Farms & Farm Machinery #401

SEEDING
Väderstäd celebrates the 30th anniversary of
its Seed Hawk precision seeding system
Ruling the roost
Developed by Canadian farmers in 1991, the Seed
Hawk concept first made its way to Australia 13
years later.
Since then, it has become a popular product in this
market, with more than 750 units in use across the
country and Australia accounting for about 25 per
cent of global Seed Hawk sales.
The first complete Seed Hawk tool bar was
imported into Australia in 2004 by New South
Wales farmers Ambrose and Lisa Doolan.
They used it in their zero-till cropping system
before establishing their own distribution business
and exhibiting at field days in their home state.
After Väderstäd acquired the Seed Hawk’s international
distribution rights, it was the company’s UK
managing director Tim Needham who provided the
ingenuity after moving to Brisbane.
Assigned the job of developing the Väderstäd
brand in Australia, Needham realised that transporting
a full-scale unit across the country to
showcase it would be impractical.
Instead, he got to work on a 2.5m-wide unit that
featured 10 Seed Hawk openers, on-board seed and
fertiliser tanks, hydraulic metering, a 25 horsepower
(19kW) Honda engine and, crucially, mounting the
seeder on a standard trailer frame and couplings,
which meant it could be towed by a 4WD.
“The whole thing was made in my garage – the
neighbours wondered what on earth was going on,”
he says.
“When we finished it, I had to take it down to the
RTA to get it registered and their engineers didn’t
know what to make of it.”
This unique demonstration rig drove across
Australia several times and drew plenty of interest
from those who saw it along the journey.
Another big moment in Seed Hawk’s Australian
growth was when Väderstäd appointed Landpower
as the product’s Australian distributor.
“We went from having six dealers to 15 overnight –
and now we have nearly 30 – and this had an
obvious impact on sales,” says Needham, who is
now Landpower’s general manager – product.
The Seed Hawk is available in eight working widths
between six and 26 metres
The Seed Hawk is available in eight working
widths between six and 26 metres, with row
spacing options of 25cm, 30cm and 35cm.
It is split into three series – the XL, 45 and 30 –
which fold to transport widths of 8.6m, 4.5m and
3m respectively.
The Seed Hawk, along with all Väderstäd
products, is distributed in Australia by
Landpower via Claas Harvest Centres and
independent dealerships.
new
60 hp tractor
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OFFER ENDS 31ST AUGUST 2021
WHILE STOCK LASTS
t613 manual features
• Air-Con Cabin or
Folding ROPS
• 12 speed with shuttle
• 4 cylinder diesel engine
for power and torque
• 1,500kg 3 point linkage
for a large range of
attachments
• Flat operator’s platform
for unobstructed access
• 4-in-1 bucket with
Euro hitch
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This little rippa 60hp utility tractor including loader and 4-in-1 bucket is full of features. The quiet engine is a
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Quality Made in Korea. Great value tractors packed with generous
features. Tractors from 19 to 100HP, made strong for the Australian farmer.
t613 hst features
• Air-Con Cabin or Folding ROPS
• 3 range hydrostatic
transmission
• Side-by-side HST pedals
• Auto-throttle control for easier
HST driving
• 4 cylinder diesel engine for
power and torque
• 1,500kg 3 point linkage for a
large range of attachments
• Flat operator’s platform for
unobstructed access
• 4-in-1 bucket with Euro hitch
For more information
and your nearest dealer
1800 849 090
www.tym.ag/727
Farms & Farm Machinery 17