Review of John Deere’s Universal Autotrac system
John Deere Universal Autotrac
Build quality
Professional. Unkempt wiring is neater on current production systems, and disappears altogether if the tractor is GreenStar-ready.
Installation/transfer
Two cab boxes, steering motor, receiver, four connections. Motor unit includes wheel and stabilisers, so is easy to swap between Deeres, other brands need a different hub insert.
Slope/tilt compensation is now standard, requires calibration when moved between machines. As with the Trimble, that involves finding a hard, flat surface, marking wheel position then turning the machine through 180°.
Cab impact
Slim motor does not tangle with the driver’s knees, block view to (Deere) instruments or limit column adjustment. A sturdy cab pillar bracket carries the medium-sized GreenStar display. Very quiet.
Getting guidance
Convoluted menus slow operation – seven button pushes are needed to get under way. System will accept EGNOS correction for other operations or for purely manual guidance, but steering-assist requires Deere’s free StarFire 1 signal. Bigger, colour GreenStar 2 displays are a more-cost option.
Finding the next line
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Display clear, though tractor graphic tiny and the screen rather cluttered. Offers the widest next-pass approach funnel – 40° angle and 40% of swath width – which allows very early engagement, even on narrow headlands. If this is from a wide angle and close to the headland mark, the tractor may not settle on track before the pass starts. Engagement is from cryptic touch pads below the steering wheel.
During guidance
Particularly calm responses. Simple terminology allows easy adjustment once you have found the right menu. The user can’t define a headland, but Deere’s predictor remembers the turn point of the previous pass and beeps. Guidance continues for 90sec when reversing or until you steer round an obstacle, then is immediately available again on moving forwards. Can change swath width during a job.
Accuracy
Used SF1 correction, which has a slight edge over EGNOS. Accuracy was the best by a country mile, with all 10 runs inside 20cm of the next-pass target and minimal wander. Excellent at 5kph, highly impressive at 12kph.
Other tricks
Curve guidance is available with version 1.1 software, which was released in June 2006, but not in the test unit. Shift track function, position marking.
Conclusion-8 out of 10
Best pass-pass performance in test, heavy price tag reduces final score. Menus need simplification, swappability not as good as Trimble.
For details about how this table is measured and to return to the performance reviews: