GPS Tractor

 Ever heard stories about pilots who turn on the auto-pilot in commercial jets and then take a nap. That sounds pretty risky to me but when you think about modern technology…Well, farming’s a little different but Auto-Farm Sales Manager David Greer has a product that isn’t too far removed.

 (Greer) Basically, it’s a GPS system that will control direction of the tractor, and we can get a one inch accuracy using our system day in and day out and it’s repeatable.

 Now wait a minute. Not to be contentious, but come on. How precise is this guidance system?

 (Greer)  “It will get you better than one inch accuracy. When the guy is setting up beds and doing that sort of stuff, actually it’s going to get better accuracy than any farmer can get driving himself. They can skip passes so it allows you to turn easier, it’ll fill back in, you’ll never know that you skipped a pass, and it’s gonna save about 5% on fuel, 5% on fertilizer, just because it’s gonna keep it down to that one inch accuracy.  This ties into the hydraulic system so that it literally steers it. It will steer all the way through the field, when you get to the end of the field, you turn the steering wheel and that shuts it off. There’s a button on there, you hit the button when you’re within 90 degrees of your next pass, and it will steer the tractor onto the next line. It even works in reverse.