milling_drum
Senior Member
Not sure if anyone knows how important knowing where the rear end of the machine is when cutting but, it is. Quite often the calibration slips out and its necessary to either run without using the automatic. Automatic steer mode coordinates the rear tracks with the front, according to how the operator has it set. Settings range from crab, coordinate, off or manual, or locked dead straight.
Over the years I've seen the usual train wrecks of people that know it all but will run all day using the auto while it isn't setup to keep the machine straight and then yell and scream about changing end ring teeth and/or wonder why certain rows are wearing the way they are. We won't focus on them and we can only HOPE that isn't you. I see this EVERY year in a different place and wonder how these lovely infidels last so long and why they can get me fired when I say something about it.
Wirtgen automatic steering stays fairly well set up, even in the manual position the rear tracks will stay where you put them. Roadtec like to run away in the manual position but hold dead on when set up correctly to coordinate. CAT system is without a doubt the one I prefer because of the modes of steer selection, the controls aren't all that great but I trust the rear steer to react the way I want it too when coming into a crab or a radius. Nothing beats the older Wirtgen steering controls, you could run it with one hand in almost every situation. CMI/Terex have a good system simuliar to CAT. The old CMI wasn't too bad as well if you had some help from time to time...right...
I always had a problem getting the auto steer lined up to set it up. Some people use tape measures and measure off the edge of cut to the front toe of the track, measuring both ends of the rear track. Some use a straight edge off the edge of the drum housing. I've always been concerned that the front tracks need to be set as straight as possible first and THEN try to align the rear track straight. Thats if you have the time and people who aren't like whats mentioned above which seem to dominate the milling world. I've had the best luck getting the rear steer auto calibrated while cutting IN the cut over a space of about 150 feet. Run on manual till your fairly sure your straight, get the front as straight as possible, run a few more feet on the line you trust and then if the rear end is lined up right, cut the auto on and calibrate it right there.
Thoughts opinions and comments are of course appreciated but since this is the first time this topic has been brought up after all these wonderful years....well...never mindointhead
Over the years I've seen the usual train wrecks of people that know it all but will run all day using the auto while it isn't setup to keep the machine straight and then yell and scream about changing end ring teeth and/or wonder why certain rows are wearing the way they are. We won't focus on them and we can only HOPE that isn't you. I see this EVERY year in a different place and wonder how these lovely infidels last so long and why they can get me fired when I say something about it.
Wirtgen automatic steering stays fairly well set up, even in the manual position the rear tracks will stay where you put them. Roadtec like to run away in the manual position but hold dead on when set up correctly to coordinate. CAT system is without a doubt the one I prefer because of the modes of steer selection, the controls aren't all that great but I trust the rear steer to react the way I want it too when coming into a crab or a radius. Nothing beats the older Wirtgen steering controls, you could run it with one hand in almost every situation. CMI/Terex have a good system simuliar to CAT. The old CMI wasn't too bad as well if you had some help from time to time...right...
I always had a problem getting the auto steer lined up to set it up. Some people use tape measures and measure off the edge of cut to the front toe of the track, measuring both ends of the rear track. Some use a straight edge off the edge of the drum housing. I've always been concerned that the front tracks need to be set as straight as possible first and THEN try to align the rear track straight. Thats if you have the time and people who aren't like whats mentioned above which seem to dominate the milling world. I've had the best luck getting the rear steer auto calibrated while cutting IN the cut over a space of about 150 feet. Run on manual till your fairly sure your straight, get the front as straight as possible, run a few more feet on the line you trust and then if the rear end is lined up right, cut the auto on and calibrate it right there.
Thoughts opinions and comments are of course appreciated but since this is the first time this topic has been brought up after all these wonderful years....well...never mindointhead