AgTalk Home
AgTalk Home
Search Forums | Classifieds (8) | Skins | Language
You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

Legacy vs Z2 Steercommand
View previous thread :: View next thread
   Forums List -> Precision TalkMessage format
 
tedbear
Posted 7/31/2022 13:42 (#9774145 - in reply to #9774047)
Subject: RE: Legacy vs Z2 Steercommand


Near Intersection of I-35 & I-90 Southern Mn.
I had three of the legacy SteerCommand units. One is in an older 8310 and another in an 8120 with ILS. Both tractors use external steering valves. The 8120 could have been equipped with Deere's steering valve but was not ordered with it. The 8310 used a Trimble 750 and the 8120 used an Ag Leader Insight both with Nav II's prior to the SteerCommands. I went to SteerCommand through an Ag Leader trade-up program. The trade-up program included InCommand 1200s and 6500 GPSs. They remain in those tractors and work fine but are limited in that I only use WAAS corrected GPS systems with them.

The third tractor is an 8310R which we use for planting. It had a legacy SteerCommand in it. It used an Ag Leader 6500 unlocked for Glonass and TerraStar. I buy a yearly subscription for it. This worked very well on this tractor through the tractor's CAN system. This required an unlock from both Ag Leader and Deere. HOWEVER, although the legacy SteerCommand worked fine with the tractor, the system did not always recognize that SteerCommand was present. Upon initial startup, the system might or might not recognize that SteerCommand was present. If it recognized that SteerCommand was present, it worked fine. Sometimes shutting everything down and restarting did the trick. Other times pulling the fuse on the pink branch, waiting and putting it back did the trick. This was rather spooky especially during planting time when we needed auto steer the most. Again when it "caught" it worked very well. The fear was that someday it might not "catch" when we needed to plant so we often left all the electronics "ON" overnight so as not to have that problem.

This Spring I decided to go with SteerCommand Z2 in that tractor to eliminate that potential problem. Changing from SteerCommand to SteerCommand Z2 was very easy. One thing that is different is that there is a separate ethernet cable (the small one with 4 pins) that goes between the Z2 SMU and the InCommand. The ethernet branch of the original display cable is no longer used. We used this for planting this Spring. It worked very well and never failed to be recognized.

So in conclusion: The legacy SteerCommands steered all 3 tractors very well. The SteerCommand Z2 steers the 8310R very well also AND never fails as far as being recognized. I may have had an unusual combination with the 8310R as there has never been a problem of that type with the other two tractors. Guess I would recommended going with the Z2 unless the price favors the legacy model considerably. I still don't know why they didn't go with a completely new name rather than just adding the Z2 to the name.

I am now in the process of installing Steady Steer in my Deere 9770 combine. This is assisted steering. The SMU appears to be the same one as is in the 8310R tractor but may have different internal locks. I installed it just this week and did a calibration which seemed to be accepted. I wasn't able to actually test it for some reason. I had to move that InCommand and GPS back to the Hagie for manual steering and application in the sprayer for fungicide application in soybeans. Once this is done, I will move it back to the combine again for harvest. I may investigate moving the Steady Steer to the Hagie next year.

Thanks for your tips in another thread about the pinout for the remote engage. I wasn't able to get "that far" to test it.

Edited by tedbear 8/6/2022 08:37
Top of the page Bottom of the page


Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

(Delete cookies)