John Deere welcomed the trade press, including Rock Products Associate Editor Josephine Smith, to its Sacaton, Ariz., proving grounds on April 14 for a one-day event that highlighted its expanded production-class equipment.
Among the equipment showcased was the tier 4 final 1050K Crawler Dozer, and the 300G LC and Hitachi ZX300LC-6 excavators. Utilizing years of research and extensive customer feedback, the 1050K has the durability, reliability and productivity needed for mining, quarrying, road building, and other large-scale applications, noted the company. It incorporates an EPA Final Tier 4/ EU Stage IV PowerTech diesel engine with 350 hp (261 kW).
The 300G LC replaces the 290G LC and boasts 19 percent more horsepower and 17 percent more swing torque and larger hydraulic pumps than its predecessor. “The 300G LC hits a sweet spot in the 30-ton excavator market,” said Mark Wall, excavator product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “It’s bigger and more powerful than the 29 ton machine and boasts all the popular G-Series features customers expect from John Deere. This model will greatly benefit those in the underground, road building, energy, commercial building, and pipeline industries.”
The 300G LC features a 223-hp certified Final Tier 4 John Deere PowerTech PVS 6.8L engine. Operators don’t have to worry about diesel particulate filter (DPF) cleaning as it still occurs automatically with no impact to machine operation. After extensive testing, John Deere’s DPF can go up to 15,000 hours before ash removal. Like its counterparts, the 300G LC features excellent total fluid economy (diesel fuel and DEF).
The ZX300LC-6 is an improved version of its popular predecessor – the ZX290LC-5 – and features EPA Final Tier 4 (FT4)/EU Stage IV Isuzu engine technology that meets rigid emission standards. This bigger, more powerful machine gives operators the efficiency, reliability and durability needed when out on the jobsite.
“At Hitachi, we don’t get sidetracked building every type of construction equipment. Instead, we leverage our expertise and legacy of meeting demanding mining applications to build excavators that are highly efficient, reliable and durable,” said Wall, who is also product marketing manager at Hitachi Construction Machinery – Americas. “The new ZX300LC-6 is no exception. The machine combines power and finesse for maximum productivity on any job from site development, road building, utility work and more.”
Additionally, John Deere noted that it will soon be introducing a 900 series class of wheel loaders, and launching a new mobile app: GoPush. The company also noted that it has extended its John Deere WorkSight from three to five years in the Ultimate Uptime base package for production-class equipment.