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Ryan, IA | Absolutely.
We started with the GPS equipment on our combine when we were able to pick up a couple of neighbor's jobs because they wanted it mapped. From there we saw the value in this with the planter when we added an ATU for steering. The intial costs of the technology will give you sticker shock, but since we started using this, we find more and more ways to see a return on the cost. In the winter time all of the field machinery is parked and we were able to move the receiver and display to the tractor to haul manure. After several of the mid-west snows we find we are scraping the outside yards, spreader hydraulics as fast they go. We spread this out, but don't travel in the field very far before we try to get back to the yards. Of course, as you are aware, you can clean the cattle sheds today, add bedding for several days/weeks before spreading manure again. If you are like us, we are setup with several cattle floors spread out so we haul in multiple fields at one time. This time between hauling days will find the snow covered where we were last. Now with GPS and the GS2 2600, we can find the last load and no overlap, no skips. We primarily use the 4555 on the spreader and don't have any form of autoguidance on this. We do use the same track lines as we plant with, so once you get out on the row you can pretty much follow it one end to the other. In the winter time when you don't have this corn row to follow, you have a tracking line to assist. This is not as slick as running the 7930 on the spreader in the winter w/AutoSteer and MFWD. The engineers didn't design the system to be worked this hard, but in those drifts and deep snow, the front end goes crazy but does a better than expected job of keeping the machine running straight.
We hate it when the tractors are covered in manure and will adjust how we haul in the field on the cross wind as well. We used to haul on the downwind side of the cross wind first so we were always driving on bare ground and not in the mess from before. The GPS hasn't totally taken care of this issue for us, but we now skip tracks on those days we are hauling in a cross wind and will wait until the manure has dried/frozen from a previous day and then fill in the tracks later - doing a shift track with the display if we are not hauling on a similar cross wind day so it's not overlapping. The coverage of our setup is triggered off of a toggle switch in place of an implement switch mounted in the cab on the 4555, or off of SCV in the 7930. This setup was originally for documenting where the manure was, but we quickly realized the other benefits of skipping tracks, knowing where we last hauled (especially w/multiple operators) and better coverage with autotrac/guidance lines.
Our liquid truck has not yet been setup with a mapping system as we tend to stick the pump in the pit and haul until the field is covered or the pit is empty. the spread pattern is much wider than a hydra-spread rig so skipping passes is not neccessary. We would like to put a system in the truck to be able to document as you are inclining about. There are added benefits with the liquid systems as well - mag flowmeters for better rates than with solid manure (all spreader styles), and the future of technology to detect nutrient value. When that becomes available, we may need a new truck/tank and can design that all in then. Right now the fields pretty much get covered with liquid manure so we can make a note in the field file which years we haul the liquid manure. Don't get me wrong, we would like to do it, just haven't gotten around to it.
For our operation, it all started because we had the equipment. Going forward it will be a part of the decision to purchase a piece of equipment. We are looking at a Rate Controller to control the sections on our planter, and now it is capable of controlling PWM valves which are much cheaper in hydraulic controls than the butterfly valves. This makes it attractive to be able to do variable rate, but more so to adjust flow based on speed - especially in snow and with a hydra-spread, those first two loads trying to get the cold oil exchanged so it still comes out perfect at the back end of the field if not doing variable rate.
You may not find all of these benefits in your operation, I realize that. But this is how it has grown into our operation.
EDIT: I added a couple of pictures - first one should be easily understood. The second one show the toggle switched right below the display for recording.
Edited by RBI 12/12/2010 20:11
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anyone use GPS to keep track of manure application?
