CLAAS TRACTORS can now be fitted with a GPS-assisted steering system.

Dubbed E-Drive, the setup is designed to work in conjunction with SOYL‘s Outback guidance system.

It provides hands-free automatic steering and can be added as a bolt-on to existing Outback units.

The Outback guidance system is best described as a light-bar steering guide, where the operator must steer the tractor according to the information displayed on a LED light-bar.

A fairly straightforward task, the installation takes half a day and can be carried out by Claas dealers.

The E-Drive system can be programmed to control the tractor over straight or curved lines, checking and altering the position of the tractor‘s wheels five times per second.

In operation, the driver must set a guideline in the first instance – this will be shown on the display as pass 0 and acts as the reference point with which all other passes should run parallel.

The steering wheel is not disabled when the setup is operational, allowing the driver to regain control at any time by steering as normal.

On re-entry to a bout from a headland turn, the operator must press a button on the control box to engage the system once more.

Total cost for E-Drive – which includes the Outback system – is £7890, though existing Outback users need only upgrade at a cost of £5390.

A hefty outlay, but one that is not beyond the bounds of justification if SOYL‘s claims prove true.

The company says that users can save up to 7% in fertiliser, fuel and sprays, thanks to the system‘s ability to eliminate overlaps and misses.