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Agriculture · head to head

Raven Slingshot vs Toro Lynx Central Control

Raven Slingshot logo

Raven Slingshot

Agriculture

Seamless field data connectivity

From
$600/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toro Lynx Central Control logo

Toro Lynx Central Control

Agriculture

Golf course irrigation control where the mobile app stops working if you let the NSN subscription lapse

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Raven Slingshot requires cell network connectivity, limiting utility in areas with poor cellular coverage; Toro Lynx Central Control nSN is free only for the first year after purchase, and the Lynx mobile app is tied to an active NSN subscription, so the remote control feature demonstrated at sale disappears in year two unless the club renews an item the capital budget did not carry.
  • They diverge on capability: Raven Slingshot covers Wireless data transfer, Toro Lynx Central Control covers Course mapping.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Raven Slingshot and Toro Lynx Central Control actually diverge.

Attributes where Raven Slingshot and Toro Lynx Central Control differ
AttributeRaven SlingshotToro Lynx Central Control
Starting price$600/yearOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsCloud, MobileWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded1956Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Agriculture).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Raven Slingshot

  • Wireless data transfer
  • Field mapping
  • As-applied maps
  • Equipment connectivity
  • Cloud storage
  • Raven equipment
  • John Deere
  • Case IH

Only in Toro Lynx Central Control

  • Course mapping
  • Flow management
  • ET and weather adjustment
  • Lynx Smart Module
  • Lynx Cloud
  • Mobile app
  • IntelliDash
  • NSN support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Raven Slingshot

  • Data transfernot Toro Lynx Central Control
  • Prescription deliverynot Toro Lynx Central Control
  • As-applied recordsnot Toro Lynx Central Control
  • Fleet managementnot Toro Lynx Central Control

Toro Lynx Central Control

  • An 18-hole course replacing a 20-year-old central control where sprinkler-level adjustment currently means walking out with a keynot Raven Slingshot
  • A superintendent chasing a night-time main break who needs the flow alarm before the green floodsnot Raven Slingshot
  • A resort with three courses on one pump network balancing demand across a limited windownot Raven Slingshot
  • A municipal complex under a water restriction that must document applied volume by areanot Raven Slingshot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Raven Slingshot

  • Requires cell network connectivity, limiting utility in areas with poor cellular coverage
  • Ecosystem is agriculture-specific, with limited applicability to other field operations

Toro Lynx Central Control

  • NSN is free only for the first year after purchase, and the Lynx mobile app is tied to an active NSN subscription, so the remote control feature demonstrated at sale disappears in year two unless the club renews an item the capital budget did not carry.
  • Lynx controls Toro field hardware, so central control and sprinkler manufacturer are a single twenty-year decision and a club cannot switch software without rewiring the course.
  • It runs on a Windows workstation in the maintenance building as the system of record, which means a machine that has to be patched, backed up and eventually replaced, and courses routinely run it on hardware well past support.
  • Toro publishes no pricing at all: everything comes through a distributor quote inside a large irrigation project, so a club cannot separate the software cost from the pipe and heads to judge whether it is fair.
  • Full capability depends on the field hardware generation, and courses with older Toro satellites cannot use head-level Smart Module control without a field upgrade that costs more than the software ever did.

Pricing, plan by plan

Raven Slingshot

$600/year
  • Standard$600/year
    • Data transfer
    • Field management
    • Basic analytics
  • Premium$1200/year
    • All Standard features
    • Remote support
    • Advanced analytics

Toro Lynx Central Control

On request
  • Lynx Central Control$undefined/year
    • Bought as part of a Toro irrigation system through a distributor
    • Lynx Cloud included with each system
    • NSN support free for one year after purchase, paid subscription thereafter

Which should you pick?

Choose Raven Slingshot if

  • You need wireless data transfer.
  • You work on Cloud, Mobile.
  • You also want field mapping.
Raven Slingshot review

Choose Toro Lynx Central Control if

  • You need course mapping.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want flow management.
Toro Lynx Central Control review

Questions people ask

Is Raven Slingshot or Toro Lynx Central Control better?
Neither clearly leads. Raven Slingshot starts at $600/year and Toro Lynx Central Control at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Raven Slingshot or Toro Lynx Central Control?
Raven Slingshot starts at $600/year and Toro Lynx Central Control at On request.
Does Raven Slingshot or Toro Lynx Central Control run on more platforms?
Raven Slingshot runs on Cloud, Mobile. Toro Lynx Central Control runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Raven Slingshot best used for?
Raven Slingshot is most often used for data transfer, prescription delivery, as-applied records, fleet management. Of those, data transfer and prescription delivery are not what Toro Lynx Central Control is typically brought in for.
What can Raven Slingshot do that Toro Lynx Central Control cannot?
Raven Slingshot covers Wireless data transfer, Field mapping, As-applied maps, Equipment connectivity. Toro Lynx Central Control covers Course mapping, Flow management, ET and weather adjustment, Lynx Smart Module.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Raven Slingshot: What does Raven Slingshot do?

Raven Slingshot is a wireless data management and logistics solution that enables prescription file delivery to field equipment, real-time machine data uploads to the cloud, and seamless data flow between farm management software and field equipment without manual downloads.

Source
Toro Lynx Central Control: Is the Lynx mobile app free?

No. App access is included with an active NSN subscription. NSN is free for one year after the Lynx purchase and paid after that.

Raven Slingshot: How does Slingshot work with farm management software?

Slingshot provides an open ecosystem API designed to work with software developed by other companies, enabling growers, retailers, agronomists, and software vendors to share agronomic data securely.

Source
Toro Lynx Central Control: Can Lynx control another manufacturer’s sprinklers?

Not meaningfully. It is built around Toro satellites and two-wire modules.

Raven Slingshot: Does Slingshot require internet connectivity?

Raven Slingshot uses high-speed connectivity via cell technology and cloud-based data transfer for real-time data uploads and prescription delivery to equipment.

Source
Toro Lynx Central Control: Is Lynx cloud-based?

Lynx Cloud is included and handles remote access and updates, but the core system still runs on an on-site Windows workstation.

Toro Lynx Central Control: What does NSN actually provide?

24 hour specialist support, remote diagnostics, the mobile app, IntelliDash and training, delivered from Abilene, Texas with offices in Belgium and Australia.

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