Technology - the enabler of bad things or maybe not

[jason812]

Friday I had a moment of weakness. I've been wanting a PPQ .40 since they came out and since the introduction of the M2, it became harder to find the M1 (I like the paddle mag release plus it shares mags with the P99).

While setting in a tractor with the AC on, listening to the radio, pulling a boll buggy during cotton harvest, I bought one off of gunbroker using my phone. It should be here by the end of the week.

[flechero]

You're spoiled! No cab, no a/c and no radio in our tractor! And it gets so dusty, I don't even carry a phone when on it.

But congrats on the PPQ find!

[The Marshal]

Now that is funny.

[Abraham]

Tractor?

Sheesh, we had mules.

Before the mules, I'd just hitch up the wife.

[JustSomeOldGuy]

My BIL (currently working as a foreman on a big farm in Georgia) was telling me a few months back about the high end tractors with inertial sensors and GPS. They program the GPS with the field location, dimensions, and pattern. Once the 'driver' gets the tractor to the field, the electronics take over and the driver becomes a passenger.....so they can now hire tractor 'drivers' with no experience who couldn't disc or plow a straight line on their own to save their life.....they only have to find their way between the equipment barn and the current field.....

I'm still not entirely sure he isn't shining me on...........

[krieghoff]

My BIL (currently working as a foreman on a big farm in Georgia) was telling me a few months back about the high end tractors with inertial sensors and GPS. They program the GPS with the field location, dimensions, and pattern. Once they 'driver' gets the tractor to the field, the electronics take over and the driver becomes a passenger.....so they can now hire tractor 'drivers' with no experience who couldn't disc or plow a straight line on their own to save their life.....they only have to find their way between the equipment barn and the current field.....

I'm still not entirely sure he isn't shining me on...........

On large plots this has been a way of life for several years. I have two friends who use GPS programs in their tractors. I have watched the tractors several times and it's kinda like watchin paint dry. Very boring!!

[TreyHouston]

My BIL (currently working as a foreman on a big farm in Georgia) was telling me a few months back about the high end tractors with inertial sensors and GPS. They program the GPS with the field location, dimensions, and pattern. Once they 'driver' gets the tractor to the field, the electronics take over and the driver becomes a passenger.....so they can now hire tractor 'drivers' with no experience who couldn't disc or plow a straight line on their own to save their life.....they only have to find their way between the equipment barn and the current field.....

I'm still not entirely sure he isn't shining me on...........

On large plots this has been a way of life for several years. I have two friends who use GPS programs in their tractors. I have watched the tractors several times and it's kinda like watchin paint dry. Very boring!!

PUT ME IN THAT TRACTOR AND I PROMISE IT WILL NOT BE BORING!!!!

[jason812]

My BIL (currently working as a foreman on a big farm in Georgia) was telling me a few months back about the high end tractors with inertial sensors and GPS. They program the GPS with the field location, dimensions, and pattern. Once they 'driver' gets the tractor to the field, the electronics take over and the driver becomes a passenger.....so they can now hire tractor 'drivers' with no experience who couldn't disc or plow a straight line on their own to save their life.....they only have to find their way between the equipment barn and the current field.....

I'm still not entirely sure he isn't shining me on...........

On large plots this has been a way of life for several years. I have two friends who use GPS programs in their tractors. I have watched the tractors several times and it's kinda like watchin paint dry. Very boring!!

Not my tractor, I couldn't afford it but I was helping my buddy who's dad farms 1100 acres and custom harvests another 500. Yes they have GPS. Load the tractor and implement in the GPS unit, select your pattern or direction of travel, how much overlap between passes, point the tractor close the direction you want to go and hit a button. The newer units recognize the field you are in and you can pre-program the patterns. The tractor will steer but you still have to select engine RPM, gear, and turn around at the end of the field or steer around obstacles (electrical poles). Plus you have to pay attention to catch when something breaks so you don't really tear a piece of equipment up. Things break all the time I have learned. I hear they are working on software to perform turning around.

You ought to set in the seat when you have a 2 mile long field going 4-6mph pulling a plow... The GPS unit will sound an alarm checking to make sure you are still awake before you get to the end of the pass.

Flechero, its still dirty work but not near as bad or loud as an open cab. When I have to drive one of the open cab tractors, I wear earplugs.

[RoyGBiv]

I had a JD 2030 way back when. Apparently, there was a version with a cab. I didn't own that one.

Congrats on the gunbroker find... but.. I'm more jealous of the tractor with A/C, to be honest.

[JustSomeOldGuy]

I figure in five to ten years, anything the tractor software doesn't do now will "trickle down" from the driverless car software development going on right now......

[flechero]

Flechero, its still dirty work but not near as bad or loud as an open cab. When I have to drive one of the open cab tractors, I wear earplugs.

Oh, I know! I wear ear muffs with am/fm built in. When shredding- my whole body is the color of dust after an hour or two! We sub'd out the hay production as well.