The pneumatic DA drill range from Accord has been on the market since 1982. Its long history means older examples may have changed hands two or perhaps even three times, with their availability and proven performance making them a perennially popular second-hand choice. But is such popularity justified? We cast a technical eye over the drills’ weak and strong points.
Although many big arable units may have switched allegiance to wide tine/disc drills from the likes of Simba and Väderstad, the old power harrow ‘combi’ still retains a faithful following.
Made popular in the 1980s, the drill combination unit is capable of sowing into a wide variety of soils and conditions, reducing the number of passes and enabling a farm to implement a low labour/low machine system for crop establishment. Good availability of secondhand kit also makes it a realistic and affordable option for even the smallest arable unit.
Accord’s DA drill has quite literally ridden on the back of this ‘combi’ concept success, with most units spending at least part of their working life partnering some sort of powered cultivator. Also sold as solo units, the DA has proved so popular that anyone considering buying second-hand should have few problems in locating a suitable example.
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