Finance question
Can I finance an air seeder?
Yes. Air seeders are financed as agricultural equipment, usually with equipment finance secured on the rig, and both new and used rigs can be funded. Used air carts list from $22,000 to $187,000 and complete rigs from $88,000 to $407,000, so the lender mainly asks whether the farm's cash flow carries the repayments, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
Two machines sold as one name
An air seeder is a cart that holds and meters seed and fertiliser, plus a bar that places it in the soil. Lenders see it as one piece of agricultural equipment when both are on the same quote, and the quote should list the cart, the bar and the controller. If a price covers only one of the two, you are looking at half a rig, and the finance application needs the other half costed too.
The prices are spread widely. In our air seeder cost guide, 10 dealer listings put used air carts from $22,000 inc GST for a Gason 1850 to $187,000 inc GST for a 2017 Ausplow 19000. Used bars and drills run from $63,800 to $159,500, and complete or near-complete rigs from $88,000 for a 2012 Morris rig to $407,000 for a 2023 John Deere P640 demonstrator. These are dealer asking prices, indicative market data and not Ventas offers.
Lenders are more cautious on older carts, on rigs with no verifiable serial number and on private sales without an inspection. The lender relies on the equipment value, and an old rig is worth less to them than the price you pay a motivated seller. Repayments can follow the farm's income, with larger payments after harvest and a balloon at the end, which suits grain businesses. Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders and there is no upfront fee to you.
Do you qualify?
What a lender wants to see on a seeder purchase.
Farm cash flow
Recent financials and BAS that cover repayments, including a poor season.
A clear rig
Serial numbers, a seller invoice and a quote listing cart, bar and controller.
Deposit or security
Cash in, or property you can offer to back the gap.
Age and condition
A newer rig, or an inspection where the rig is older.
Why seasonal structures suit seeders
Income-matched payments
Bigger repayments after harvest, smaller through the season.
Balloon at the end
A final payment can lower the regular instalments.
Property can fill the gap
Farmland equity can fund the deposit and running costs.
A worked example
A farm buys a used 2015 John Deere 1870 40 ft hoe drill at $130,900 and a 2014 John Deere 1910 three-tank air cart at $88,000, $218,900 together. Add inspection ($2,000), freight ($4,000) and spares ($6,000) and the cash needed is $230,900. Equipment finance covers $173,000, about 75 per cent of the total, and $57,900 comes from cash or a property-backed loan. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I finance a used air seeder?
Yes, usually. Lenders fund used rigs but are more cautious on older carts and on private sales. An inspection and a seller invoice with serial numbers make the file easier.
Do I finance the cart and the bar together?
Often yes, on one facility, as long as the quote lists both. Carts and bars are frequently sold apart, so a quote that excludes one is only half the price of a working rig.
Can repayments follow my harvest income?
Often. Seasonal structures with larger payments after harvest, and a balloon at the end, can be arranged with some lenders. Terms depend on the lender and your trading file.
Is GST included in air seeder prices?
Most dealer prices we reviewed are shown inc GST, but one bar was listed plus GST. Confirm the basis in writing, and ask your accountant about claiming it back.