To mark Farm Equipment’s 55 year history in 2024, farmers, the farm equipment community and Lessiter Media staff took on a challenge of identifying the 55 greatest innovations from shortline manufacturers since 1969.

Starting from a list of 78 shortline products across 8 categories that were released since 1969, more than 2,100 votes were tallied to help identify the innovations deemed most important to the North American ag equipment business. The initial list was prepared from the “Timeline of Ag Equipment Firsts,” which was released in 2007 and updated in 2024. 

Note: Some of the brands seen below (such as New Holland) were considered shortlines prior to mergers and acquisitions that occurred later.

For feedback, comments or suggestions for this list, contact mlessiter@lessitermedia.com 

1970

Melroe Mfg. introduces the quick-attach “Bob-Tach” implement system.

Avery Weigh-Tronix invents a weigh bar for the Art’s-Way grinder mixer to accurately weigh and dispense feed rations to different groups of livestock.

1972

TOPS IN HAY & FORAGE…  Gary Vermeer designs and introduces a modern baler to produce “big” round hay bales. The first model formed a 6-foot wide by 7-foot diameter bale that weighed more than 2,000 pounds.

DICKEY-John introduces the first automatic and fully portable hand-held moisture tester.

Gleaner introduces the first electric-over-hydraulic controls for combines. 

Kuhn develops the disc mower forage cutting technology.

The first plastic bag silage storage system is released in the U.S. by Ag-Bag Corp.

1973

TOPS IN APPLICATION… Ag-Chem Equipment introduces the first 3-wheel applicator for fertilizer and pesticides. The TerraGator features high-flotation tires to minimize compaction.

Preston Davey and Art Ross build an air seeder in Saskatchewan. Manufacturing begins 3 years later and 17 Pride Seeders sold into North Dakota and Western Canada.

1975

TOPS IN HARVEST & GRAIN HANDLING … New Holland releases the first rotary combine (twin rotors) with its TR70.

Kinze Mfg. introduces its folding planter technology, leading the way to wider planters that farmers can move down narrow bridges.

1976

DICKEY-John creates a new market for speed sensing on mobile vehicles via its radar ground speed sensor, which measured true ground speed independent of wheel slip or rolling radius.

1977

Howard and Brian Dahl introduce small grain air seeding with their Concord air drill, the first to feature row-by-row packing, precision depth control and below-the-seed fertilizing with on-the-go changes to seeding and fertilizer rates.

Versatile introduces 150 tractor, the world’s first bi-directional unit. The seat and console of the tractor swivel 180 degrees, while offering full-time hydrostatic drive to all four wheels and articulated steering.

1978

Hesston introduces the industry’s first “large square” baler, offering significant efficiencies over smaller bale sizes.

Orthman designs the disc stabilizer, a rigid disc with hydraulics that pivots on command. This Tracker is the first ground-engaging implement steering system.

1979

Raven’s sprayer controller developments accurately measures the flow of pesticides with the ability to shut off individual sprayer nozzles.

Claas develops the first row-sensing, auto-pilot technology for combines produced for Ford. Fingers mounted on the header directly connect to the steering system. The manufacturer also develops folding combine grain tank doors.

1980

Monosem introduces vacuum planters, a new method to accurately place seeds at a higher, more uniform plant population.

Haybuster introduces the balebuster that allows operators to grind and more efficiently distribute hay bales.

Loral (AgChem) introduces Air Spread and AirMax boom-type, truck-mounted fertilizer spreaders with air-boom delivery. 

Hydro Engineering is the first company to introduce a pumping unit to propel manure through a hose system for soil injection.

1983

Kinze Mfg. introduces its “push-type” planter row unit mounted on the front of its double frame toolbar, allowing growers to “split the rows.” Growers can plant corn in 30-38-inch rows, then quickly switch to 15–19-inch soybean rows.

1984

The Bush Hog Ro-Till (marketed in the South under the name of Brown-Hardin) hits the market. Marketed as “Precision Applied Tillage,” it will be considered the forerunner of strip-till rigs. 

1985

The prototype of the Willmar AirRide self-propelled sprayer is unveiled to address a void for a North American-built, high-capacity, self-propelled, high-clearance sprayer. The unit features a 100-foot boom, 118-hp engine, 4-wheel hydrostatic drive and a convertible chassis to accept a liquid or granular applicator.

Claas develops net wrap as an alternative to twine for round hay bales. It decreases hay losses and aids in retaining hay nutrition during storage. 

1987

TOPS IN TRACTORS… Caterpillar introduces the “Mobil-Trac” rubber track system with its Challenger tractor line, the first tractor to use rubber tracks.

Howard Martin files a patent for the first ground-driven row cleaner for no-till, followed by the first spiked closing wheel and floating row cleaners.

1988

Hesston introduces the first fully automatic round baler. 

Crary Air Reels are developed to evenly distribute grain at the combine header and improve harvesting efficiencies.

1989

Larry and Bill Matlack release the Stinger Self-Propelled Bale Stacker, which changes how farmers handle large bales and eliminates the need for multiple machines and labor to handle baled hay and straw.

Richard Follmer, owner of Progressive Farm Products invents the mid-mount, dual-placement strip-till toolbar, the first manufacturer to find commercial success in the strip-till sector.

1990

Shelbourne-Reynolds sells its first U.S. stripper-header. Within 5 years, adoption surges as Western wheat belt growers see the benefits of stripped straw in their no-till systems.

Eugene Keeton, Jon Kinzenbaw and Harry Deckler develop the simple brush meter innovation that holds seeds in place and brushes away excess seed. With 90% accuracy, it allows soybean growers to use planters instead of drills.

1992

Al Myers releases the Ag Leader Yield Monitor 2000, the first accurate combine yield monitor, which was a significant achievement in precision farming

Yetter Manufacturing releases the Residue Manager in Coulter Combination, one of several iterations in the market as residue management needs were becoming understood. 

TOPS IN PRECISION… Trimble develops real-time kinematic technology to allow accurate moment-by-moment updates, invaluable for high-accuracy guidance of equipment.

Satloc introduces the first GPS lightbar, initially designed for guidance in aerial applications.

1994

Eugene Keeton files a patent for the Keeton Seed Firmer, an attachment to maintain effective seed-to-soil contact in no-till. 

Hesston introduces the first self-propelled windrower using disc mower-cutting technology. 

1995

TOPS IN DAIRY & LIVESTOCK… Lely introduces the Lely Astronaut milking robot. It would be regarded by some as the most important invention of the 20th century for dairy farmers.

Fendt introduces the first continuously variable transmission tractor with its Vario launch. The technology combines the infinite speeds of a hydrostatic transmission with the efficiency of a powershift by using a planetary gear set to split engine output into a hydrostatic section and a mechanical section, eliminating traditional transmission gears. 

1997

Yamaha’s Rmax drone, a single-rotor helicopter with 4 gallons of spray tank capacity, is the first drone to be used for spraying, taking place in Japan.

DICKEY-John couples its “radar-ground speed as true ground speed” technology with a drive-shaft sensor and to display to the farmer, true wheel slip functionality. Patented in 1988, the Dickey John TPM II tractor performance monitor is soon adopted by tractor OEMs.

1998

TOPS IN TILLAGE… Brillion Iron Works tests the “Zone Commander,” considered the “first” vertical tillage tool.

1999

AutoFarm/Novariant launches the first commercially available automated steering system for farm equipment and 2 years later announces sub-inch steering with a front-mounted implement.

2001

Salford develops the Residue Tillage Specialist system for high-speed, no-till farming.

2005

MacDon introduces the first flexible draper header, increasing productivity when harvesting soybeans.

2006

AutoFarm and Orthman Mfg. introduce AFTracker, the first implement steering system based on RTK GPS

2007

Brillion Farm Equipment introduces a machine that combines both zone-till and strip-till in one unit.

2008

Horsch introduces its Joker high-speed compact disc to North America. Neither vertical tillage nor traditional tillage, it breaks down residue while conserving moisture and preventing erosion.

TOPS IN SEEDING… Precision Planting introduces the 20/20 Seed Sense monitor that pinpoints the percentages of seed singulation for each row, seed spacing, ground contact and down pressure. Within a year, it introduces the 2020/20 AirForce system to control down pressure on individual row units. 

2013

Kinze demonstrates an autonomous grain cart and driverless tractor that follow the combine through the field. It unloads from the combine into the cart, returns and parks following unloading and stopping, eliminating further instruction from the combine operator.

Ag technology startup 640 Labs creates its Drive (later renamed Fieldview Drive), a device that reads data from the CANBUS of tractors and connects portable devices.

2019

Sabanto Ag builds its first autonomy units and kits.