Seeding equipment: precision planters and grain drills to buy
Which drill for which crop
Seeding equipment is divided by the way it sows. Precision planters (pneumatic or mechanical) place maize, sunflower, soybean or beet seed at a set distance. Grain drills sow wheat, barley and mustard in continuous rows. Universal models suit several crops, but are usually less accurate than specialised ones.
So start with the crops and the area, and only then choose a make. For maize and sunflower the exact row spacing matters, for cereals an even seed rate.
What affects the choice and the cost
- Number of rows and working width: 4, 6, 8, 12 rows. Output and the tractor power needed depend on this.
- Seed metering unit: pneumatic is better for precision sowing, mechanical is simpler and cheaper.
- Fertiliser hoppers: for applying fertiliser together with the seed.
- Sowing control: an electronic monitor shows gaps and the rate.
- Coulters and gauge wheels: the sowing depth depends on them.
- For used: the state of the seed plates, coulters, gearboxes, chains and bearings.
What to put in your request
- type of drill — precision, grain, universal;
- width or number of rows, for example 8 rows;
- crop — maize, sunflower, soybean, cereals;
- which tractor — make and power;
- make or model — if you have one in mind;
- condition and year;
- equipment — fertiliser hopper, sowing control;
- delivery district;
- budget, if you want to name one.
Example: “I need a used precision planter with 8 rows for maize and soybean, for a 60 hp tractor or stronger, not older than 2012, with a fertiliser hopper and sowing control. Delivery to Christchurch, budget up to $13,000.”
How to compare offers and what to avoid
Compare drills with the same number of rows, type of metering unit and equipment. If a well-known make is offered, ask whether it is the original machine or one put together from different parts. For used ones, ask for photos of the metering units and coulters, a video of it working, and a list of replaced parts. A worn unit gives gaps and doubles, and that hits the yield noticeably.
It is better to choose a drill in advance than to look for it a week before sowing: new equipment may take a while to arrive to order.
People most often do not match the row spacing of the drill with the crop-care machinery. Your inter-row tools may be set for a different spacing than the planter you buy, say 60 cm against 75 cm. They also forget about a set of seed plates for each crop: without them the drill will not suit a second crop. Ask which plates and parts come with the offer.
How the search works here
You write one request, and sellers of farm machinery reply in chat with the price, condition and delivery. The system compares the offers and shows the best one first, and sellers see their place and can improve their terms. Contacts stay hidden until you choose, and it is free for the buyer.
Before sowing the land must be prepared: look at tillage equipment. For crop care you will need sprayers and fertiliser spreaders, and a tractor will provide the pull.
