News & Events.
Old but precise
25th of September, 2008
Old but precise When Victorian Mallee farming brothers Albert and George Oliver built their own four-wheel-drive articulated tractor in 1977 there was no way they could foresee that in 2008 they would be sitting in the cabin, hands off the wheel, watching it steer across their paddocks with 2 cm precision.
The 79 year old twins, who still work every day on the farm near Manangatang, have readily adapted to GPS technology and marvelled at its benefits. They defy the stereotypical view that older people find it difficult to cope with modern electronic equipment. Just two days after installation of the new gear Albert found himself against a fence on the headland with no visibility in the dust. "I just pressed the ‘go’ button and the old tractor swung around and put itself back on the next run." This year they did 90 per cent of the sowing with the aid of GPS guidance while their two sons sprayed ahead and kept the seed up. Albert’s son, Peter, had seen the potential for applying better technology to their cropping operation and approached Jim Castles from GPS-Ag who is based at Ouyen.
Jim takes up the story. "I had only been with the company a month when Peter rang. It sounded routine and I arranged a visit. He then said ‘the only thing is that we're putting it on a home built tractor’. I thought to myself, yeah, right! "My training had told me that our Autofarm systems would fit anything, so I said yes, we can do it. It actually turned out to be pretty straightforward and no more expensive than any other tractor. "They had to change the steering from the original spool valve arrangement to an orbital system and once we figured out the right dimensions for the hydraulic hoses, it was a piece of cake," Jim says. Albert says the new steering is a better arrangement. "We just used to what we knew about back in those days." According to Jim, the Oliver's home built tractor steers as well as any installation he has been involved with. "A lot of farmers ask me if I can make Autofarm steer their older tractors. I tell them it doesn't matter what colour, or what age, or even if you built it yourself, we can give it 2 cm precision!" George Oliver's son, Kevin, operates a Ford New Holland 9680 as the second large tractor on the family's 12,000 acres of owned and leased country. The cousins decided to equip both tractors with identical A5 Autofarm RTK 2 cm systems that rely on base stations at either end of the spread. Jim Castles says both stations are available to other farmers in the area using GPS-Ag gear. "We're creating a network right across the Mallee." "Putting the same system in both tractors has worked well," Kevin says. "The old blokes were on the radio to each other during sowing. One would work out how to do something and then tell the other. They were both determined to get on top of the technology and they did."
Peter Oliver has seen major advantages with the systems. "It really takes the pressure off at night and when you are working in dust. And you know that everything is right no matter who’s on the tractor. "But the real benefit is what you save by avoiding overlap. In one paddock of 640 acres, we saved 20 acres. It's costing us about $80 per acre - that really adds up. Just in that one paddock we were $1600 ahead. "We’re also looking at going to inter-row sowing down the track. We are presently on 12 inch spacing, so it should work well. "With GPS-Ag's systems, we can swap them on to the older tractors for spraying, and then on to the headers for harvesting. "It's really amazing when you think about the old tractor. On paper the GPS is probably worth more than the tractor but here we have a 30 year old home built doing the same job as new, expensive tractors. It's using a litre per acre and that's better than most modern stuff," Peter added.
The brothers’ adoption of satellite technology perhaps isn't so amazing, even at their age, when you consider what they have achieved without any engineering training or qualifications. Their tractor has worked for 30 years and over 14,000 hours. Power comes from an 8V 71 Series GM diesel putting out around 315 hp at 2100 rpm. It drives through a 13 speed Fuller transmission via a drop box which splits the power between two massive Sherman tank differentials. It's never been weighed but George Oliver estimates it would go at least 15 tonnes, possibly closer to 20. "It certainly doesn't need any ballast. It's very well balanced and provides good traction. We have only replaced two tyres since new. "It took us about a year to finish the project - about six months scratching stuff together and another six months to actually build it. We had the cabin built in Ballarat but did everything else ourselves." Stories about the old tractor abound. The tyre dealer who took the order for the original eight 18.4 x 34’s thought all his Christmases had come at once. He went into the pub and shouted the bar!
The brothers once decided to find the tractor’s top speed. George said they got it up to almost 90 km per hour and still had a gear left but weren't game to use it! Other engineering exploits include the building of a self propelled 7 metre header using the bodies of two Sunshine Harvester No 7 pto machines at a time when a 3 or 4 metre front was considered large. They used it for 29 trouble free years.
For further information on fitting 2 cm precision to old or new tractors contact GPS-Ag on a 03 5447 1777 or info@gps-ag.com.au.
Further information: Adam Hutton 0429 362 502
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