat TL1255C Telehandler, and this 2012 Cat CP56B Vibratory Single Drum Compactor.

Available from Ripa & Associates, this 2008 Cat 950H Wheel Loader, this 2011 John Deere 700J LGP Crawler Tractor, and this 2002 Challenger MT665 4x4 Farm Tractor.

Now's Your Chance to Buy a Real Humvee From Uncle Sam

You'll need a bigger garage.

By Timothy Dahl

As the military phases out the iconic Humvee, it is left with a surplus of these go-anywhere four-wheel drive vehicles that have been the backbone of the U.S. infantry for more than 30 years. Before this year they've been tough to come by for civilians. But now's your chance to own your own personal Humvee straight from Uncle Sam.

To buy a Humvee you need to start by visiting Gov Planet. It is the official website that has the authority to auction the Humvee and various other military vehicles. The bid process is straightforward, and auctions start at $4,000 for stripped down Humvees to $35,000 for fully operational badass trucks. You'll be required to get an "End Use Certificate" that states you will not take the vehicle overseas.

Finning’s Spencer Smirl discusses the daily disciplines that protect your equipment investment.

By Jeff Howard for IronPlanet

It may seem early in the season, but as hearty Canadians head into the challenging winter season ahead, they’ll be looking to fine tune equipment fleets. On Wednesday, September 21, Edmonton will welcome IronPlanet’s 1.5 million registered bidders to an online only auction. Register to bid and check out more than 500 items online or at our Acheson, Alberta yard today!

The Canadian Farmer’s Almanac predicts “downright frigid” winter weather over parts of the Rockies, Prairies, Great Lakes, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. What else is new?

But for Canadian equipment owners, the Almanac’s August forecast means it’s time to prepare for that winter state of mind. To get a few heavy equipment winter operation reminders, we turned to Spencer Smirl, (pictured above on the right), Finning Canada’s fleet manager for the Site C Clean Energy project near Fort St. John, B.C.

Why Spencer? Well, he just happens to be Canada’s foremost cold weather equipment specialist, a reputation that’s well earned. Over the last five years, he’s kept machines going at both Poles — as a heavy duty mechanic at Finning’s Ekati operation near the Arctic Circle and during “The Coldest Journey”, the first ever attempt to cross the Antarctic in winter. As the lead mechanic for the expedition, Spencer successfully kept two D6Ns chugging in temperatures that reached minus-100 Celsius (that’s minus-148 Fahrenheit for you “southerners”).

 After an intense week of auctioning Humvees, excavators, oilfield machinery and the like, the staff at IronPlanet likes to take off their hardhats and let their hair down. Usually we knock back a few Frescas or Dr. Peppers and play a round of Crazy 8s, but the September to Remember has folks feeling extra peppy. We need the strong stuff . . . we need to go BIG with Napoleon Dynamite, Mrs. Doubtfire, Austin Powers, Baby (not in her corner), Marty McFly . . . we need Uptown Funk!

It's a full harvest moon on Friday, September 16, so if you're feeling extra-compelled to buy a late model Kenworth dump truck or a Cat Crawler Tractor, well, you're dealing with forces beyond your control. Don't try to resist - IronPlanet's September to Remember has lots of great machinery that you can preview now online and bid on next Thursday, September 22.

Ahead of that we have great construction equipment and Humvees coming up in our GovPlanet auction on September 21. Preview all items today!  

Our Edmonton, Alberta Cat Auction Services sale is all online this quarter. If you are in Edmonton, go visit the yard, and if you're somewhere warmer, preview the equipment online. This sale features this 2011 Cat 160M AWD VHP Plus Motor Grader, this 2013 Cat TL1055C Telehandler, this 2013 Volvo MCT135C Compact Track Loader, and this 2008 Ford F550 Super Duty 4x4 S/A Utility Truck.  

Swing down to Odessa, TX on September 28 for the oilfield equipment auction, or buy online with IronPlanet LiveStream, then meet us back here on September 29-30 for the BIG end of quarter sale!

IronPlanet LiveStream: Next-generation bidding

It's that time of year at IronPlanet, when the air is cooler and we hear our favorite crunching sound - the snap crackle and pop of quarry, aggregate, and mining equipment featured in the September 15 and 16 auction. Take a look at the dump trucks, excavators, wheel loaders, and crushers up for bid:

Quality oilfield transportation equipment from Fowler and Darby Equipment Company will be available during IronPlanet's two-day auction on September 15 and 16. In a unique twist on auction bidding, on September 12 through 14 items will be available to preview on-site at 3419 W. Pinecrest Drive in Marshall, TX and 1705 East Highway 350 in Marshall TX. On September 15 and 16, kiosks equipped with computers will be onsite to take bids from purchasers. The online auction will also be open.

Fowler's and Darby Equipment Company's massive selection of oilfield transportation equipment will be sold: crawler cranes, oil field tractor and gin pole trucks, winch trucks, vans, wheel loaders, tools, and more. Interested buyers can bid in person at the preview site, online in real time, or by PriorityBid.