An easy way to attract farmers to a new product is to mount it on a tractor at a field day and invite them to ride with someone demonstrating it. Perhaps you can even let the farmers drive.

The folks promoting SteadySteer by Ag Leader at a field day on Tom and Thomas Nugent’s farm near Elnora, Ind., last summer equipped a John Deere tractor with the hands-free, assisted steering unit and invited people to climb aboard. Rick Applegate, owner of Precision Farming Solutions, Birdseye, Ind., co-sponsored the field day.

Even I climbed aboard. The demonstration was in a 100-acre field of wheat stubble, so I figured there was little chance to cause damage. I soon learned that if you follow the simple instructions with the unit, nothing will happen anyway.

The SteadySteer option fits onto the steering wheel. It’s often a lower-cost entry point for guidance, spokespersons note. Plus, it can be retrofitted onto older tractors. For example, the spokesperson assured someone with an International 1066 that it could be retrofitted.

I rode along while the operator demonstrated what the tractor equipped with SteadySteer could do. He had previously set up an A-B line. The device caught the line for the next pass quickly as the operator simulated turning at the end of the field. True to its name, SteadySteer kept the tractor steady and online once the turn was completed.

Spokespersons note that the ring gear stays on the steering column. But the unit itself could be moved to a different tractor, sprayer or combine. This unit used RTK guidance provided by Ag Leader GPS and TerraStar differential correction services. To learn more about SteadySteer, visit agleader.com.