Using pioneering technology first introduced by John Deere on its agricultural tractors and other self-propelled equipment in 2001, the company’s versatile compact tractor range can now be equipped with a StarFire satellite receiver and AutoTrac Universal automatic steering system.
This is designed to help operators achieve higher levels of accuracy and input cost savings when working with implements such as amenity turf sprayers, spreaders and drills.
Mike Ramsay of MC Country Services Ltd, who is based in Rushden in Northamptonshire, bought one of the first John Deere AutoTrac compact tractors in the UK from his local dealer Farol Ltd after seeing a top of the range 66hp 4066R at the IOG Saltex show.
Mike offers a wide variety of professional grass, paddock, pasture and sports field maintenance plus fencing services for local councils, utilities, private estates, agricultural and equine properties and smallholdings across Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.
He specialises in reseeding, spraying, mowing and topping, fertilising, harrowing, soil aeration and hedgecutting, and up until his visit to Saltex had been running a fleet of three compact tractors – one 35hp and two 50hp – on turf tyres to take the range of implements needed to perform each task.
“I was looking specifically to buy an extra tractor with more horsepower to join the fleet, particularly for flail mowing and hedgecutting,” says Mike. “I was also looking at the latest GPS technology to help me do the jobs more efficiently and productively, and with more accuracy. I wanted to save both time and wastage of inputs through overlapping or misses, particularly with the sprayer, spreader and drill attachments.
“I went for the full GPS system with AutoTrac automatic hands-free steering, a GreenStar 4640 touchscreen display, SF6000 satellite receiver and SF3 signal plus JDLink telematics. I’ve also since bought a matching John Deere 440R front loader.
“Using JDLink I can get reports sent to my phone and/or PC straight after any job, just the same as with John Deere’s bigger agricultural tractors. For example, when I’m spraying, the system records wind speed, temperature, tank mix contents, application rates, you name it. Customers love it – I can send them the details straight away. The system’s connectivity is fantastic for record keeping, accountability and traceability.
“Once the tractor has been set up for a particular job, you just set a constant speed and away you go – the only time you touch the steering wheel is when you need to turn around, but then the system finds the next parallel pass and away you go again. Hitch Assist is a fantastic system as well, I use it all the time – the implements are heavy, and this reduces the time taken to hitch them up by about 50 per cent.
“The tractor’s GreenStar 4640 display controls all the main precision turf operations, including data capture and documentation, AutoTrac hands-free steering and sprayer Section Control. I also use the John Deere MyOperations app via JDLink, which is brilliant for monitoring and managing field work.
“Basically I’m very happy to sit in the John Deere all day, I just love using it for every job, and it’s amazing how much time you can save doing them. I wouldn’t have a tractor without AutoTrac now, not for the work I do.”
