The heart of modern agriculture beats to the rhythm of precision. While tractors have long benefited from sophisticated autosteering—keeping the driver perfectly aligned—the implement being towed behind is often the weak link. Even the most powerful tractor can't stop a massive machine from swaying, drifting, or skipping rows on uneven terrain.
But what if a tool could detect implement drift and course-correct instantly? Recently, we took our innovative solution, Path Assist, to the wide-open fields of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, to prove exactly that. This small, agricultural community, deeply rooted in the heart of western Oklahoma's farming tradition, provided the perfect real-world laboratory to test the next evolution in farming precision.
Test Preparation
To get ready for this important test, we put together a strong and demanding setup. First, we used a powerful and reliable tractor: the John Deere 8300. This is a classic front-wheel axle steering model. The tractor's job was to stay perfectly straight and pull the heavy machine behind it with ease.The machine we pulled was a Hesston 1360 Mower Conditioner, often called a "Moco." This is a big, high-capacity machine used for harvesting hay. It cuts the hay and then crunches the stalks to help them dry faster. Because the Moco is so large and heavy, it tends to sway or drift sideways when the tractor is moving fast or going over bumpy ground. This drifting is the exact problem we needed to solve.
Our main goal for the test was simple: to prove that the entire setup—both the strong tractor and the big hay machine—could work together perfectly. We wanted to see the hay machine follow the straight lines with consistent, repeatable accuracy, acting like one straight, aligned unit instead of swaying behind the tractor.
How Does Implement Drift Happen?
Even when your tractor is using a great guiding system like our AT2 autosteering—which kept the John Deere 8300 perfectly straight—the machine you are pulling can still wander off the line. This problem is known as implement drift or side-slip. It happens because the implement doesn't follow the tractor perfectly, leading to errors even if the tractor itself is precise.Several things cause this drifting. First, the ground itself is a big factor. If you cross a slight hill, hit a soft, wet patch, or drive over rough areas, the weight of the implement can be pulled sideways. Second, the design and size of the implement matter. A big, heavy machine naturally lags or sways a little bit behind the tractor, especially when turning or driving fast. This movement pulls it away from the intended straight path.
Another cause is minor hitch errors. Even small problems where the implement connects to the tractor can become much bigger errors over a long field pass. All of these factors—the ground, the implement's weight, and the connections—work together to push the machine off the straight guidance line, which makes farming much harder.
In key farm tasks like mowing hay, planting seeds, or spraying fields, this sideways drift creates serious problems. It causes uneven spacing between rows, results in wasted inputs from overlapping, and leaves sections of the field skipped. When you rely on straight-line precision for efficiency, this drift is frustrating because it wastes your land, time, and money.
FJD Path Assist: Smart Correction on the Go
Our solution to implement drift is Path Assist. This is a smart system that we install directly onto the farm implement pulled or trailed by a tractor. It obtains the location and movement data of the implement, completely separating from the tractor's navigation system. This allows the implement to solve the problem of drift right at the source.
Path Assist works by using its own set of satellite signals and angle-sensing data. It constantly tracks the implement's exact position on the field in real time. Because it has its own GNSS connection, it always knows precisely where the machine is located.
The system is continuously watching for errors. It compares the implement's actual position against the perfectly straight path the tractor is supposed to be following. If the implement starts to sway or drift sideways, Path Assist detects this difference right away.
When drift is spotted, Path Assist instantly sends the data to the implement's steering system. This adjusts the implement back onto the correct line. This process creates a perfect, straight track for the implement to follow, delivering centimeter-level accuracy for the actual work being done, not just for the tractor pulling the load.
Success on the Straight-Line Driving
Our field test focused specifically on simulating and correcting implement sway during straight-line operation—a critical scenario for tasks like mowing, planting, and tillage across large Oklahoma fields. With the John Deere 8300 locked onto the straight guidance line using the FJD AT2 autosteering, we deliberately introduced conditions that would cause the Hesston 1360 Moco to sway and drift.The results were outstanding:
- Instant Detection: As soon as the sway began, Path Assist registered the lateral displacement against the preset straight guidance line.
- Swift Correction: The AT2 system immediately activated its correction mechanisms. Crucially, this correction was not a sudden jerk, but a smooth, proportional adjustment.
- Flawless Recovery: In every test run, after the drift was detected, Path Assist expertly corrected the implement's position, driving it back into the straight guidance line followed by the tractor.
This success is monumental. It confirms that Path Assist effectively eliminates the errors caused by mechanical sway and uneven terrain, guaranteeing that the centimeter-level precision of the tractor is seamlessly transferred to the centimeter-level work being performed by the implement. The risks of overlaps, skips, and uneven harvesting patterns are greatly reduced.
Smarter Farming with Path Assist
The successful tests in Lone Wolf prove that Path Assist is more than just a smart gadget—it is an essential tool for boosting farming efficiency and getting higher yields. For farmers around the world, this technology offers huge benefits. It guarantees maximum land coverage by eliminating missed strips or overlaps, which saves investment on seed, fertilizer, and fuel. Farmers also get better, more consistent crop quality because uniform spacing allows every plant to get the sunlight it needs to grow healthy.Path Assist works perfectly with the AT2 and AT2 Max auto steer systems. If you want to test Path Assist on your AT2 or AT2 Max before buying it, please contact your local FJD dealer to schedule a trial. You can also contact us here: Contact FJDynamics