CINCINNATI, Ohio – John Deere has taken a big step in a new direction by introducing its AutoTrac Universal Steering Kit, designed to provide precision guidance to all makes and models of farm implements.
While Deere has a history of selling engines and cabs to other equipment manufacturers, it has not earned any awards when it comes to electronic compatibility with the rest of the ag implement world. Its proprietary GreenStar systems didn’t talk to other systems.
“We used to be pretty tight knit in keeping our precision guidance products on green equipment,” admited Laura Robson, a precision guidance specialist at John Deere.
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“But if you take a look at most farms, the equipment is seldom all one colour. We call them calico farms. There’s usually a couple different colours of equipment.
“Growers were saying they wanted to use just one guidance system for all their equipment. So that’s why we developed the AutoTrac Universal Steering Kit. It allows producers to put our guidance system on any colour of equipment.”
She said John Deere builds the system and sells it through its dealers. Steering column kits are specifically designed to be installed on the 400 most popular farm implements sold in North America. That number will increase as the company finds ways to fit the kit to more implements.
Robson said the two basic auto steering systems are integrated steering and universal steering. Newer ag implements are designed and built with an auto steer as an integral component of the machine.
“Universal works on older John Deere implements built prior to integrated steering. And it also works on the competitor’s equipment,” Robson said.
“For example, you can move the same AutoTrac Universal Steering Kit from your John Deere or New Holland tractor over to your red combine in the fall.
“It still requires our John Deere precision guidance system, either the original GreenStar display or the GreenStar 2 display and our ICC receiver. But we interface mechanically at the steering column with a chain drive. That’s why it will work on virtually any implement.”
Until now, automated implement guidance usually caused people to think of either the Outback style plumbed directly into steering hydraulics or the Trimble style that uses a rubber drive hub to turn the steering wheel directly.
When John Deere decided to move into the after market automated guidance business with kits for all brands and models of implements, it opted for a unique chain drive system.
The GPS GreenStar electronic steering motor is one of the new generation, high-sensitivity motors that responds to slight input signals.
One end of the motor has a sprocket for a chain that resembles a bicycle chain. The chain goes around another sprocket that has been fitted over the splines on the steering column.
The electronic motor moves the chain clockwise or counter clockwise to turn the steering column right or left.
Robson said the universal kit is easy to install:
- Remove the original steering wheel and hang it on the shed wall.
- Slide the new kit over the steering column and tighten the nut on the new John Deere steering wheel.
The kit is pre-assembled and sealed, so the customer never sees the motor, chain or splines. There are different splined collars for each of the 400 implements approved for the kit.
List price for the AutoTrac Universal Steering Kit is $2,150. The customer must also have the GreenStar display and GPS receiver.
For more information, visit a John Deere dealer or stellarsupport.deere.com.
