Case Studies
D T Agri td - Kent, UK
24 Row Agriseeder™ Pro Series with rear harrow and 1000L Hopper
"Will sow anything in any conditions"
I have been running a 24 Row Agriseeder with rear harrow and 1000L Hopper since 2021 doing roughly 1000 acres of work per year with 4-600 acres of work sat ahead of me for this Spring.
I originally designed my own drill which I used for 3-4 years until it was worn out. I then started to look around for another drill and having looked at a number of drills on the market bought the Agriseeder from Dalesagrisales, Erth’s UK Distributor, in 2021.
I do a variety of work with the Agriseeder including sowing grass, fodder crops, oats, maize, wheat, barley, peas/oats/barley multicrop and even wildflower mixes.
My thoughts on the Agriseeder...
Flexible
It is a really flexible drill. The Agriseeder covers everything.
As a contractor it is brilliant for me as I don’t need to have 2 or 3 drills sat there for different jobs or conditions. The Agriseeder is so versatile that it covers all aspects of the work I am asked to do.
I find it a great all-round drill which really works for me business wise as it will sow a variety of crops and will drill into everything in the widest range of conditions.
Produces Results
The results from the Agriseeder speak for themselves and I get a lot of work from word of mouth for this reason. I have customers who have their own drill but still ask me to come in and do work with the Agriseeder.
The Agriseeder consistently does the job even where other drills cannot. I have seen other drills get 10ft into a field and have to back up due to the conditions but the Agriseeder has gone into the same field and coped no bother. I find some other drills do not like the soil conditions in our area which can change from flinty, sandy, clay to chalk.
Being able to get out with the Agriseeder has been the difference for some farmers between having a crop and not. Even if the Agriseeder doesn’t do a perfect job in extreme conditions, an 80% crop is better than no crop at all.
- For example, a farmer wanted half of his drilling done direct with the Agriseeder and he was going to do the other half himself by traditional methods but due to the ongoing rain he couldn’t do his half so got me back to do the rest. It is only thanks to this that the farmer got his full silage crop.
The Agriseeder can be more effective than conventional methods of ploughing, especially in wet weather. Instead of having to wait for fields to dry after ploughing which can put the farmer 2-3 weeks behind. The Agriseeder can get seed in the ground, even in less-than-ideal conditions.
I also do a lot of work with the Agriseeder on cultivated ground which farmers might have cultivated themselves then get me in. I can take the pressure right of the disks to go onto light, fluffy, power harrowed ground.
Cost Effective
I found the upfront cost of purchasing the drill reasonable when compared to other similar drills on the market and believe that the Agriseeder offers a lot of drill for not huge expenditure.
The running costs of the Agriseeder are also low, making it cost effective for me to run the Agriseeder and for farmers to bring me in even for smaller jobs. The costs of running the Agriseeder are also low compared to traditional methods of ploughing and power harrowing.
Features
I particularly like the large hopper. It can hold an 800kg bag of barley which increases my flexibility to do a variety of work and sow bulk products, not just grass. Resale value was also a consideration and I felt the larger hopper was better for this reason as well.
The Adjustable Disk Pressure on the machine is another great feature which means I can do a work on a variety of ground and adjust the disk pressure to suit the conditions. The adjustable disk pressure really helps the versatility of the machine.
One of the best features of the Agriseeder is the auto contour system which I believe in massively and like to see it working. I am not working on flat, even fields so can really see the auto contour moving as the machine travels across the undulating field where a rigid machine wouldn’t have that facility.
Back Up
I have been really pleased with the backup I have received from both Dalesagrisales and Erth Engineering. I had a breakdown on a Sunday and got replacement parts quickly. I can also get backup support with any queries whenever I need it, which is worth everything to me.
Future Plans
There is not really anything I would change about the Agriseeder. When I replace my current machine I will be looking at another Agriseeder with the additional feature of a secondary hopper as I have customers asking me about companion crop sowing as well.
Name
Farm / Business
Agricultural Contractor
Location
Product(s)
Area Farmed
Cropped
- Grass
- Fodder crops
- Oats
- Maize
- Wheat
- Barley
- Peas / oat / barley multicrop
- Wildflower mixes
Quote(s)
“Will sow anything in any conditions”
“Difference between having a crop and not” in difficult conditions
The Agriseeder is “brilliant for me as a contactor as it is so flexible. I need a drill that will do everything to make it work business-wise”
“Cost effective”
“Might have the same parts as every other drill but improves them”