Wallace: The GPS Guru

In the upcoming weeks most of you will be attending Tradeshows, Seminars, Courses, and Training. In preparation for this upcoming cropping season you will most likely be in search of the next step in precision ag equipment for your farming operations. With all the new products on the market today how do you decide which to purchase? What is the best fit for you, and your operation?

I thought I would offer some pointers for those of you looking to buy new precision ag equipment. There is a lot more than just price to consider, and although the price of the equipment is a factor I personally believe it is lower down on the list of reasons that determine which equipment you purchase.

Here is my list of things to consider and ask about before buying:

 Availability
 Compatibility
 Demands
 Features
 Functionality
 Upgradability
 Service
 Support
 Price

Availability is a key thing to look at in the market place right now. There are a lot of dealers who are selling equipment but can’t get inventory. Demand is a good thing but supply is usually in short supply. If you follow the next few hints and it turns out to be the unit you want, do not procrastinate on the purchase of the system, leaving it to the last minute will leave you rushing to get it installed, or not even in possession of the system when you need it the most. Waiting for your equipment to arrive and be shipped is not a lot of fun for the dealer and for yourself, especially when it’s time to head to the field.

Compatibility is also important, and I see many people make the mistake of buying equipment that is not compatible with existing components. If you have a red tractor, a yellow sprayer and a green combine and they all have something in them for a precision ag system, are they all compatible?  If you make planting maps can you utilize them at harvest to make a bit of sense on what happened this season? Will all the data you collect be available to start working on a field history and analyze what’s going on in your fields? If the data all speaks a different language, then communication between the systems is invalid unless you go to the trouble and time to convert the data from one format to another. The key point is if you are looking at a new system and it doesn’t communicate with what you currently own what’s the point in owning it?

Demands refers to the demands you will put on the equipment. This may sound simple but your list of demands should be clear before buying. What do you want the system to do for you? What level of accuracy do you need for the tasks at hand? Are you going to move it from vehicle to vehicle? When determining your demands, be inventive and think about the future and what you may want to do with the equipment down the road. You may not be ready to do everything at the beginning, but when you are, you’ll want the right equipment so you don’t have to buy a second system.

Features are next. Once you have your demands established you can move on to the features that the system offers. Does it have a touch screen display? Can you load field data on it? Will it do VRA (Variable Rate Application)? Can you customize the system for your personal settings? Does the equipment fit properly in your cab? Look for the features that will make the system user friendly and encourage you to use it whenever possible. The features available tell you a lot about the company that built the system. Having the right features available indicates the manufacturer is thinking about your needs as a customer, and how to make the equipment work better for you.

Next week, we’ll cover the rest of the list that prospective buyers should check before making a purchase. If you have any comments or questions about anything I have stated here please feel free to contact me at jordan@gpsontario.ca