GPS for tractor

[kthompson]

I am considering a GPS for spraying hay. I am not interesting in a steering system but would like a GPS that works well and simple. Want it to show where I have been (think that is called painting) and would like to be able to set it to spray in straight lines or follow the shape of the field. It would be nice if it calculated the size of the field but not required.

Open for recommendations. Thanks in advance.

 

[oosik]

The Trimble system can be set up to do this but its a quite expensive system. I would suggest that you contact Garmin, Magellan or possibly Loran.

 

[M5farms]

There are systems out there that are display only last time I priced them they started at about 500 and up to 1500 or so. there are a few droid or IPAD apps that do a decent job and I use one called agribus-navi and spraying simple . There are some paid apps but I have not tried them

 

[kthompson]

I did some checking a few weeks back and again yesterday. Would have thought some where there was a comparison between options only found one and it cost you. Had to buy annual subscription to their paper I think it was. But if Garmin has unit did not find on their web site. I did not look at any other auto gps company site but will. The brands I have come across are Teejet and Outback. Some others that were $2,000 and up I think mainly due to being design also to handle auto steer. Not been impressed with apps for smart phone or tablets of that have seen. You still need extra antenna to get the accuracy you want. At same time do not want a system that you down load and they stop support or you buy and they stop with support for some are an annual subscription.

I do not see my need being for anything other than spraying or spreading. Happened onto another forum with comments on gps but can not find them again. The discussion there was gps versus foam marking. It was easy 3 or 4 to 1 for the gps over the foam. Maybe even higher ratio. I sprayed my field yesterday and even with grass and weeds about a foot tall I had hard time seeing my last path to keep spacing anything like reasonable.

 

[M5farms]

If your doing the same fields all the time and they are flat enough you could do like the old timers and flag the fences with correct spacing. I have a homemade foam marker that I use and it works very well for my 36' boom sprayer.

 

[oosik]

I have one of Garmins top of the line hand held GPS units. Under the very best of conditions the location is + or - ten feet. Under normal conditions its + or - 15 feet.

 

[RickB]

I have one of Garmins top of the line hand held GPS units. Under the very best of conditions the location is + or - ten feet. Under normal conditions its + or - 15 feet.

That's the rub. For spraying level accuracy any free signal is inadequate.

The second piece of truth is that given an adequate signal, manual steering control becomes the inadequate link. Look into a light bar at an absolute bare bones minimum. Auto steer is universally used with good reason.

 

[Rustyiron]

I get a farming paper and Messicks will have a multi page flyer in it. They offer some gps units that seem not to expensive although I know nothing about them or the details of subscriptions or other parts. precision-farming
You might check out a local larger ag equipment dealer to see what they offer, but it's hard to imagine that a simple foam marking set up would not be pretty fast, cheap & simple.

 

[kthompson]

Some times the simple things are the hardest to think of. The idea of the flagging is a possibility. Think a guidance system will be better for will have spraying and spreading.

oosik, I like what you have in your posting on this country. So true.

M5farms, what do you think of those apps?

 

[M5farms]

Some times the simple things are the hardest to think of. The idea of the flagging is a possibility. Think a guidance system will be better for will have spraying and spreading.

oosik, I like what you have in your posting on this country. So true.

M5farms, what do you think of those apps?

If you ever notice beer or soda cans on fence post on old farms ? The first GPS our granpas used. Im pretty good with a fertilizer buggy getting my 45' spacing and I just site a tree or post. The app works good for me with my utv and my boomless sprayr , I use it in the wooded areas and it does a 12' swath. Never had an issue with the signal