What an air seeder costs in Australia

Used air carts on Australian dealer listings run from $22,000 for an older Gason to $187,000 for a 2017 Ausplow 19000, and used bars from $63,800 to $159,500. Complete rigs list from $88,000 to $407,000 for a 2023 demonstrator. Tank size, bar width and whether cart and bar are sold together set the price.

An air seeder is two machines sold as one name: a cart that holds and meters seed and fertiliser, and a bar that places it in the soil. That is why a search for air seeder prices returns $22,000 and $407,000 side by side. Makers rarely publish a new price, so dealer asking prices are the working evidence. This guide sets out 17 live dealer listings, what the cart, the bar and the controller each add, how a used rig holds its value by age, and how a rig is financed.

What air carts cost

Air seeder prices are not published by most makers, so the working numbers are dealer asking prices. This table surveys used air carts on dealer pages opened on 2 November 2026. IDs are the stock code, reference or page ID shown for each listing. Figures are asking prices, indicative market data and not Ventas offers.

The pattern is steady. A cart from the early 2000s lists at $22,000 to $44,000. A 2009 to 2014 John Deere 1910 lists at $47,300 to $88,000 depending on tank size, tank count and condition. The two Ausplow 19000 carts, from 2015 and 2017, list at $165,000 and $187,000, so a larger tow-between cart holds its value much better than a small tow-behind. Emmetts and Rocky River Ag are in SA and Victoria, and Buck Equipment lists carts from Queensland, northern NSW and the Northern Territory. Freight is not in any of these prices.

What seeding bars cost

A bar is the part that opens the soil, so its width, spacing and openers decide the price more than age does. These are the used bars and drills the same dealers list, including one aged new bar.

The Massey Ferguson bar is the most useful price point for a modern 40 ft tyne bar: $159,500 including GST for a machine that was never used but dates from 2020. Its listing shows an air kit, hydraulic hoses and an ISOBUS harness but no cart, so the cart is a separate bill. The John Deere 1830 listing says it suits a trailing air cart and does not include one. The 1870 and Cross Slot listings do not say whether a cart is included. Ask in writing. Cart and bar are often sold apart, and a quoted price that excludes one of them is half a rig.

Complete rigs

Some listings sell the cart and bar as one machine. These are the complete or near-complete rigs found.

The 2012 Morris rig at $88,000 is the cheapest complete rig found, a 35 ft bar with its own box, hydraulic tynes and controller. The 2023 John Deere P640 demonstrator at $407,000 is the top of the sample, a 40 ft double shoot ISOBUS machine. The Flexi-Coil 5500 listing shows a 60 width with no unit, so we have not stated its width. Wider rigs cost more again: a 2017 Farm Weekly report listed an 18.2 m (60 ft) Massey Ferguson air till bar with an 18,000 L cart at $360,000 through an Esperance dealer. That is a 2017 price, not a current one.

New prices and the full rig cost

Makers such as Bourgault, John Deere, Horwood Bagshaw, Morris, K-Line and Ausplow mostly publish no new price. The new numbers in this guide are dealer demonstrators and aged stock, not price lists. The one clear new reference is the P640 demonstrator at $407,000 inc GST, and we found no current published new price for Bourgault, K-Line or Horwood Bagshaw rigs. Their listings read as call for price. Ask each dealer to quote the full rig, not the bar or the cart alone.

The full rig is more than cart plus bar. Add up:

• The cart. Tank size and number of tanks, and whether the metering is variable rate.
• The bar. Working width, row spacing, tyne or disc openers, and the point, boot and press wheel kit.
• Control. A rate controller or ISOBUS system, and sectional control. The Ausplow listings show a John Deere Rate Controller 2000. The P640 listing shows ISOBUS.
• The tractor. A wider bar with a big cart needs enough horsepower and a hitch to suit. See what tractors cost in Australia.
• Freight and setup. Emmetts advertises Australia-wide transport on two listings but does not say it is free.

What a used rig holds by age

Used rigs hold value in steps. In this sample, the carts from 2002 list at $22,000 to $44,000, from 2009 to 2014 at $47,300 to $88,000, and from 2015 to 2017 at $165,000 to $187,000. Our arithmetic: the 2017 Ausplow lists at about 13 per cent more than the 2015 for two more years of age. The price gap between the two is far smaller than the gap between a 2002 cart and a 2014 cart, which suggests the step between sizes matters more than the step between years.

A used rig is checked on openers, point and boot wear, hydraulic tyne rams, hoses, fan and drive condition, metering rollers, and the controller. A cart that sat in a shed for years can have seized rollers. A rig priced well below its peers may need money spent on it before seeding, and the freight from another state adds to the real cost.

Who buys these? Broadacre grain growers upgrading width, mixed farms moving from a disc drill to an air seeder, and contract seeders who need a second rig for the season. Buyers on a small farm will often take a cheaper cart and a mid-priced bar. Contract seeders are the buyers most likely to want a new or near-new rig, because downtime costs them paid work.

Financing an air seeder purchase

Air seeders are financed as agricultural equipment, usually with equipment finance secured on the rig, as with tractor finance. Both new and used rigs are fundable, and the main question lenders ask is whether the farm's cash flow carries the repayments. Lenders are more cautious on older carts, on rigs with no verifiable serial number, and on private sales without an inspection. The equipment value is what the lender relies on, and an old rig is worth less to them than the price you pay a motivated seller.

Repayments can follow the farm's income. Seasonal structures with larger payments after harvest, and a balloon at the end, suit grain businesses. The same ideas are in the combine harvester guide. Ventas is a broker, not a lender, so we quote no rates here. Rates vary by lender, security and the borrower's file.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A realistic used rig purchase from the listings above:

And how it might be funded across lender types:

Debt here is about three quarters of the total. If you do not have the deposit in cash, a property-backed loan secured on farmland or another property can fund the gap, at the risk that the property backs the loan. The lender may value the rig at less than the vendor's asking price. What makes a seeder deal fundable:

• Farm cash flow. Recent financials and BAS that show the repayments are covered, including a poor season.
• A clear rig. Serial numbers, a seller invoice and a quote that lists the cart, bar and controller.
• Deposit or security. Cash in, or property to offer.
• Age and condition. A newer rig, with an inspection where the rig is older.

For tax on the purchase, including any depreciation or write-off rules, ask your accountant. To get a number from Ventas, send the cart, the bar width, whether it is new or used, the asking price and what it includes, and the security you can offer. Start at agricultural finance or read how to finance a tractor or farm machinery. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.