Lightbar guidance

[The Bachelor]

I see where these lightbar guidance things are getting almost affordable (around $1000 for the teejet centerline). I was wondering if anyone uses these things and if they pay for themselves over time. I know I do run over the same spots alot when I'm raking or mowing.

Anyone with any opinions?

 

[dun]

I see where these lightbar guidance things are getting almost affordable (around $1000 for the teejet centerline). I was wondering if anyone uses these things and if they pay for themselves over time. I know I do run over the same spots alot when I'm raking or mowing.

Anyone with any opinions?

I had one and sold it, a waste of money. I don;t understand the going over the same places mowing and raking. I can see where I've mowed and where I've already raked. Where they would come in handy is for things like spraying, broadcasting and drilling into an unprepared seedbed. If your fields are square, not Ozark square, they might work pretty well. Odd shaped fields they suck. When you make a turn at the end of a pass it takes a bit for them to catch up and let you set up for your next pass.
I put a foam marker on the sprayer and set it up so I could transfer it easily to the drill. Works a lot better then the GPS guidance system.

 

[The Bachelor]

I see where these lightbar guidance things are getting almost affordable (around $1000 for the teejet centerline). I was wondering if anyone uses these things and if they pay for themselves over time. I know I do run over the same spots alot when I'm raking or mowing.

Anyone with any opinions?

I had one and sold it, a waste of money. I don;t understand the going over the same places mowing and raking. I can see where I've mowed and where I've already raked.

Your right, I was thinking more of at night. but even at night it wouldn't make much sense. For harrowing it might, just to move the tractor position over 7 feet or so same with broadcast seeding. But from what it sounds like, they aren't worth the money.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[Jogeephus]

I dealt with some folks who were selling precision fertilization. They did soil tests and mapped the field according to its specific needs. They gave you a beautiful detailed color map of your field and what needed to be placed where. Only problem, the 40 acre field they mapped was actually 60 acres. Their GPS got messed up when the satellite constellation was blocked by some trees. I know they were embarrassed. I thought it was funny. :lol: GPS is a wonderful tool but without post processing its not as consistantly accurate as many would have you believe.

 

[KenB]

I see where these lightbar guidance things are getting almost affordable (around $1000 for the teejet centerline). I was wondering if anyone uses these things and if they pay for themselves over time. I know I do run over the same spots alot when I'm raking or mowing.

Anyone with any opinions?

I had one and sold it, a waste of money. I don;t understand the going over the same places mowing and raking. I can see where I've mowed and where I've already raked. Where they would come in handy is for things like spraying, broadcasting and drilling into an unprepared seedbed. If your fields are square, not Ozark square, they might work pretty well. Odd shaped fields they suck. When you make a turn at the end of a pass it takes a bit for them to catch up and let you set up for your next pass.

I put a foam marker on the sprayer and set it up so I could transfer it easily to the drill. Works a lot better then the GPS guidance system.

dun,
Any recommendations on foam markers?

 

[dun]

Any recommendations on foam markers?

Mr.Billy has/had plans for a home made one. I got an SKS from Linco in IL.
They're kind of pricey, any of the markers, but I did some research and decided on the SKS model. I have the 6 gallon I think, wish I would have gone one size larger. With my boom width, about 17 feet, at 5 mph I have to refill the marker once while I'm spraying a 25 acre field. It's not that big of a deal since I have to fill the spray tank 5 times for that field.

 

[rgv]

How big is the tank?

RGV

 

[dun]

How big is the tank?

RGV

Apparently it 9 gallons, I thought it was around 5-6
http://www.linco.com/foamers.htm

 

[farmerjohn]

I have had a Centerline 220 for about a year. I use it for applying liquid and granular fertilzer, spraying and seeding. Works very good. A whole lot better than a foam marker to me. If you are just dropping one line of foam at the tractor you still have to guess where the next swath is. My gps is accurate within about a foot.
My biggest fields are 40 acres. I also have some small fields 5-10A as well as some small one acre odd shaped pieces around the creek and trees. I don't find it a problem to use it in these areas. As soon as I move to one of these areas, just layout a new reference line and follow it.
I have also used it to mow with my 15' batwing mower just for kicks- worked ok.

I can now buy 3 tons of fertilizer, set the spreader for 300 lbs/A and actually cover the amount of acres I am supposed to. Before I would have a 8-10' overlap because I could not see my tire tracks in the short grass. At least now when I calculate production records for my fields they are based on accurate fertilizer applications.

BTW, if you buy one make sure that it has been updated. On Julyy 31 the gov't took two of our WAAS satellites off line and replaced them with two new ones. To get your GPS to see them requires sending it back for a software update. Cost me $20