Jobsite Workhorse

UC Talks Dozers with John Deere

Bulldozers are a cornerstone of construction operations for contractors, valued for their versatility and power. The most common tasks bulldozers perform include land clearing, grading, earthmoving, site preparation, and demolition. Their ability to handle multiple tasks with various attachments, such as blades and rippers, makes them indispensable on job sites. Due to their efficiency and adaptability, bulldozers are among the most prevalent pieces of heavy equipment in the construction industry, frequently appearing on projects of all sizes and types.

John Deere recently introduced its 850 X Tier dozer, that fits into the company’s mid-size dozer lineup, and has continued to enhance the rest of its lineup. Utility Contractor explored the new offerings from Deere in a recent interview with Colton Kreber, Product Marketing Manager for John Deere.

UC: Tell us about the new 850 X-Tier dozer. Where does it fit in the lineup? What type of contractor is it suited for? What are the key features?

The John Deere 850 X-Tier E-Drive dozer is the largest mid-size dozer model available. This new model features impressive horsepower and torque, reliable systems and components, flexible grade-control solutions that can be easily and economically upgraded, elevated operator conveniences, and now innovative diesel/electric E-Drive technology to power through site-development, aggregates, and roadbuilding work. The 850 X-Tier utilizes dual path electric drive technology for added simplicity over traditional drivetrains and optimizes torque delivery and reduces machine complexity.

Building off the success of the L-Series cab, the 850 X-Tier enhances operator comfort and visibility, ergonomic controls and an Advanced Vision System for improved job site awareness. Designed for minimal downtime, the dozer also features a tilting cab, allowing quick access to E-Drive components for easy diagnostics and maintenance.

UC: Deere also announced enhancements for the 700, 750 and 850 P-Tier dozers. Walk us through some of the highlights.

John Deere recently rolled out its newly enhanced 700, 750, and 850 P-Tier Dozers with next-generation technology to help maximize job site productivity. The P-Tier models boast SmartGrade™ capabilities to include EZGrade, SmartGrade ready with 2D grade control, and 3D SmartGrade, providing operators with precise grading control and enhanced situational awareness. The SmartGrade platform provides plug and play capabilities for laser and total station control allowing customers access to more jobsites. In addition, the larger touchscreen displays simplify navigation and setup for machine operation, ensuring a more intuitive experience.

UC: Let’s take a closer look at SmartGrade and its capabilities. How does it help contractors improve their efficiency and productivity?

The full suite of John Deere factory-integrated grade- management technologies including standard EZ Grade and optional SmartGrade Ready Including 2D Grade Control, SmartGrade with Topcon, and SmartGrade with Leica simplify difficult grading tasks. These intuitive offerings are easy for operators of any experience level to master. Also, all technology solutions are fully supported by the John Deere dealer network and can be efficiently upgraded as your operation evolves.

Each grade control solution offers key capabilities to help ease operations and enhance performance on the jobsite. First, EZ Grade aids operators in manually grading smooth finish passes by making small blade corrections automatically. Next, SmartGrade Ready Including 2D Grade Control includes entry-level slope-control solutions and plug-and-play laser.

Other features, such as Slope control, assists in grading and maintaining flat, smooth, and sloping surfaces. Operators can view and set blade slope while the system automatically controls the blade to a desired slope. SmartGrade Ready also recognizes plugged-in laser receivers and activates the plug- and-play laser that enables operators to automatically control the blade to a specific slope and elevation using a rotating laser.

Lastly, fully integrated SmartGrade features next-generation components and integration, enabling the highest levels of productivity and grading performance. SmartGrade is available in your choice of Topcon or Leica packages, offering additional flexibility to customers.

UC: With an array size classes and tiers, what are the key considerations for contractors in selecting the best model for their needs?

Blade width and track configuration are amongst considerations that contractors look at. What type of conditions are they working in, what types of material types are they in, what is the overall size of the jobsite. These items will help the Dozer to be in the best configuration to pair with any technology and get the job done with efficiency in mind. Within the Dozer lineup, we’ve expanded with the X-Tier offering, providing a solution for customers looking to gain productivity while saving fuel. The 850 X-Tier provides dual path electric drive technology, in addition to other solutions within the Dozer lineup.

UC: What are some of the common challenges your customers are facing in the utility industry or the construction industry in general? How is Deere responding to the challenges?

Lack of skilled labor and operator fatigue are prevalent challenges in construction. Increasing usage of grade control from full 3D SmartGrade™ to 2D slope control and laser are just some solutions to help operators get up to speed quicker and stay sharp for long days. Getting the job done right the first time is the main goal of any operation and avoids moving material more times than needed.  John Deere is taking the approach with SmartGrade to provide building blocks so a customer’s machine can grow with their business through simple upgrades. If a customer is not fully ready for 3D SmartGrade solutions today but their business grows they can upgrade a 2D solution to full 3D through their John Deere dealership. With all this added technology John Deere provides dedicated hands-on support with the Precision Construction Specialists across the country that assist John Deere dealers and customers. A dedicated Precision Construction Technical Assistance team also provides the necessary support to quickly resolve any issues that may arise.

UC: Anything else that contractors should consider?

Safety on any jobsite is especially important. The Advanced Vision System adds additional cameras to enhance operator situational awareness. The 4 additional cameras provide a larger field of view for jobsite surroundings and different viewing options to accommodate different jobsites. The Advanced Vision System serves as a building block for future enhancements to camera systems. Tags: John Deere