Save time and money with a FarmMax Air Seeder and Mulcher Combo.

Northland farmer Mike Smales is a fan of the FarmMax Air Seeder. He bought one in 2021 and finds it excellent for sowing over and ripping out kikuyu, along with levelling out his paddocks. He can spray out and seed in very quickly.

Many farms are kikuyu dominant and supress the growth of higher-quality grass, but with a well-managed mulching and air-seeding programme, time savings on labour and reduced fuel costs can be achieved.

Mike’s farm is in Maungaturoto, Northland, with year-round milking of about 500 dairy cows along with a beef fattening operation across 400+ hectares. He first discovered the FarmMax Air Seeder from his neighbour who had made a similar investment.

In the past, Mike had tried seeding with various methods including over-sowing - spin on grass seed and then mulch behind it. While it worked, it was a laborious two-pass operation, and he was after something quicker and more effective for seed contact and grass growth.

Based on the labour savings Mike could achieve with a FarmMax Air Seeder / Mulcher Combo, FarmShop calculated his investment would have a payback of less than two seasons.

The FarmMax Air Seeder is a simple and accurate pneumatic seeder to meter and spread small seeds. It works very well and can mount onto a wide range of tractors. Customers appreciate the simplicity (and savings) of mulching old grass and reproducing new grass in just one pass, making it possible to re-graze cattle in the same paddock about three times faster, as opposed to traditional methods.

Mike found dealing with FarmShop great because they were willing to provide on-farm demos, show how to calibrate machinery and get the best from it – he said the team know their products well.

The implement will also successfully fit to various machines, from 3m power harrows up to 8m grass tine harrows, rigid and folding machines. It leaves no striping or lines in paddocks and the results are very even.

There are two control options, the Basic Line Control and Total Control with a GPS speed sensor for ground speed.

The FarmMax Air Seeder can sow fine seeds such as mustard and turnip from a rate as low as 1kg / hectare to sowing grass seeds at 80 kg per hectare. Green cover crops are a very popular low-cost establishment and the GPS based model provides the ultimate in accuracy rate for OSR establishment. The application of slug pellets and micro granular fertiliser is also an option.

A 12-volt 80nm motor drives fluted feed rollers through a 6-speed chain and sprocket arrangement, ensuring optimum rotor speed can be achieved. High-capacity twin electric impeller fans ensure a reliable spread (unlike automotive fans used by competitors).

The agitation system ensures no bridging of seeds and can be disengaged when not required.

In another example, the following paddock had been in maze last season and in April 2022 it was seeded and mulched using the FarmMax Air Seeder / Mulcher combo and ready for full-time grazing just 70 days later. The regrowth and quality are compelling.

Our Technician Jeff Cole likes the set up of the FarmMax Air Seeder on a mulcher because it’s very accurate and simple to calibrate, and because it is GPS monitored the flow of seed adjusts to the speed driven (great for maximising farm yields). A calibration tray is supplied with the seeder and stored on the side of the implement when not in use.

Customers can find a quick ‘how-to’ guide on FarmShop’s YouTube channel, with Jeff explaining:

“Today we are sowing grass seed. First measure is width of implement, if its 2.5m wide –– as per the sowing rate recommendation from Dairy NZ of 18-20kg per hectare, we’ll set it to 18kg. The next measurement is the speed of which the tractor will be driven e.g. 8km per hour. Once these three measures are inputted, the target is calculated and today it will put down 600grams and the calibration (where we measure the seed coming out of it). The percentage on the screen shows how fast the seed roller is turning – today it’s travelling at 72.2% of its maximum speed. Good to go here!”

If you are considering investing in a seeder/mulcher combo, FarmShop is an excellent choice. Stock is readily available and along with the typical customer service you would expect from a good agricultural supplier, you can find informative training videos online, we hold back-up parts to reduce downtime, can arrange delivery, have finance options and are happy to consider trade-ins.