The Duncan Renovator Classic.
Farmline Machinery are the regional dealership, covering Waipa, Waikato and King Country for the full range of Duncan Ag Seed Drills, parts and service - a product sales manager John Machell says has a highly respected reputation spanning more than 75 years.
"Duncan products have tried and true results in seeding and innovation in cultivation," he says.
"These machines are user friendly and reliable.
"They are robust, made here for New Zealand conditions, so they are suitable for contractors and farmers alike, plus they fit right into our Kiwi made philosophy here at Farmline."
Duncan Ag leads the field in a comprehensive range of seed drills and for many decades has been well-known for involving contractors and farmers in the development of seed drills designed to meet their requirements.
Duncan customer Andrew Russell has given up using contractors after buying his own Duncan Renovator Classic seed drill for his large farm.
He purchased the Duncan Renovator Classic with 6" row spacing in spring last year.
He had tried an older model and also seen the results from a local contractor who used Duncan products.
"I had seen the results we got from the Duncan as we had hired before, so it seemed logical to stick with what we knew," says Mr Russell.
"Last season we did all our own drilling, except for our swedes.
"We have drilled 140 hectares with it, including brassicas and sorghum.
"On the farm we are doing annual ryegrass, plantain and oats."
A feature of the Duncan Renovator Classic seed drill that Mr Russell particularly likes is the individually sprung disc openers on the front.
"The disc openers are one of the reasons I went for this drill, for cutting through trash," he says.
"They are good when the ground is a bit hard. They loosen the ground up for the coulters to get through."
The disc openers with easy change discs, seals and bearings are an option on the 3.0m, 19-row Duncan Renovator Classic, which has large and small metering wheels for sowing a wide range of products, including turnips, peas and fertiliser. An agitator shaft helps prevent seed compaction.
Mr Russell says the drill has run perfectly and is easy to calibrate. The calibration system offers simple seed diversion into the trays provided, while the easy-to-set depth adjustment features a collar and threaded shaft adjuster.
"I find the Renovator to be robustly built, easy to calibrate and it seems to be reliable. It is not too heavy because we do a bit of hill work. If you get too heavy, you slow down on the hills, and a lot of our focus is on hill work."
The 25mm coil tines offer superior strength and consistent seeding, while the Duncan T boots with tungsten tile on the leading edge are also built for strength.
This coil and tine and boot combination copes successfully in a wide range of soil conditions.
The Renovator Classic has an easy access platform on the back and also comes with a weigh kit and scales as standard.
"It's a good simple machine and even a simple farmer like me can use it. It does what it said it would do, which is always a bit of a bonus these days," says Mr Russell.