used machinery Simba Horsch 4 CO Airseeder drill: The 4m Simba Horsch 4 CO, together with its 3m 3 CO brother, went into series production in 1999. Although both models have recently been replaced by the essentially similar Sprinters, the COs still remain in strong demand on the used market for seeding into heavy soils and abrasive lighter land.
Cultivator drills may not suit everyone, but few can deny their simplicity and relatively low total operating costs.
The latter is clearly an important consideration when looking over a used example; it is possible to buy a high acreage Simba Horsch 4 CO and renew all the worn metal, along with a few replacement bearings, for perhaps under £2,000 in parts.The downside is that even a well used 4 CO model commands at least £12,000, and there are more buyers out there searching for an entry-level unit than there are drills available.
Among the reasons why the CO range, which includes variants of 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 12m, is popular is for its straightforward design and versatility. Able to direct drill rape with the standard Duett coulters fitted to 99% of drills sold in the UK, a CO also sows cereals into lightly cultivated or ploughed ground with the same coulters. The drill can thus fit into both ‘min till’ and more traditional cereal establishment regimes. In addition, when faced with damp conditions, lowering the rear packer tyre inflation pressure from 1 to 0.5 bar, and filling the 2,500-litre capacity hopper half-full, may enable the drill to keep going when some alternatives have to stop.
