A EUROPEAN drill saves time and cuts fuel usage, ANDREA MAYES reports
A Dean's Marsh farm is enjoying better sowing accuracy, thanks to a Vaderstad seed drill.
- IN A WORD
- MAKE: Vaderstad
- MODEL: Rapid 400C drill
- PRICE: $114,000 +gst
- BEST FEATURE: Steve said he's making big savings on time and fuel while improving the soil and getting quicker germination.
- MORE DETAILS: Swayn and McCabe, Colac (03) 5231 5022 or Lewer Farm Services 0410 635583.
Owned by Jan and Paul Lewer with their sons, Steve and David, Lewer Farm Services runs 40 Angus beef cattle on a 121ha home farm near Colac, but specialises in cultivation, sowing and hay and silage contracting.
Last year the Lewers bought a Vaderstad Rapid 400C gravity-feed seed drill from Colac agricultural dealers Swayn and McCabe, for pasture renovation.
"We looked at several brands but with the Vaderstad Rapid it was chalk and cheese," Steve said.
"We're getting an extra hectare an hour done with the Vaderstad drill."
The Lewers also bought a 130kW New Holland T7030 tractor. Having worked with New Holland tractors on farm and at the dealership in the past, Steve said he'd got to know them very well.
"They're reliable machines and the fuel economy is very good. The T7030 has a 1-18 powershift transmission and a 40km/h drive speed.
It's very easy to use with all the functions on the arm rest, and it has great visibility. You can get parts easily and we've had good service from Swayn and McCabe."
They use the T7030 to pull the 4m Vaderstad drill.
The Lewers had been looking for a better way to deal with paddock trash such as straw, and Steve said the new drill handled it well.
"The Vaderstad goes through anything without getting caught up. The seed discs cultivate and sow in one pass, giving us significant savings in time and fuel.
"At a rough estimate, we'd be using 20-25 litres of fuel an hour at 10-12 km/ph. We're working at a higher speed, but still getting the accuracy with seed placement.
"With our other drill, the fertiliser tubes used to block up if there was a bit of moisture around. This one doesn't block up," he said.
"It sows the fertiliser every 5cm between the seeds. Not placing it in with the seeds gives better germination. You can adjust the height from the cab and get very accurate depth control."
The Lewers bought the optional Pivot Packer, which consists of two pairs of pivoting wheels drawn by the tractor's lower link arms.
The Pivot Packer improves soil consolidation in the centre of the machine and significantly reduces the radius of headland turning.
A heavy-duty following harrow removes press marks created by the drill, breaking down surface clods and providing extra surface consolidation. The harrow runs in between seed rows, to avoid disturbing any shallow-drilled seed.
"The pivot packer holds the machine at the appropriate height instead of having it follow the tractor tilt on slopes and headlands," Steve said. "The harrow is great. It removes the ridges that the press wheels leave, gives you a smooth finish and creates a better seed bed."
Scalloped discs of hardened steel with 410mm diameter give the Rapid the ability to drill in widely varying conditions.
Maintenance-free rubber suspension allows a rebound of up to 15cm on each individual disc, helping to avoid damage from stones and prolonging the life of seed discs, coulters and bearings.
"The Vaderstad can improve any cultivation system, whether we are ploughing or direct drilling," Steve said.
"It gives us the flexibility to achieve high productivity on different terrains and varying soils, on dairy farms, broadacre cropping systems, and even in rocky country. It rides over the top and doesn't rip up stones like tines do.
"When we sow through in cropping country, it chops the stubble and incorporates it back into the ground, building up organic matter. Or we can sow grass straight over the top of summer crops, without disturbing them."
Steve said the drill was fairly low maintenance.
"There aren't many grease points."
Feedback from the Lewers' clients about the effects achieved with the new drill has been very positive.
"Our clients are happy because it gets through the work a lot faster and more efficiently, and they're getting soil improvements, better moisture retention and much quicker germination with the Vaderstad," Steve said.
