Satelitenavigated Crawler Fendt

[Laapa]

Looking at the Fendt on the Newssite with GPS navigating system and crawler tracks.

The operator says he can use exactly the same drivelines every year, thanks to the navigation system. If so, why use tracks, why not just ordinary tramlines and narrow tyres.

Also for the price of that system I guess you could loose quite a bit of crop from driving on them and still save money. In fact, I think I could build a railroad in the fields as permanent drivelines for that kind of money!

[Woodbeef]

Hey Laapa,

I thought it sounded awful expensive too. I'd like to know how they penciled it out,and how long it is going to take recoup the purchase costs?

[Laapa]

Maybe they used to have poor drivers who constantly got lost and sunk their Fendts into deep swamps never to be found again.  ;D

That way this system might payt for itself quite quickly!

[eppie]

Laapa,

The Dutch agricultural magazine "Boerderij" said that the GPS system was able to drive at 15 cm precision, the drivers had sometimes 50 cm difference.

The owners are "biological farmers" what means they dont spray weedkiller, but kill weed with a hoe on the Fendt. Then, it is useful to ride very precise, else you would hoe away your spinach or whatever.  All stripes on the land, not done by the Fendt with hoe has to be done with hand hoe, with awful expensive labor.

Dont ask me why, but some people pay double the price for unsprayed vegetables.  I dont, Dutch laws are the tightest on earth on subjects like environment, so it will never happen that anybody eats vegetables sprayed with D.D.T.

The expense of the system is not my first wonder. I wonder why they did'nt bought a 716 instead of a 916. The 716 weighs almost 2000 kg less. With a 716, they wouldn't need those tracs to gain the low soil pressure.

[Woodbeef]

Hey Renze,

So you mean that those guys are organic farmers then?

[eppie]

Woodbeef, I think what we call "Bio-dynamic" is the same as you call "organic" farmers.

Goed goan, Renze.

[Woodbeef]

The more I look at that track system to more I wonder how long it will hold up. For that much $$$ you would thought it would be a tad bit more stouter in construction,eh! Or am I just viewing it from a Canadian point of view not European?

[[e-mail]]

This technology is "old news", if you can call 2 1/2 years "old". Somedays, it is old.

Anyways, farmers in California have been using this sort of technology for 2 seasons now. Last year it appeared in the US mid-west for the first time.

Beeline Technologies is one of the leaders of this technology. Visit their website at www.beelinenavigator.com/home.htm . They're pretty good with information, so fill out the form - they'll send you a nice bit of literature. It explains it a lot better then the website.

[eppie]

Woodbeef, the tracks only pulls a small harvest cart, or carry a hoe or a powerharrow. They dont need to make big traction efforts.

But i agree, it is a kinda toy-like construction.