THE O’Driscoll farm at Grass Valley carries a lot of tradition.
Owners Damien and Glen O’Driscoll represent the family’s fifth generation on the property – and the next generation is already working it with them.
But that doesn’t mean they resist change.
So when Damien was ready to replace his boomsprayer after 10 years, he was keen to see what innovations a new HARDI Navigator 6000 could deliver.
Having operated a HARDI Navigator 5030 for the past 10 years, Damien was sure he wanted another HARDI.
“You get what you pay for,” he said.
“I’ve never had a problem with HARDI.
“The boomsprayer’s probably the most-used piece of equipment on the farm and with the support we get from Boekeman Machinery in Northam, I’ve have never had a full day when I’ve been out of action.”
The big change was moving to an aluminium boom, after a tour of HARDI’s Adelaide factory convinced Damien it could deliver strength and quality without the weight of steel.
“It’s definitely lighter and the boom ride is good – really stable,’’ he said.
“Our country is a bit billy goaty, but the Auto-Height Control consistently keeps it off the deck.”
His verdict after six months of using aluminium: “If you’ve got the money, I wouldn’t hesitate”.
Another new tradition on the O’Driscoll property is Auto-Section Control.
“Even though I’ve never had it before, I’ll never ever not have it again,” Damien said.
“I love it.”
As far as he’s concerned, HARDI sprayers just keep getting better.
“The 6000 is a similar set-up but this one’s more user-friendly, especially for loading chemical,” he said.
“HARDI doesn’t sit on its hands.
“They’ve got a good product and they keep improving it.”
So even on a property that has been in the same family for five generations, the new sprayer is a welcome change.
