Things Are Changing...Fast!
I asked a former John Deere salesman named Chad a few questions about how he has seen tractors change over the past few years, and how long he had been around tractors. "I have been around tractors to see them change for around thirty years" (Chad). I then asked him what the biggest change he has seen in tractors over those years, and he said it was technology. "The technology in the cab has expanded greatly from auto steer to Ipad tablets" (Chad). Following into that, I asked him what changes he sees being made in the future, and his reply was technology and more automation. "With better technology, yields continue to rise. So as the technology gets better, the higher the yields get" (Chad). I had previously known Chad and knew that he worked with drones and asked him if he saw them and tractors preforming together. All he said was that the drones will become popular here in the U.S. in the next few years, but didn't say anything about them working together with tractors. Finally, I questioned him on driverless tractors. I asked him if they would become a common technique. His response was a definite yes. "A problem with a farm is finding skilled labor, and that they are trying new ways to bypass people" (Chad).
Technology has come along way. Even since the year 2000, new screens and monitors have increased efficiency, productivity, and keeps farming fun and exciting. Now if you want to spend the money, you can make your tractor drive itself through the field, then turn at the end too! Everything has come a long way from where it started.
Technology has come along way. Even since the year 2000, new screens and monitors have increased efficiency, productivity, and keeps farming fun and exciting. Now if you want to spend the money, you can make your tractor drive itself through the field, then turn at the end too! Everything has come a long way from where it started.
Precision Planting to Precision Farming
Precision Planting is a huge company and still growing. Gregg Sauder is the founder of it, but then in 2012, Monsanto bought Precision Planting for a HUGE lump sum of money (About Precision Planting). Precision makes technology specifically on planters to get the seed to as close to the preferred spot as possible to make the best possible yield. For example, they have a system called Clean Sweep which enables the trash wheels in the front of the row to push down or lift up. This allows you to get the right amount of trash out of the way. They also have a system called delta force which enables the whole row to lift or lower/push down to get the seed the correct depth in the ground. Now they are working on a belt that sets the seed in the ground instead of letting it fly down a tube. All of Precision's technology has advanced farms and the way we plant. Even though this equipment is expensive, if you farm enough acres it can pay back in a short amount of time.
Before Precision can sell and patent their inventions, they always test them on their planter. They have their own John Deere planter that is similar to the one shown in the picture to the left. They have to test their product to ensure it works. They also made a test stand that allows you to put your planter meter on it and make sure it works correctly. Then if there is a problem, you know it before you start planting and can fix the problem beforehand. When you put all this weight on the planter you need to figure out how to distribute it evenly which creates more problems for Precision to figure out. Everything just keeps adding up and tractors just keep changing!
Design Development
Design is a big factor and has become more advanced from the past. The cabs are a whole lot different than they used to be: they have more cushion underneath to have a smoother ride, the insulation has improved, and the air conditioning has become innovated. Also, the doors close tighter and are more safe. The seats are a different then they used to be also. The Active Seat can adjust up and down for people who are taller or shorter (John Deere). Then you can set it so the air inside acts like a cushion and makes it so the operator hardly feels bumps. Some of them even have a seat warmer with three different settings! The buddy seat (the seat that is beside the active seat that riders can sit on) are not as fancy as the Active Seat. They don't have any suspension or armrests, but are still comfortable.
Back to the Active Seat, on the right armrest, there are two levers. One is for your shifting/speed, and one is the throttle (it revs up the engine for more power). A new shifting method is called IVT (Infinitely Variable Transmission). It allows you to set a speed, and the engine will rev down and use the least amount of fuel possible, so fuel efficiency is a big factor and has changed. Then to the right of that they have a dash board type thing with a bunch of buttons and dials that allows you to see what you doing. In front of this there is a screen that is connected to the buttons and dials to show you how much fuel your using, how many acres per hour you are doing, etc.
All this technology keeps changing and tractors are never going to stay the same for long. Its hard to even think that we started out by walking fields and throwing seeds out and hope they grow. Now we can get the seed close to exactly where we want it and our tractors have cabs with air conditioning!
Back to the Active Seat, on the right armrest, there are two levers. One is for your shifting/speed, and one is the throttle (it revs up the engine for more power). A new shifting method is called IVT (Infinitely Variable Transmission). It allows you to set a speed, and the engine will rev down and use the least amount of fuel possible, so fuel efficiency is a big factor and has changed. Then to the right of that they have a dash board type thing with a bunch of buttons and dials that allows you to see what you doing. In front of this there is a screen that is connected to the buttons and dials to show you how much fuel your using, how many acres per hour you are doing, etc.
All this technology keeps changing and tractors are never going to stay the same for long. Its hard to even think that we started out by walking fields and throwing seeds out and hope they grow. Now we can get the seed close to exactly where we want it and our tractors have cabs with air conditioning!