What's there to know about the SWICM?

The SoilWarrior ISOBUS Control Module, or SWICM for short, is beneficial to strip-tillage because it is a key factor in two  of the 4R’s, which are Right Rate and Right Place. With a properly calibrated machine, a grower can apply up to five different products at their Right Rate. In combination with a tractor’s GPS, display, and prescription maps, the SWICM is capable of variable rating multiple products at the Right Rate and in the Right Place. Along with the rate controlling capabilities, the SWICM has built-in features that reduce the number of components installed in the cab, creating less cab clutter for a better operating experience.

Gavin Held, ETS Precision Ag Specialist, has been working with the SWICM since its infancy. Held knows that the use of the SoilWarrior together with the SWICM can be extremely beneficial to an operation. “The SWICM is able to utilize an operation’s existing compatible technology, whether they have one or multiple different brands of tractors. It also has many different features that other rate controllers are not capable of, such as integrated scales, switchbox, and pressure monitoring that are displayed on the customer’s compatible monitor,” he explained.

For SoilWarrior owner, Ben Pederson of Vital Grains in Lake Mills, IA, the switch to the SoilWarrior ISOBUS Control Module was easy. “Once we had our configurations set in place, it has been smooth since,” said Pederson. “It was quick for us to set up on our Deere monitor.”

Held would have to agree, “The SWICM is very easy to set up. The module has a built-in set-up wizard that will walk the operator through the process. Another benefit is that most of the values that are input in setup wizard can be modified without having to go back through the entire setup.”

Previously, Vital Grains had been using a John Deere rate controller. Because his SoilWarrior is both a dry and liquid machine, Pederson’s operation now uses both the liquid and dry rate controllers on the SWICM. For him, it is easy to make adjustments, and the system is intuitive. “The system is simple and is very accurate. It is something we don’t have to pay much mind to; the applications have been spot on,” Pederson added. “One thing that is nice, both of our younger guys who have never used a machine like this before can get in the tractor and run the strip-tiller.”

As for Held, one of his favorite parts of the SWICM is the user interface. “For example, the amount of machine data that can be displayed on the run screen is impressive. The run screen is customizable to display a wide variety of data, such as RPM, duty cycle percentage, density, scale weights, travel speed, rates/rate modes, and many more,” Held pointed out. “The SWICM is easy to navigate and find values the operator may need to change.”

Pederson is pleased with the support he has received from the ETS team for the SWICM on his SoilWarrior. “Gavin can come work on it; there is no middleman when it comes to having the help and support. ETS is ‘in-house’.”

The SoilWarrior ISOBUS Control Module can be a beneficial addition to an operation running a SoilWarrior. With proper calibration, a SWICM can take the SoilWarrior to the next level with precision application and efficiency. Contact Gavin Held to see if the SWICM could work with your tractor!