Combine Tech That Pays for Itself: What West Tennessee Farmers Need to Know
4/22/2026
If you’ve ever spent half a day walking behind a combine, tweaking fan speeds and sieve settings just to stop blowing grain out of the back, you already know how frustrating harvest setup can be. But the latest John Deere combine technology is changing that, and two of our Tennessee Tractor precision ag specialists say it’s the real deal.
Justin Baker and Wade Barnhill, part of the Tennessee Tractor team serving West Tennessee, recently sat down to talk about which ag technologies are actually delivering results for farmers in the field. Their advice? AutoTrac and Section Control are still must-haves, but this season, Combine Advisor and Harvest Automation are the features making the biggest impact.
So, what technology pays the farmer back the fastest? According to Justin, AutoTrac and Section Control are what he calls the “no-brainer” investments for any operation.
AutoTrac reduces operator fatigue over long days in the cab, keeping rows tight and consistent, whether you’re running 20-inch or 30-inch spacing: no overlap, skips, or wasted passes across a wide-open field. Section Control works the same way for inputs. It shuts off sections automatically at row ends and in overlap zones, so you’re not wasting seed in areas that won’t produce a profitable crop. Together, these two features protect your bottom line on every single pass.
Combine Advisor uses a camera system mounted inside the combine to read what’s coming through the machine in real time. It monitors grain quality, identifies when you’re losing grain out of the back, and adjusts internal settings on the fly, like fan speed, sieve openings, and rotor speed. It does all of this without the operator having to stop and make manual changes.
As Justin put it, a combine setup that used to take a half day of walking behind the machine, checking grain samples, and making incremental adjustments now happens automatically. The machine recognizes what needs to change and does it. That’s time back in your day and cleaner grain in the tank.
Harvest Automation takes things a step further by pulling data from John Deere’s connected network. When you pull into a field and select your crop type, the system looks at what other combines in your region are running and uses that data to set your baseline. If you’re the first farmer in West Tennessee running corn this season, it widens the search to pull averages from across the country.
That means instead of starting from scratch every season or every field, you’re starting from a proven baseline and fine-tuning from there. Wade noted that the Ground Speed Automation feature has also impressed customers this year. Operators who were comfortable running at 4.5 miles per hour switched it on and found themselves running 5.5 to 6 mph with the same or better grain quality because the machine keeps itself fuller and uses more of its capacity.
One of the biggest advantages of this technology is what it does for operations that rely on less experienced operators. Not every farm has a 30-year veteran in the cab, and that’s exactly the gap Combine Advisor and Harvest Automation are designed to fill. The system essentially takes decades of operator knowledge and replaces it with real-time data and machine learning. A newer operator can get closer to the performance of a seasoned pro from the first pass.
Justin summed up his philosophy in five words: “No grain left behind.” That’s the goal: less loss, cleaner samples, and more bushels making it to the bin.
If you’re in the market for a new or used combine, or want to learn how these features can work on your current machine, Tennessee Tractor’s precision ag team is ready to help. With 11 locations across West Tennessee and over 27 years of John Deere expertise, we’ll make sure you get the technology that pays you back.
Give us a call or stop by your nearest Tennessee Tractor location in Jackson, Dyersburg, Brownsville, Somerville, Ripley, Paris, Martin, Trenton, Union City, or Alamo. Our precision ag team is ready to help you have the most productive season possible.
Questions about Precision Ag? Find the answers on our FAQ page.
