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Outback GPS purchase question

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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Construction and other equipment
Forum Description: everything else with orange (or yellow) paint
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49356
Printed Date: 24 Jun 2025 at 5:10am
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Topic: Outback GPS purchase question

Posted By: Holstein50
Subject: Outback GPS purchase question
Date Posted: 21 Apr 2012 at 3:14pm

Our dealer showed us the Outback Guidance S-Lite GPS system. Basically it's a suction mount setup with a small screen that shows the driver which direction to keep the tractor pointed. Cost is $900. Given the price of diesel fuel it seems to be worth considering, so I'm curious to hear anything pro or con about this model.

Thanks in advance.

Replies:

Posted By: tl12
Date Posted: 07 May 2012 at 6:17pm

I purchased one last year. It works great. I like being able to skip over 5 rows, make 5 passes and the last pass is completely covers the last strip. I have used it on a 12 disk and 13 foot field cultivator and 8 foot mower. This is my first tractor GPS.

It did have a software quirk that made the unit malfunction below 40 degrees (I needed to keep the cab heater on), but I contacted them and they sent me a software fix to install and the problem never appeared again. This was about a year ago so and they were in the middle of recalling and fixing units when I discoverd it. If something were to happened to this one I would order another just like it.

Posted By: Adam Stratton
Date Posted: 07 May 2012 at 7:03pm

I have been toying with one also. The thing you might want to consider is that the cheaper units like that dont have real tight accuracy. Like the ones I was looking at was 4-6", which is probably better than my depth perception, but still not that spectacular for precision planting. After looking at a lot of them, I decided that if I was going to go with a GPS unit at all, I wanted one of the $1500 type units that are a little more accurate, and do fancy things like programmable to skip passes, put little flags where you want to mark something in the field, calculate acres, etc. I havent pulled the trigger on one yet. I find myself wanting one pretty bad when I have to lay off lands for some jobs, or cant hardly see where I am driving in bad field conditions, but never want to spend the money when I'm not in the middle of the work.

Posted By: Adam Stratton
Date Posted: 07 May 2012 at 7:05pm

PS. Unless you really want a local dealer, Check on Ebay or other similar shopping sites for Trimble systems also. Prices are basically identical to Outback, but have some different features.

Posted By: tl12
Date Posted: 07 May 2012 at 8:05pm

Your location also makes a difference. I am pretty close to the error correction transmitter (I don't recall the correct terminology) so I have pretty good accuracy. I am sure there are some places in the US where you are at a greater distance and the correction is not as accurate. I only had it jump 6 foot to the right once (a fluke I am guessing). Luckly I was mowing and not planting.

Posted By: monitordoc
Date Posted: 12 May 2012 at 9:53pm

I have worked with NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BRANDS AND HAVE FOUND THE CHEAPER UNITS AREN'T AS ACCURATE AS THE ADVERTISING. OUTBACK BRAND I HAVE FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE BETTER BRANDS AT ALL LEVELS.

PERSONALLY I FIND A LITE BAR CONFUSING IF I TRY TO FOLLOW IT-- IF I LOOK AT IT OFF AND ON AS A REFERANCE IT'S OK.

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WD,D17-S4,180,D21