WITH many seeding programs not far away from starting, Fred Hopkins owner Gary Johnson, has taken the opportunity to compare two of their popular seeders - the Australian-made John Shearer Pasture Drills and the Turkish manufactured Irtem FDD 3000 seeder.
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The John Shearer Pasture Drill is available in two sizes - three metres and 3.5m - and are fitted with double disc openers, same as the Irtem seeder.
Mr Johnson said the double disc openers ensured minimum soil disturbance and uniform seed placement.
Moreover, the John Shearer has bigger grain and fertiliser bins and dual rear depth wheels, pairing efficiency and convenience.
The 3m seeder drills have P235/75 R15 tyres and the 3.5m has 215/85 R16 tyres, and a 450mm wide rear loading platform with handrail and steps.
The Irtem seeder's seed box capacity is 1080 litres and the fertiliser capacity is 700L, and it has an automatic clutch for seeding disengagement when turning.
A transparent rain shield to protect the seed dispensers, 400 kilogram basket weights and covering tyne harrows are just a few of the other features that round out the Irtem.
In terms of upgrades, Mr Johnson said the latest John Shearer model had a new feature.
"The John Shearer design has been around for a long time but they continually introduce new features - for example, this one has an electro drive gear box, whereas prior models only had a mechanical gear box," Mr Johnson said.
The sizing is the most obvious aspect where the John Shearer and Irtem seeder sharply differ.
"They're both 3m in sowing width but the Shearer seeder is 3m overall because it has wheels at the back, whereas the Irtem seeder has wheels on its side, which makes its overall width significantly bigger at 3.8m," he said.
"Sometimes that can be an issue in terms of going through gates on the farm, especially if you're a contractor."
Another point of difference between the seeders is that the John Shearer model costs significantly more.
"It's almost double the price, so justifying the price really has to be because of quality and longevity.
"The Shearer is going to last a lifetime," Mr Johnson said.
He attributed the Shearer's robust build to its heavy gauge steel construction, saying the Irtem was more lightweight in its construction.
"They'll both do a similar job, but the overall build of the Shearer is very much stronger," Mr Johnson said.
"Some people will use fertiliser with their seed drills, so as, standard, they have two hoppers, which can either be used for fertiliser and seed or seed and seed.
"Shearer have a lot of different options they can offer in terms of a third seed box; if you want to do fertiliser, seed, seed, for example.
"Whereas the Irtem is stock standard, that's how it comes."
The John Shearer has the option of a hydraulic coulter bar with 16 inch fluted coulters, which is not an option on the Irtem model, Mr Johnson added.
"It can be useful in some seasons and in other seasons, the farmer won't use it," Mr Johnson said of the hydraulic coulter.
"It's very much dependent on the degree of rainfall and stubble they are sowing into - I've heard one year they won't use it, and the next year wonder how they would do without it.
"In dryer seasons you have less cover on your soil, so it's easier to engage the soil with discs, and you may not need the hydraulic coulters in front of it."
On the other hand, the Irtem seeder is a linkage stroke trailing model, so there is some flexibility in terms of how it can be maneuvered, according to Mr Johnson.
He said the John Shearer was easier on the tractor.
"It requires less horsepower as a trailing model, and because it allows the wheels to be behind the spreader, which reduces your overall width of the machine."
