Having used every GPS system out there (there are plenty besides Deere’s), the best one I’ve used is one I built myself with the opensource project AgOpenGPS. Deere’s is second best but well integrated with their equipment. Trimble, Raven and Outback are expensive shit.
Modern farming is extremely reliant on gps and ‘smart’ planters, fertilizers, etc. Using tech to precisely control exactly how much seed, chemicals, etc is used can result in significantly less costs. My understanding is that Deere has bought out basically every company that has a decent implementation of this technology and is an effective monopoly on modern farming equipment.
You can move away from them, but expect your business costs to significantly increase as a result.
ikidd@lemmy.world 1 week ago
PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I wouldn’t say they have a total monopoly. As a farmer’s son, it’s entirely about having a dealer close by your operation. Most farmers just use the brand that has a location nearest to their farm. All the brands are all more or less the same these days as far as large row crop farming is concerned. My father used mostly New Holland equipment and Kinze planters, for example.