Topcon AES-35: No bum steer

Now that most tractor makers offer a branded autosteer system on new product, is there still a case for retrofit? Japanese GPS wizard Topcon certainly thinks so, and of course it’s always useful to buy a system that can (in principle, if not practice) readily be moved between tractors, sprayers or harvest machinery.

We last looked at Topcon’s solution way back in 2010, liking its quiet and smooth operation. Since then, the steering unit — a replacement wheel with integrated electric motor — has morphed into the AES-35, gaining power and shedding depth. For this test we’ll look briefly at system setup, then in more detail at field performance.

Still quiet

After using a puller to crack off the tractor’s standard steering wheel, the AES-35 went on easily. Like its forebearer, it