Why You Should Clear Old A/B Lines from Your Windrower Terminal
As hay season approaches across Southern Alberta, it’s important to ensure your windrower is ready to perform when conditions are right. One often-overlooked maintenance task is clearing old guidance data from your windrower terminal.
In this Maintenance Monday episode, Shane from Hanlon Ag Centre explains why removing old A/B lines and guidance information from previous seasons can help improve display performance and reduce frustrating slowdowns in the field.
Why Does a Windrower Terminal Become Sluggish?
Over time, your windrower’s display accumulates guidance information, including A/B lines, field boundaries, and other stored data from previous seasons. While each individual file may be small, years of accumulated information can begin to impact how quickly the terminal processes information.
If you’ve noticed your display responding more slowly than usual, taking longer to load fields, or lagging while operating, excess stored guidance data may be contributing to the problem.
What Are A/B Lines?
A/B lines are guidance paths used by autosteer systems to help operators maintain consistent passes through the field. They are an essential part of precision agriculture and help improve efficiency, reduce overlap, and maximize productivity.
However, after multiple seasons, many operators accumulate hundreds of unused A/B lines that are no longer relevant to current operations.
Should You Delete Old A/B Lines?
For many producers, the answer is yes.
Before the season starts, reviewing and removing outdated A/B lines can help:
- Improve terminal responsiveness
- Reduce display lag
- Make field selection easier
- Improve operator experience
- Keep guidance data organized
If there are fields or guidance lines you may need in the future, consider backing up your information before deleting it.
Does This Affect RTK?
No.
The maintenance tip discussed in this week’s episode primarily applies to stored guidance information such as A/B lines and field data. Clearing old guidance lines does not affect your RTK correction service or RTK subscriptions.
If you have questions about RTK systems, GPS guidance, or precision agriculture technology, the team at Hanlon Ag Centre can help.
Best Time to Perform This Maintenance
The ideal time to clean up your display is before field operations begin. Spending a few minutes reviewing and organizing your guidance data now can help prevent issues during busy haying and harvest seasons when every hour counts.
Many Southern Alberta producers include display maintenance as part of their annual equipment inspection alongside checking belts, guards, hydraulic systems, and cutting components.
Watch the Video for Shane’s Breakdown
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my windrower display running slowly?
A common cause is excessive stored guidance data, including old A/B lines and field information from previous seasons. Removing unused data may improve performance.
Will deleting A/B lines affect my RTK signal?
No. Removing old A/B lines does not impact RTK correction services or subscriptions.
How often should I clear old guidance lines?
Many operators review and remove outdated guidance data once per year before the start of the season.
Can I save my A/B lines before deleting them?
Yes. Many guidance systems allow operators to export or back up data before removing it from the display.
Need Help with Your Windrower or Precision Ag Equipment?
Whether you’re preparing for hay season, troubleshooting guidance systems, or looking to improve equipment performance, the team at Hanlon Ag Centre is here to help.
Visit one of our Southern Alberta locations or contact our service department for assistance with windrowers, autosteer systems, GPS guidance, precision agriculture technology, and seasonal maintenance.
For more practical equipment tips, be sure to follow our weekly Maintenance Monday series.