AutoSteer for combines

Aug 25, 2004 12:17 PM, by Wayne Wenzel

AutoFarm kit extends RTK and DGPS system capabilities through harvest.

For farmers who already have an AutoFarm AutoSteer system on their tractor or sprayer, a new add-on kit is available that extends no-hands steering capabilities to a combine.

AutoFarm says the kit will be available on a wide range of Case IH and John Deere combines. The systems have been qualified on 16 combine platforms, including Case IH 2366 and 2388, Case IH AFX8010, and Deere 50 and 60 series STS and CTS combines. Additional models may be qualified in response to customer requests. The combine install kit is designed to allow an operator to take an existing AutoFarm AutoSteer (RTK GPS sub-inch accurate) system and switch it from a tractor to a combine. It will also transfer an existing StepOne DGPS (4- to 6-in. accurate) system to a combine.

Why would a Midwest corn and bean grower want an AutoSteer combine? Reduced driver stress and less crop loss are big reasons. And possibly few headaches from challenging harvest situations such as downed corn. With AutoSteer, the operator can maintain speed while the combine automatically steers precisely on the same lines used for planting. This keeps an even crop load through the threshing chamber while allowing the operator to focus on other activities such as unloading the crop into grain carts.

Price for the AutoFarm combine install kit is $4,495. But it’s important to point out that this install kit price is for installation in conjunction with an existing AutoFarm RTK AutoSteer kit or system (or DGPS system) already in use on a tractor or other equipment.

For more information, contact AutoFarm, 1350 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025, visit www.gpsfarm.com, or call 866/428-8632.