The Czech Republic has a strong farming tradition, and its agriculture is very important for food security in Europe. Barley is an especially vital crop there, as it's a key ingredient in the country's world-famous beers. Besides being used for beer, barley is also a significant source of food, animal feed, and helps keep the soil healthy as part of crop rotation.
In the Pardubický kraj region of the Czech Republic, over 60% of the land is used for farming. Farmers there grow many different crops, including barley, wheat, potatoes, and sugar beets. This area is a key part of both the national and European farming systems. To have a successful harvest, especially with a crop like barley, farmers need to be efficient and precise. We recently got to see our FJD AT2 Max auto steer system in action on a New Holland combine harvester in this region, and it made a big difference for the farmer.
FJD AT2 Max and New Holland CX8080: A Powerful Partner
Before diving into the AT2 Max's performance, let's talk about the machine it was guiding. The New Holland CX8080 is a large piece of farming equipment. Built between 2007 and 2011, this rotary straw-walker combine harvester is a workhorse known for its high capacity and efficiency. It boasts a powerful 290 kW (394 hp) engine and a massive grain tank, designed for getting a lot of crop harvested quickly.Features like its 6-walker system ensure that the grain is separated efficiently from the straw. It's a high-performing machine that's popular among Czech farmers, making it an excellent match for a high-tech autosteering system like the AT2 Max from FJDynamics.
The farm we visited in Pardubický kraj, while mostly flat, did have some gentle slopes. Even small changes in terrain can make manual steering challenging, especially with a large combine harvester. However, the AT2 Max system proved its worth, driving the massive New Holland CX8080 with incredible 2.5 cm RTK accuracy. This means the harvester stayed precisely on course, field after field.
One of the best features for the farmer was the large 12.1-inch screen of the AT2 Max. This bigger screen clearly showed the navigation path as the machine worked. For complex tasks, the AT2 Max supports up to 4 split screens on the same display terminal, letting the farmers control four functions on one terminal at the same time.
Such a larger display helped the farmer see what's happening more easily, reducing mistakes and making the job run more smoothly. When paired with a third-party monitor that showed real-time images, the overall work efficiency was boosted to the next level.
The True Benefit: Comfort in the Driver's Seat
Beyond speed and accuracy, the AT2 Max provides an important benefit: operating comfort. During hot summer days, when driving a large machine for hours, even an experienced operator can become tired and lose focus. With the AT2 Max taking over the steering, the farmer could relax their grip on the wheel.By freeing up both hands from the wheel, the farmer could focus on other important tasks, such as watching the machine's settings and the harvesting quality. The farmer said that even though the total time for harvesting was the same due to the same working speed, the experience was more comfortable than before.
Being able to focus on the harvesting itself—not on the continuous effort of steering—makes a huge difference during a long workday. This reduces stress, lowers the chance of human error, and leads to a better, more consistent harvest.