Design engineer Tom McCluskey (pictured) has been working on the new planter for the past six months and says it is a wider version of the Gason NT8000 narrow transport planter, which was released last year.

The new planter will be available in 10-metre and 12-metre working widths, known as T10000 and T12000 respectively.

Standard tine spacings are 200mm, 250mm and 300mm.

The new machine will update and streamline Gason's broadacre planter range.

"We've been working on it more or less from scratch," Tom said.

"The tines and hardware were existing, but the frames are all new.

"We wanted to get that 12-metre working width, so it's wider in the centre frame.

"The 10-metre version just has shorter wings, but we expect there will be more interest in the 12 metre version."

The prototype machine has been sold but will be showcased at the field days before going to work.

"The machine was sold off computer drawings, before the prototype was completed, it's a testament to our dealer and customer's confidence in our machinery," Tom said.

"The plan is to have the prototype working hard this season to validate our extensive computer stress analysis and then to work on building stock machines so they will be available next season."

Having a machine in the field will allow the team to make tweaks while building machines for next summer's market.

"Rather than getting too complex, I've tried to keep this machine simple and robust," Tom said.

By working towards a simplistic design, we see real benefits in reliability and price."

"The tine units are well tried and proven and we have a good confidence level in the design.

"The design features a single row of 500/50-22.5 high floatation tubeless tyres and a rigid pull which makes for a strong and manoeuvrable machine."

The frames are fitted with Gason's well-proven Scaritill or Hydratill tine assemblies, which can provide breakout force from 140 to 310 kilograms.

"We were trading in older machines for new identical machines, so we were keen to build a new machine with added features," Tom said.

The hydraulic tines allow the operator to "back off the breakout if you've got rocks in the paddock" while continuing to get the job done.

The new design has increased clearances and has been built stronger thanks to new manufacturing technology.

The folded wings on the T12000 are five-metres high and six-and-a-half metres wide, allowing for road transport compliance.

The T-series planters have been designed to be compatible with three-metre controlled traffic farming practices and with Gason's range of parallelogram and frame-mounted press-wheels.