Autosteer for sprayers: self-propelled, pull-type and section control
A sprayer is where autosteer pays the fastest, because every foot of overlap is chemical you bought twice and every skip is a weed strip you see all summer. FJD kits steer self-propelled sprayers (Hagie, RoGator, Case IH Patriot, Miller Nitro, Deere) and the tractors pulling a sprayer, and the ATS system adds section and rate control on the same display. Sprayers are also the hardest machines to tune, so here is the straight version of what they need.
Ask about your sprayer Call or Text (580) 394-0089What a self-propelled sprayer needs
- A steering kit. The AT2 or AT2 Max motor goes on the steering column like it does on a tractor. If the steering wheel will not come off, or you want it stock, the AH2 hydraulic kit adds a valve instead.
- A wheel angle sensor, mounted flat and wired toward center. This is the part that makes or breaks a sprayer install. It goes on the front spindle or knuckle on most machines, and at the frame pivot on an articulating sprayer, usually glued rather than drilled. Wired backwards it will never hold a line. Then it gets calibrated, which is the step people skip.
- Tight steering. A sprayer that swings wide when it is off the line and barely moves when it is on it has slop in the column or the wheel. We tighten the iron before we touch a setting.
- The receiver on the cab roof and a fused 12-volt lead. Nothing in the sprayer's own wiring is touched.
Sprayers we put kits on
| Brand | Models | What we install |
|---|---|---|
| Hagie | STS10, STS12, DTS8, DTS10 | AT2 Max motor kit with wheel angle sensor; ATS ties into the Raven flow meter |
| AGCO RoGator | 900, 1100, 1300 series; older 544 and 1274C | AT2 motor kit or AH2 hydraulic if the wheel cannot come off; angle sensor; no factory autosteer was ever built in |
| Case IH Patriot | 3120, 3320, 4420 | AT2 or AT2 Lite motor kit with angle sensor on the front-right mud-flap bracket; AH2 if the farmer wants the wheel left stock |
| Miller Nitro | 2275HT, 5000 and 6000 series | AT2 motor kit with angle sensor on the front spindle |
| John Deere | 4630, 4730, 4830, R4030 to R4060 | AT2 motor kit, or AH2 on machines with the factory steering valve; Deere sprayers have three valve generations and we match the harness |
| Apache, Willmar, TerraGator, others | Most self-propelled machines with power steering | AT2 motor kit; articulating machines take the angle sensor at the pivot |
Section and rate control: the ATS
Steering gets the sprayer on the line. The ATS keeps the chemical where it belongs: it shuts boom sections off over ground you already covered, holds the rate as speed changes, and logs the as-applied map. It runs on the same FJD display as the autosteer, so there is one screen in the cab, and it works with the Raven-style flow meters most sprayers already have. The ATS Ultra adds PWM tip control for drift and rate at the nozzle.
On a pull-type sprayer the tractor gets the autosteer kit and the ATS controls the sprayer. Same display, same wiring approach.
The ATS on a sprayer
How accurate does spraying need to be
Broadcast spraying is forgiving: a few inches pass to pass is fine, and WAAS or PPP will do it. The moment you band, spray between rows, run the same tracks every trip, or want the sprayer on the planter's rows, you want RTK, which holds the same one-inch line every pass and every year. The kit does all three; see RTK vs WAAS for farming for the plain-language version and GEODNET for RTK without owning a base.
- Make, model and year of the sprayer
- A photo of the steering wheel and column from the seat
- A photo of the front wheel and spindle area
- Which rate controller and flow meter are on it now, if you want section control
- Your farm location so we check RTK coverage
Common questions
Does a self-propelled sprayer need a wheel angle sensor?
Almost always yes. Sprayers are tall, light in the front and quick to react, so the system needs to know where the wheels are pointed. We know the mounting spot for the common machines: the front spindle on a Miller Nitro, the mud-flap bracket on a Case IH Patriot, the same spot on a Hagie DTS as an STS, and the pivot point on an articulating sprayer.
My RoGator never had autosteer. Can it?
Yes. AGCO never built autosteer into the RoGator line, so any autosteer on one was added after. Ours goes on the same way: the AT2 motor on the column, or the AH2 hydraulic kit if the steering wheel cannot come off, which has happened on a RoGator.
Why are sprayers harder to tune than tractors?
High center of gravity, big tires, fast steering and a lot of slop in the column on older machines. The fix is mechanical first and software second. A sprayer that oscillates when it is off the line and barely moves when it is on it almost always has play in the steering wheel or column.
Can I run section control with it?
Yes. The ATS system runs section control and rate control through the same display, with the FJD AT2 or AT2 Max as the brain. It works with the Raven-style flow meters most sprayers already have, and the ATS Ultra adds PWM tip control.
What about a pull-type sprayer behind a tractor?
Then the tractor gets the autosteer kit and the ATS controls the sprayer sections. Same display, one screen for both. The tractor side is the normal install.
What accuracy do I need for spraying?
For broadcast spraying, pass-to-pass accuracy of a few inches is plenty and WAAS or PPP can do it. If you band, run between rows, or want the same wheel tracks every trip, RTK pays. The kit does all three and switching is a menu setting.
Do you support it after the install?
Yes, and sprayers are where that matters most. We can log into the display remotely, see the settings, and work the numbers with you on the phone. Two-year warranty on the hardware.
More on auto steer
Autosteer for Tractors · Is my tractor steer-ready? · Older tractors · Articulated 4WDs · Combines · Sprayers · Swathers · RTK vs WAAS · What RTK costs to run · FJD AT2 vs Wheelman · FJD AT2 · AT2 Max · AS2 steer-ready · AH2 hydraulic · GEODNET RTK · John Deere · Case IH · New Holland · Kubota · Massey Ferguson · Reviews
Published 10/13/2026 by Deep Sand Tech, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma. Written from our own installs and support calls, not from a brochure.