Located in the serene Bourbonnais region of France, Richard Masseret runs a diverse 200-hectare farm. Along with his son, Antoine, they manage Charolais cattle, sheep, and various crops. As a family that values both tradition and progress, they decided to invest in a smart farming solution in 2024, bringing the farm into the future.
After seeing the live demo on his farm, Arnaud Marlet, the interviewer from Entraid, an authoritative media on farm machinery and agricultural cooperatives in France, talked with Richard about their experience with the FJDynamics AS2 autoguidance system—a decision largely inspired by his 16-year-old son, Antoine, who is passionate about new farming technology.
A Young Farmer's Vision
Q: Richard, what led you to adopt an autoguidance system for your farm?A: The idea really came from my son, Antoine. He's very interested in new technologies and was the one who first discovered the FJDynamics system. He quickly convinced me of the benefits it could bring to our farm. After doing some research, we found a local FJD dealer, Agri Mat Services, who works with Fournial, the brand's importer in France.
The Right Tool for the Job: Cost and No Subscription
Q: What made you choose the FJD AS2 system over other options?A: The first thing that stood out was the great value. The FJD AS2 system we chose was 5,990 euros (excluding tax), and that included the installation. But the most important thing for us was that it works without a subscription. That's a huge advantage compared to other solutions on the market. It was a manageable investment with a fast return.
Simple and Precise: How It Works
Q: Can you explain how the AS2 system works?A: The AS2 model is made for (steer-ready) tractors like ours that are already set up for this kind of technology. The system includes a touchscreen tablet, a GNSS receiver on the tractor's roof, and it connects to a local RTK antenna. In our case, we use the FJD N10 CORS System deployed by Agri Mat Services in Ygrande. By combining the GNSS signal with RTK from the N10, we get incredible precision—about 2cm. The installation was fast, and the system was ready to use almost immediately.
Real-World Results: Comfort and Efficiency
Q: What kind of work have you used the system for so far?A: Since we installed it last year, we've used it for sowing our autumn crops and for all of our haymaking jobs. This is where you really see how effective it is. The passes are clean, perfectly aligned, and we avoid overlapping, which saves a lot of time and resources.
Q: What benefits have you seen on a day-to-day basis?
A: The first benefit is the comfort while driving. You don't have to focus so much on steering, which means less stress and less fatigue, especially on long days. The second is the clear boost in efficiency. We save a lot of time and reduce overlaps, which also saves us fuel. These are direct, measurable benefits for our business.
Easier Setup and Smart Features
Q: Was the setup difficult?A: Not at all. The touchscreen works just like a regular tablet. The menus are simple, and it was easy to save my different tools, set their width, and create guidance lines. You can work in straight lines, curves, or even pivot. All I have to do is set a point A and a point B, and the system handles the rest. The interface also lets me save each field and track the work we've done on it.
Q: How do you handle your data with this system?
A: The system is ISOBUS compatible, which unlocks a lot of features. The data is automatically sent to my email and saved in a secure cloud platform. I can also use it for things like yield mapping and variable rate applications.
Q: What about technical support and updates?
A: That’s another great part. Updates happen remotely over the internet, so we don't need a technician to come out to the farm every time there's a software change. So far, the support has been very responsive, and the equipment has worked flawlessly.
A 5-Star Recommendation
Richard Masseret's experience shows that smart farming technology doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. The FJD AS2 has brought his family farm into the future, providing a simple, effective, and affordable solution.As he puts it in his 5-star review: "It's a simple, effective, and affordable tool that brings real added value to daily work. As a first step into autoguidance, I think FJDynamics is an excellent solution. I don’t regret the investment at all, and for me, it represents a way to make autoguidance available to everyone."