To kick 2019 off with our first big news for the year, we are pleased to announce that we have been appointed an Ag Leader dealer in our region.
As our customer’s technology and compatibility needs are evolving, we could clearly see that there were some gaps and opportunities for both entry level and advanced GPS guidance, product control and data connectivity between machines and the office, or the farm owner/manager’s tablet or computer. Ag Leader product innovations such as Agfiniti and Display Cast really grabbed our attention as their data management and inter-vehicle communication is simple with minimal clicks, yet powerful and capable.
We have enjoyed getting hands on experience with units in the field, talking to existing owners and getting to know more about the company and the local dealer support available. We like that Ag Leader is privately owned and family operated – their product offering reflects that they listen to what the individual grower is looking for now and in the future. In the last two years we have extensively used Ag Leader SMS Advanced as a key part of our mapping services for yield maps, AB line and field management between different brands of displays and contour/zone variable rate prescriptions.
We recently installed an Incommand 1200 with Steer Command and Direct Command liquid ISObus rate and section control on a customer’s new Steer Ready Case Puma, and both the customer and ourselves were really impressed with its usability and performance.
Here are 5 Ag Leader features that immediately stood out to us.
- GPS & Glonass is standard.
Glonass is a Russian constellation of satellites and when you have access to them it can double the 7-10 satellites you normally receive with standard GPS. While it’s not uncommon for high end displays and GPS receivers or even your phone to have Glonass satellite access there is still plenty of GPS guidance sold new out of the box and its optional additional cost unlock to enable Glonass. Glonass is particularly good in our region with the prolific amount of trees in our paddocks. Whether you are using free to air or RTK GPS having the extra satellites reduces the chance of steering drop outs and also gives a better pass to pass accuracy option with no annual subscription cost.
- Ag Leader Compass is the great value entry level guidance
In a diverse region such as ours a good entry level GPS guidance unit and foam marker replacement is an important product to us. The Ag Leader Compass starting at $2500 Excl GST with a Glonass Enabled receiver is an easy to use display with an upgrade path to automated steering but also small enough to also be mounted with a suction mount on your windscreen and easily transferred between vehicles.
- User interface & menus are the same across all displays
From the entry level Compass through to the Incommand 1200 display the menus and user operation of the Ag Leader displays is consistent throughout. This is a great because the menus and operation are clear and simple to use, which also makes supporting our customers easier over the phone. AB line and Field data transfer between all the displays also works seamlessly.
- Display Cast and Agfiniti
Inter-vehicle communication such as Trimble Vehicle Sync is a highly valued feature by our customers but being Wifi transmission range is too limited for big fields and Wifi is sometimes just unreliable. Ag Leader Display Cast uses cellular communication overcoming limited range issues and when combined with a great value AgFiniti Essentials Annual Licence your data layers can automatically sync to the AgFiniti Mobile Ipad App and licenced copies of Ag Leader SMS basic or Advanced desktop software.
- Autosteer Auto Calibration…do we need to say anymore?!
We must admit it has really bugged us that the other high level autosteer systems with high accuracy gps signal and all the roll, pitch, yaw and steering sensors still need a lot of physical measurement for roll calibration etc. It is refreshing to see Ag Leader has this solved which is of great benefit to us as technicians and our customers. In addition it has been noticeable how well Ag Leader auto steers Trimble ready equipment particularly on challenging tractors that are commonly doing high speed work like Case Puma’s or New Holland T7’s.
There are many more Ag Leader great features and solutions and we look forward to sharing more of them in detail.
To find out more product information visit the Ag Leader website or contact our experienced staff to discuss your current and future GPS requirements.
Phone 08 8762 3316 or email contactus@southernprecision.com.au
