Revolution Ditcher™ Grade Control with Ditch Assist

Ditch Assist™ is the simplest and most affordable RTK GPS grade control solution for the Revolution Ditcher™. Because the Revolution Ditcher comes “grade-control ready” with its own factory hydraulic valve, you only need Ditch Assist’s Guidance Only Kit—no additional hydraulic valve or plumbing kits required. This plug-and-play system gives you precise automated depth control while saving thousands compared to other setups. Whether you’re running ditches in the Dakotas or the Canadian Prairies, Ditch Assist delivers sub-inch accuracy, effortless installation, and zero subscriptions or unlock codes—all in a farmer-friendly package.

Using Ditch Assist with the Revolution Ditcher™: An Overview

The Revolution Ditcher™ by Crary is a high-capacity rotary ditching implement designed to cut wide, flat-bottomed drainage channels up to about 10″ deep in a single pass. It features a spinning impeller rotor that throws excavated soil up to 165′ away, a hydraulic side-tilt cylinder for auto-leveling, and a factory-installed proportional hydraulic valve ready for automation. Ditch Assist leverages this factory valve to automate the up/down (raise/lower) hydraulic function for maintaining a precise target grade as you drive, so you can focus on steering and tilt adjustments rather than constantly monitoring depth.

• Automatic Grade Control: Set your desired ditch slope or elevation in the Ditch Assist app and simply drive. The system will continuously adjust the rotor’s cutting depth via the factory valve to hold grade, ensuring a consistent flow of water with no high or low spots.

• Factory Valve Integration: Because the Revolution Ditcher already has a PWM hydraulic valve and control box on board, Ditch Assist’s Guidance Only Kit plugs directly into the machine without adding a separate valve block. This dramatically reduces hardware costs compared to other ditchers that require a full hydraulic kit.

• No Manual Guesswork: With Ditch Assist, you no longer stop to eyeball the trench or rely on manual crank adjustments. The RTK GPS system does the work, delivering the same or better accuracy than lasers but without their complexity and line-of-sight limitations.

In short, Ditch Assist transforms your Revolution Ditcher into a precision machine that cuts on grade every time, saving time, fuel, and rework while improving drainage outcomes.

👉 Interested in upgrading your Revolution Ditcher? Get a Quote or Free Consultation and discover how easily Ditch Assist can fit your operation.

Universal RTK GPS Compatibility – Use Any Receiver You Have

Grade accuracy equals water flow success, and Ditch Assist runs on RTK GPS for sub-inch precision. The system is GPS-agnostic—it accepts any RTK-capable receiver that outputs standard NMEA messages. That means you can:

• Use Your Existing Receiver: Tie into your current John Deere, Trimble, Topcon, Outback, or Ag Leader RTK system without purchasing new hardware.

• Upgrade or Buy Affordable RTK: If you lack RTK, add an affordable solution (for example, Emlid Reach RS3) to achieve full GPS grade control at a fraction of the cost of proprietary systems.

• Avoid Subscription Fees: Ditch Assist itself never charges an annual fee. Your only ongoing GPS cost is if you subscribe to a correction network—though you can also run a free local base station for RTK.

Bottom line: “Any RTK GPS” will work. Ditch Assist attaches to your Revolution Ditcher and listens to your chosen receiver, so you’re not forced into a vendor’s ecosystem or locked into recurring unlock charges.

Guidance Only Kit: Plug-and-Play Integration with Factory Valve

Most ditchers need a complete hydraulic valve kit to add grade control, but the Revolution Ditcher already includes a Ditch Assist compatable factory-installed PWM valve and control electronics ready for machine control. As a Revolution Ditcher owner, you simply need Ditch Assist’s Guidance Only Kit, which contains:

• The Ditch Assist Control Module

• Wiring Harness and Power Cable

• All required brackets and mounts, including a RAM tablet mount

• GPS-specific cable (depends on your RTK make/model)

You do not need to purchase Ditch Assist’s hydraulic valve and hose kit (unless you plan to also use Ditch Assist on a scraper or other implement)—those already live on your ditcher. By leveraging the Revolution Ditcher’s built-in valve, you save thousands on valve kits and hoses that other ditcher owners must buy. The Guidance Only Kit simply taps into the existing valve’s harness, and Ditch Assist takes over depth control.

Plug-and-Play Installation on Your Revolution Ditcher

You don’t need a mechanic or custom fabrication. Installing the Guidance Only Kit on a Revolution Ditcher requires only:

1. Mounting the GPS Antenna: Use the factory provided mast or an easy clamp-on mount to position the RTK antenna for clear sky view.
2. Connecting the Control Module to the valve: Mount the Control Module on the tractor or implement. Plug the Ditch Assist harness into the Revolution Ditcher’s valve connector (no splicing or adding hoses).
3. Power Hookup: Run a simple 12V power cable from your tractor battery to the Ditch Assist console on the ditcher.
4. Cab Tablet Setup: Place your Android tablet in the cab, connect to Ditch Assist’s private Wi-Fi network, and open the app.

That’s it. In under 20 minutes you have fully functional GPS grade control—no hydraulic plumbing, no complex wiring looms. Because all communication is wireless between the Control Module and your tablet, there are no long unwieldy cables to route through doors or joints. You’ll spend more time ditching and less time installing.

Simple Control: Vertical Automation, Manual Tilt

Ditch Assist only manages lift/lower, leaving side-tilt under your control (or the ditcher’s built-in auto-leveling). Here’s how it works in the field:

• Pre-Set Your Tilt: Before you start, position the ditcher’s tilt cylinder as desired—often level for a flat-bottom ditch or slightly angled to match field slope.

• Set Target Grade: In the app, create your ditch path and design a continuous slope or elevation profile.

• Engage Automation: As you drive, Ditch Assist sends signals to the factory PWM valve, raising or lowering the rotor to maintain that grade.

• Manual Override Anytime: If you need to override or make rapid adjustments, simply flip the tractor’s manual valve lever. Ditch Assist yields immediately, and when you let go, automation resumes seamlessly.

This approach keeps the system intuitive: you steer and set tilt, and Ditch Assist handles depth automatically. Because the Revolution Ditcher’s factory valve is proportional, Ditch Assist can make fine incremental changes, delivering smooth grade control without abrupt movements.

Handling Deeper Ditches with Multiple Passes

Deeper ditches are achieved with sequential passes. Ditch Assist streamlines this using either Manual or Auto Nudge features in the Ditch Assist App:

1. Survey & Design for Full Depth: Lay out your ditch route and design the final depth (e.g., 12″).
2. Set Pass 1 in the App or Nudge Up: Ditch Assist cuts a reduced depth (e.g., 4″).
3. Make First Pass: Drive the route—Ditch Assist holds grade at the intermediate depth.
4. Set Pass 2 in the App or Nudge Down: The system shifts the target vertical position down (e.g. 8″) and cuts a deeper ditch.
5. Final Pass: The ditcher cuts the remaining depth to reach the final designed channel.

Because the Revolution Ditcher’s rotor flings soil out of the channel in each pass, you don’t end up with spoil falling back into the trench. Ditch Assist’s Manual or Auto-Nudge features ensure each pass follows the exact same slope profile, making multi-pass deep-ditch cutting fast and accurate.

Real-World Applications: Ditching Success in the Dakotas & Prairies

The Revolution Ditcher paired with Ditch Assist has become a go-to solution for farmers and contractors in the Dakotas and Canadian Prairies, where managing excess surface water is critical. Common use cases include:

• Efficient Field Drainage: Create consistent, sloped ditches across large flat acres in half the time of traditional methods. Ditch Assist ensures each ditch follows the exact designed slope for optimal water flow, reducing ponding and improving crop yields.

• Waterway & Outlet Construction: Cut 5′ wide channels to feed water from low spots to existing tile or natural waterways. The wide, flat-bottom design allows equipment to cross easily later, and Ditch Assist holds the precise grade needed to carry water out without creating a bottleneck.

• Terrace & Levee Repair: Use the ditcher to reshape or maintain terraces and levees, ensuring each terrace has the correct fall or remains level according to plan. Ditch Assist automates depth control so you build or repair these features with survey-grade precision.

• Cleanup of Old Ditches: Over time, older ditches can silt in or develop rough spots. Ditch Assist guides you to recut the channel to its designed profile, maintaining uniform depth and slope.

• Border-Check Irrigation: In irrigated areas, create shallow border-check channels that distribute water evenly across fields. With Ditch Assist, you cut these near-flat ditches accurately, ensuring water spreads uniformly for consistent irrigation.

Beyond these, Ditch Assist’s flexibility lets operators tackle secondary tasks like yard leveling, site prep, and small pond dredging by simply setting the desired grade. Because the Revolution Ditcher’s rotor throws spoil far away, even multi-pass work doesn’t leave material sliding back into the trench. Users consistently report that Ditch Assist plus the Revolution Ditcher lets them ditch thousands of acres with a single operator, cutting both labor and fuel costs compared to manual or contractor-based methods.

Key Advantages of Ditch Assist for Revolution Ditcher Owners

When you run a Revolution Ditcher, adding Ditch Assist brings powerful benefits:

• Plug-and-Play with Factory Valve: Because the Revolution Ditcher already includes a factory-installed PWM valve, you only buy the Guidance Only Kit. No extra valve blocks, hoses, or hydraulic components required. This leaves more money in your pocket and streamlines installation.

• Zero Subscriptions or Unlock Fees: Ditch Assist includes all advanced grade-control features (Slope-IQ, Auto-Nudge, design import/export) with a single purchase. You never pay annual software fees or extra unlock codes. Other systems lock features behind subscription tiers—Ditch Assist gives you everything up front.

• Any RTK GPS Receiver Works: Use your existing RTK-capable receiver or add an affordable unit of your choice. No brand restrictions, no forced bundled GPS. You control your GPS costs and can switch receivers at any time.

• Automatic Vertical Control, Manual Tilt: Ditch Assist handles the lift/lower function for exact depth control, while you adjust side tilt or let the ditcher’s auto-level feature keep the bottom flat. This division of control makes for an intuitive workflow—steer and tilt, let the system handle depth.

• Fine-Tuning via Duty Cycle & Auto-Nudge: Easily adjust responsiveness to match your hydraulic flow and blade weight. Auto-Nudge lets you safely cut deeper ditches in sequential passes, all while maintaining the correct slope profile each time.

• Field-Proven in Harsh Conditions: Used by farmers in the Dakotas and Prairies, this combo has proven reliable in all field conditions. One operator can survey, design, and cut miles of ditch in a single season, saving labor and fuel.

• Portable Between Implements: When not being used on the Revolution Ditcher, Ditch Assist can be moved to another machine (e.g., a pull scraper or land leveller if you purchased the Ditch Assist valve kit also) when you’re done ditching. That means one system can automate multiple implements, maximizing your investment.