Going the distance

After more than 14 years with the Ausplow DBS, fourth-generation farmer Josh Richardson has just purchased his third machine. We asked what keeps him coming back.

Tell me about your set-up for seeding.

We run a mix of sheep, cattle and broadacre cropping near Tintinara. We use the DBS bar and Multistream with a 550 horsepower Steiger.

We do a lot of pasture with it, because we’ve got a fair few sheep and cattle, and then we go straight onto broadacre sowing. Having one machine that can handle both jobs is a big advantage. 

What made you choose a DBS?

When it was time to buy our first machine 14 years ago, I knew there were already quite a few in our area, so that’s what made me go and look. 

We’ve got a lot of heavy limestone and ours is stony country, so we needed something that could handle those conditions. Limestone is very hard on the operator and the machine, but the DBS handles it well and the maintenance isn’t too bad. Once we got the initial set-up sorted, we barely touched it — we just do an annual check.

How has the DBS helped you overcome seeding challenges?

Our biggest challenge is our variability. But the DBS is good in dry or heavy conditions, as well as stone or sand. You can put it anywhere and provided you operate it accordingly, it just works. Now, we can go from broadacre cropping to pasture with just a few adjustments.

There’s also good seed placement in both applications; the seed depth is consistent. You can sow knowing everything’s going to come up evenly and at the same time.

What was the biggest impact from switching to a DBS?

Definitely the crop emergence. You can generally tell a DBS crop as you drive down the road. The germination and early vigour are so even.

What do you value the most about the machine?

 Its durability, but also the accurate seed placement. We like being able to adjust seed depth through the spring pressure without having to change too much of the machine. And I like the way the knife point and the closing tool closes the soil off, then you need less rain for the seeds to germinate.

Why do you keep coming back to Ausplow?

We’re happy with the machine and the Ausplow team come nearly every year to see how it’s working in our conditions. I can’t speak highly enough of them. I mean, obviously, I’m on my third machine!