Direct/Strip-till drilling photo gallery

[clbarclay]

I wonder what a driverless tractor like that costs to buy and run compared to a conventional tractor and adapting it to run autonomously.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

 

[sjt01]

I wonder what a driverless tractor like that costs to buy and run compared to a conventional tractor and adapting it to run autonomously.

Just over £300,000, with 3 year warranty and servicing. If you take a conventional tractor, and add say 5 year's driver's wages it comes out looking reasonable compared to say a 724 with similar performance

 

[Wombat]

Just over £300,000, with 3 year warranty and servicing. If you take a conventional tractor, and add say 5 year's driver's wages it comes out looking reasonable compared to say a 724 with similar performance

What’s its value at 3 yrs though?

 

[Huntstreet]

The way machinery has gone in the past three years, it might be worth £300000

 

[cquick]

Peas coming through now, and the rye has laid down nicely. Hopefully it'll help suppress a bit of weed.

 

[willyorkshire]

Peas coming through now, and the rye has laid down nicely. Hopefully it'll help suppress a bit of weed.

View attachment 1179934View attachment 1179935View attachment 1179936

Nice tap root.
Is that a bird scarer??

 

[cquick]

Is that a bird scarer??

E-bikes are revolutionary for speedy crop inspection!

 

[EddieB]

Just over £300,000, with 3 year warranty and servicing. If you take a conventional tractor, and add say 5 year's driver's wages it comes out looking reasonable compared to say a 724 with similar performance

Of course the tractor driver may still be needed to move it along public highways, take and load seed and and various other tasks.

 

[Clive]

Just over £300,000, with 3 year warranty and servicing. If you take a conventional tractor, and add say 5 year's driver's wages it comes out looking reasonable compared to say a 724 with similar performance

although you need 3 x4 m of them to match the 12 m dd a 724 can pull and still need a operator to keep filling them all so 1.25mil of kit vs 350k ? ( including cost of the drills )

love the tech but it’s not viable ……….. yet

 

[Hindsight]

It is not, thankfully.
Also the slurry was long enough ago that I'd consider it an application to a cover crop for grazing, than the peas themselves.

Apologies. I didn't thank you for your reply. Only just spotted it. Many thanks.

 

[alomy75]

although you need 3 x4 m of them to match the 12 m dd a 724 can pull and still need a operator to keep filling them all so 1.25mil of kit vs 350k ? ( including cost of the drills )

love the tech but it’s not viable ……….. yet

I think the idea is that the robot will still be trundling up and down 24/7 and not limited to an operator’s working hours so 4m will do in a 24hr day what your 12m will do in an 8hr day…plus soil health gains by having smaller, lighter kit. Obvs many hurdles to overcome as you say

 

[beardface]

I think the idea is that the robot will still be trundling up and down 24/7 and not limited to an operator’s working hours so 4m will do in a 24hr day what your 12m will do in an 8hr day…plus soil health gains by having smaller, lighter kit. Obvs many hurdles to overcome as you say

Unless it hits a wet hole and is still stuck there in the morning.

 

[Banana Bar]

I wonder what a driverless tractor like that costs to buy and run compared to a conventional tractor and adapting it to run autonomously.

Imagine if one man could operate 4 of them.

BB

 

[Clive]

I think the idea is that the robot will still be trundling up and down 24/7 and not limited to an operator’s working hours so 4m will do in a 24hr day what your 12m will do in an 8hr day…plus soil health gains by having smaller, lighter kit. Obvs many hurdles to overcome as you say

not if it needs filling with seed ……. which it does right now

no labour saved ………. yet

 

[Clive]

Imagine if one man could operate 4 of them.

BB

or right now just pull a x4 bigger drill with a fendt 724 for a LOT less capital

this tech is coming but not yet - it’s to expensive vs the alternatives still

 

[ollie989898]

One day you will be able to remote control a tractor and drill from the farm office. This idea that you'll have an army of tiny robots 1 metre wide doing the work is nonsense. Scale is where the efficiency comes from.

 

[Wombat]

Stuff I drilled two weeks ago coming nicely bit cloddy and hard now but pleased as it was into failed wheat

 

[Old apprentice]

not if it needs filling with seed ……. which it does right now

no labour saved ………. yet

Tanks built into robot could increase average substantialy.

 

[Clive]

One day you will be able to remote control a tractor and drill from the farm office. This idea that you'll have an army of tiny robots 1 metre wide doing the work is nonsense. Scale is where the efficiency comes from.

"one day" ............ but not just yet