More than 1,000 test pilots help shape John Deere’s New Generation excavators
To create its New Generation excavators, John Deere made a historic investment in engineering, research and development as well as the recruitment of test pilots located throughout North America.
The New Generation machines will make their debut at ConExpo in March, starting with the 210, 230 and 260 P‑Tier models in the 20‑tonne class.
“We have two times the number of engineers working on excavators than the next largest product line,” said Justin Steger, Deere’s Product Marketing Manager for Excavators. “And we’ve got significantly high dollars focused on developing these excavators and also validatation to make sure that we’re delivering on our commitment.”
The new line up was redesigned, developed and tested by Deere in‑house. During the multi-year development, more than 150 prototypes were created. As well, Deere recruited more than 1,000 test pilots from across Canada and the United States to test the machines in real world environments. More than 160,000 operating hours were recorded at hundreds or jobsites during the testing phase. The result is the most advanced John Deere excavators yet.
“Every component, from the undercarriage and hydraulics to the cab layout, is designed using feedback from the dedicated customer test pilots that participated in this journey with us,” Steger said. “With their support, we are able to deliver the power, precision and performance our operators rely on every day.”
Jobsite performance
The new P-Tier models offer smooth, powerful hydraulics and smart design enhancements for impressive overall performance.
The combination of structures, hydraulics and integrated technology is optimized to support a balance of performance and total cost of ownership.
“Obviously there’s some clear-cut differences when you look at these machines, but to me, it’s a culmination of a whole bunch of little things that build up to a huge improvement over what we already had,” said Lynn Miller from Miller Earthworks, one of the companies recruited to test the new machines.
Featuring increased dig force and lift capacity, the new P-Tier excavators offer excellent power and performance for trenching, grading, craning and truck loading while advanced hydraulic tuning enables quick and smooth cycle times.
“I actually just placed a 13,000-pound storm manhole with it. So, the power is super good, and the speed I like — I like to go fast and get things done,” said Steve Strandlund Jr. from DW Companies, one of the companies that participated as a test pilot for Deere.
The excavators are equipped with several performance modes, including Dig, Lift and Eco, to help match jobsite power and manage fuel usage. Operators can also adjust the hydraulic response with speed and control modes, allowing operators to match the performance of the machine to the response rates they require.
Operator comfort
Delivering Deere’s largest and most operator-friendly cab yet, the 210, 230 and 260 P-Tier models include nearly 70-cm of legroom, added storage, 10 points of seat adjustment and tool-free armrest and joystick modifications.
“Operator focus is something we’ve taken a lot of time to get right, not just a larger cab, but every point that the operator interacts with these machines matters,” Steger said. “This is their office for the day.”
The new G5 Plus 32.5-cm display provides an intuitive touchscreen for monitoring machine health, managing attachments and viewing camera feeds, in full or split screen mode.
The Sealed Switch Module (SSM) is combined with all other controls into one location, giving operators the option to adjust settings by utilizing the new CommandARM for flexibility.
“I believe one of our customer quotes was ‘every time I have to take my hands off the joystick, I’m not making money.’ We took that feedback very, very directly,” Steger said.
Each feature is also designed to boost productivity and scale with evolving customer requirements.
Remote Display Access (RDA) enables remote viewing, integrated grade control, cameras and sensors to give operators near real-time information.
Whether it’s remotely adjusting settings, reviewing equipment diagnostics or troubleshooting equipment on the job, RDA helps customers quickly find solutions to help maximize uptime. A subscription is not required.
The new Remote Display Control (RDC) allows customers, customer-approved dealers and third parties to remotely navigate the monitor and adjust settings as if they were in the cab to assist with troubleshooting, training and machine setup.
Machine damage avoidance and virtual fences help protect the machine and surroundings by defining jobsite limits above, below and around the excavator. Optional Advanced Vision and Object Detection Systems further enhance visibility and jobsite awareness.
Optional advanced safety and support features include fully integrated cameras with surround-view intuitive displays, and smart sensors that provide operators with critical information.
Advanced tech
Enabling ease of operations, new EZ Control technology simplifies the control of the boom, arm and bucket for underground work, making lifting and craning smoother and more intuitive for operators.
Attachment Manager, which is now available on 20-tonne models, provides easy setup, calibration tracking and customizable settings for up to 20 attachments, keeping productivity high and operations accurate.
“You program all of your different attachments into your machine, and with the push of a button, you can change your flow,” Miller said.
Attachment Manager also ensures each attachment is properly configured for optimal performance for features like grade control, virtual fences, machine damage avoidance and SmartWeigh.
SmartWeigh delivers accurate material weighing that is easy to calibrate without requiring a known weight, as the machine uses sensors and technology to calibrate and maintain accuracy.
The new auto laser catch feature, part of the new John Deere 2D Grade Control system, assists the operator as the laser catcher on the machine breaks the plane of the rotating laser on the jobsite. There is no need to stop and press a button on the joystick to maintain a vertical reference, enhancing the productivity advantages and usability for the operator.
“We’re not just doing it because we can. We want to be intentional with the technology that we’re delivering,” said Dustin Bashaw, Deere’s Product Consultant for excavators. “We’re always coming back to, is this technology hitting the mark? Is it providing value in the work that you guys do?” All P-Tier midsize John Deere excavators offer 2D grade control that is upgradeable to the optional full 3D SmartGrade with either Topcon or Leica giving customers the flexibility to match their grade control needs.
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