NEWS RELEASE July 12, 2023
Increased Capacity, High Flotation Tyres Make C650 an 'Exciting' Air Cart
Crestmead, Queensland (12 July, 2023) — When fourth generation farmer Jamie Wright and his family purchased more land and expanded their cropping area by 40%, they realised the need for a bigger air seeder with the capacity to cover 2600ha (6,427.7 ac) quickly and efficiently.
Jamie and Alisha Wright, their three children and four full-time employees crop wheat, canola, barley and spelt on two properties in Central West New South Wales, with the home base at 'Springfield', 20km (12.43 mi) from Grenfell.
Their machine of choice was a John Deere C650 tow-behind Air Cart, which arrived in March 2023 and immediately made an impression.
"The first use was quite exciting," Mr Wright said.
"The C650's efficiency and high flotation tyres stood out instantly. There was less compaction of the soil, we could get over a greater amount of ground in a shorter period and work in a variety of weather conditions.
"We preferred a tow-behind rather than a tow-between for manoeuvrability and visibility, and we've found the configuration and steerable axle of the C650 means it tows nice and straight behind our John Deere P500 Seeder Bar."
The Wrights previously towed a 430 bushel (4002.9 gal) 1910 Air Cart behind a 12-metre (13 yd) John Deere P500 seeder bar.
Mr Wright happily admits he 'bleeds green' and has already bought a new John Deere 9R 540 tractor to replace the 9410R that pulled the new C650 during the current seeding program.
The new Air Cart's bigger 650-bushel tank and fill rate of up to 100bu per minute has meant less time stopping to fill up, which is a major bonus.
"The tank fills very well — we don't have to push seed into corners — and we can monitor the tanks through a camera in each and there's also one with a rear-hitch view," he said.
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Fourth generation farmer, Jamie Wright, says his John Deere C650 Tow-Behind Air Cart proves its worth by reducing time spent sowing.
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Fourth generation farmer, Jamie Wright, says his John Deere C650 Tow-Behind Air Cart proves its worth by reducing time spent sowing.
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The John Deere C650 Tow-Behind Air Cart equipped with ActiveCal™.
"Other fantastic points are the ActiveCal™ option, that allows us to automatically calibrate metering on the run from the Gen 4 display in the cab, and the scales on each tank, which show us exactly how much is in them at any time.
"We can fill each individual tank with the appropriate amount of seed and fertiliser to do the known area, so we don't run out or have a heap left over. That's a great benefit."
Mr Wright also purchased the optional 4800L (1268 gal) liquid centre tank for the C650, to distribute a blend of calcium, nitrogen, zinc, boron and biostimulants at the same time as seeding.
The C650 has also proved its worth by reducing the time spent sowing.
"It's certainly been labour-saving. No one worked on a Sunday, we didn't have to put super-long hours in and we finished ahead of schedule," Mr Wright said.
"With 50% more capacity and the 50% wider seeder bar we finished a week or 10 days ahead of what we normally would."
The Wrights also enlisted the support of technicians at his local John Deere dealership, Hutcheon & Pearce at Cowra, to familiarise himself with the C650, especially SectionCommand™ which manages seed and fertiliser application by minimising overlaps and skips.
"Once we were used to it the section control was very good. The Hutcheon & Pearce guys do a really good job in supporting us," Mr Wright said.
Asked for his advice to other growers about the C650 Air Cart, he doesn't hesitate.
"The efficiency and ease of use will be hard to quantify until you have it in your own paddock but it's fantastic. I'm really glad we've made it part of our John Deere equipment family."
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
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