# Guidance System for John Deere Tractor



## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

I have an '09 7230premium John Deere that I am looking to install some sort of guidance system on. The tractor is "greenstar ready", but what exactly does this mean. I'm not really looking for steering assistance just guidance. I see there are systems from Raven for under $2,000. What would be needed from John Deere to hook up with my tractors wiring system? Just not very knowledged on this, any help would be appreciated.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

I don't have GPS (although I REALLY want it) because I understand that getting on Deere's system requires a one-time payment of $8000 (NOT $8k per tractor). Best advice I can give you is to call your dealer and let us know what you find out.


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## Circle MC Farms LLC (Jul 22, 2011)

Greenstar ready means you can go to your Deere dealer and buy a Starfire receiver which will allow the tractor to use RTK which is in essence, autosteer. From your description I think you're looking for something more along the Light bar range. Still plenty of precision but much less expensive than Starfire and it doesn't require a subscription.

http://www.spraysmarter.com/raven-cruizer-ii-w-helix.html

Edit: the cruiser is also expandable for section control on planters or sprayers if you decide you want that later down the road.


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

Farmboy555 said:


> Greenstar ready means you can go to your Deere dealer and buy a Starfire receiver which will allow the tractor to use RTK which is in essence, autosteer. From your description I think you're looking for something more along the Light bar range. Still plenty of precision but much less expensive than Starfire and it doesn't require a subscription.
> 
> http://www.spraysmarter.com/raven-cruizer-ii-w-helix.html
> 
> Edit: the cruiser is also expandable for section control on planters or sprayers if you decide you want that later down the road.


So I'm guessing any components from Deere is going to require a subscription? Your link to spraysmarter is pretty much exactly what I want, just didn't know if there was anything from John Deere that would be similar in cost and effectiveness. I'm think the Raven Cruizer might be better anyway so that I could move it to a tractor with out greenstar.


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## Circle MC Farms LLC (Jul 22, 2011)

Most of them do yes. They're also super expensive. With the Deere options you're talking about sub-inch accuracy and you pay for it. The monitors/controllers themselves are about $9,000 and the subscription for a certain number of tractors is $2,000 annually. For what you're doing I'd recommend the Raven as you're not looking for that kind of accuracy and it allows easy transfer ability that the Deere options will not.


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## jdhayday (May 12, 2014)

That is kind of what i was thinking. Thanks for the info!


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

BIL just had to replace his old lightbar this past spring when it decided it didn't want to start up at the beginning of the season. He got a New Holland EZ-Guide 500. Works great.

It all depends on what you want to do. If you just need basic guidance with a WAAS signal (free signal, basically GPS) will get you down to about 6 inch accuracy. That's the signal type we're using with the basic 500 model guidance system, for spraying crops mostly. It's a simple lesson to learn (I've never used one until I started helping the BIL last year plant and harvest crops, and did a bunch of corn spraying for them this spring. IF I can learn it, anybody can). Some nice features on these new ones that older ones didn't have, like mapping and you can set it to "paint" the field yellow where you've covered, so you can minimize overlap and stuff (turns brown if you overlap the yellow stripes where you've already sprayed, unsprayed ground remains "green" on the screen.) You can plant with them too; if we were using a wider drill, we'd need it there for sure. (Planting soybeans with a 15 foot CIH 5400 no-till drill on a 2290 Case, you just put the edge of the last pass about 2 feet outside the outside dual and drive... do it all by eye just about perfect.)

Now, if you want to do yield mapping or other stuff, or want greater accuracy, you have to move up to a "corrected" signal, which requires a subscription to access the local correction signal and a higher-cost system. There's a mid-range signal system that will get you down to about 2 inch accuracy for most crop use. These higher-end systems can do autosteer as well, and some even can control the implements, turning off the sprayer or raising the planter, shutting off row clutches on planters, etc... lots of stuff. They can also usually control variable-rate equipment as well for varying inputs based on yield mapping.

Real high end systems are the RTK signal systems. These are down to about 1/4 inch accuracy in all three dimensions, and use a corrected signal with a high dollar subscription. These use top of the line guidance systems as well. My nephew used one when he was working for a fellow running a field tiling business, laying drainage tile. The system not only autosteered the tractor, but automatically raised or lowered the tiling plow to keep the proper depth and maintain the proper slope and drainage of the tile as the ground surface varies. Of course these systems also can control the implement as well, and now Deere's even coming out with a system that links the autosteer in the combine with the autosteer system in the tractor, so that during harvest, the auger cart can pull up beside the combine, hit a button, and the combine controls both machines, automatically steering the tractor and combine together and speeding them up or slowing them down as required to keep the cart directly under the auger of the combine while it unloads to prevent spilled grain.

Of course, all it takes is a pocket full of money! Just depends on what you're trying to do. Even a basic system can do a LOT... (personally I'm not enthralled with "autosteer"... to me it takes the fun out of farming... what's the point? BUT, if I were in a tractor 12-14 hours a day or more all day every day for weeks on end trying to cover thousands of acres, I'd probably feel different...)

later! OL JR


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## ANewman (Sep 20, 2012)

hollhay said:


> I have an '09 7230premium John Deere that I am looking to install some sort of guidance system on. The tractor is "greenstar ready", but what exactly does this mean. I'm not really looking for steering assistance just guidance. I see there are systems from Raven for under $2,000. What would be needed from John Deere to hook up with my tractors wiring system? Just not very knowledged on this, any help would be appreciated.


Greenstar is John Deere's higher end guidance system. My buddy, that I work for, just had it installed on a spreader truck. In addition to being a guidance system, it can also be a rate controller for sprayer, planter, spreader and an engine monitoring system for your tractor. I spent the better part of last week trying to learn how to operate it, with the help of a Deere tech. We will never use it to its full potential. You probably won't either if you're just doing hay type stuff like basic spraying and fertilizer applications.

Like mentioned before, there are several more basic systems in the $1500-$2500 range. The names escape my right now. I think Tee-Jet makes one. They are worth the coin if you want guidance without needing to be accurate within the 1"-12" range.


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

I would like to find an auto steer system for my "greenstar ready" windrower as well, there seems to be a lot to choose from and not a bunch of info online about them.


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