Deere 850L dozer breaks cover

John Deere has released its new 850L dozer boasting a larger engine, increased operating weight, new operator station, and several improvements based on customer feedback.

“Our K-Series dozers are a favourite with customers, and thanks to their ongoing feedback, the next generation of Deere dozers are our strongest, most durable and productive yet,” said John Deere Construction & Forestry crawler product marketing manager, Nathan Horstman.

“The 850L combines muscle, efficiency and balance for impressive new levels of performance. Coupled with an extraordinary focus on reliability and uptime, you have the winning combination our customers are asking for.”

The 850L is powered by an EPA Final Tier 4 John Deere PSS 9-litre diesel engine with 250hp that is a 10 per cent increase in horsepower compared to the K series, and has more power than any dozer in the same class, Deere claimed.

It has an Eco mode feature that reduces fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent, but without sacrificing performance. Auto-idle and idle shutdown are also standard features which can further minimise fuel costs. Like all John Deere dozers, the 850L features a dual-path hydrostatic transmission that now has 13 per cent larger pumps than the K-Series.

The 850L dozer has a blade width of 4369mm, which according to Deere, is the widest Power Angle Tilt (PAT) blade in its class. All 850L configurations now utilise an eight-roller design with 3302mm of track on ground for increased productivity, stability, and gradeability.

The dozer, manufactured in Dubuque, Iowa, also comes standard with grade control-ready electrohydraulic (EH) valves. Customers can also purchase the machine with John Deere SmartGrade technology that provides intelligent and automatic blade control according to load, offering higher productivity in a grading operation. As the technology is integrated into the machine, there are no external cables, masts on the blade and external sensors that operators have to worry about.

Inside the cab is a new operator station that was designed with input from the John Deere Customer Advocate Group. Deere said the cab has 15 per cent more space and 27 per cent less noise in the cabin compared to the K-Series model.

A new, angled seat keeps operators comfortable while using the rear implement or looking rearward. The new air-conditioning system incorporates a long-life brushless motor for improved airflow to keep operators comfortable all day, no matter the conditions outside the cab.

Additionally, a new heated and ventilated seat option further increases operator comfort. Other new options on the 850L include a rear camera and automatic temperature control.

The 850L also has new ergonomic control joysticks for the transmission and hydraulic functions. The new transmission joystick has a rocker switch to control the forward-neutral-reverse (FNR) direction of travel and the hydraulic control lever includes a proportional thumb roller precise blade angle or power pitch adjustments.

Other buttons are available to enable grade control, increment/decrement grade control, blade shake (PAT only), and return to pitch (outside dozer only).

Designed with reliability and durability in mind, the 850L features improved electrical and hydraulic routing as well as a heavier-duty mainframe with increased thickness by as much as 60 per cent in some areas of the machine to combat the rigours of the jobsite.

The dozer’s cooling package was also upgraded with larger fin spacing and a simplified design allowing full access to both sides of the cooler.

The 850L is equipped with a tilt cab that can raise up to 65 degrees to provide access to major machine components.

Operators can customise their 850L with John Deere-designed, factory-installed configurations, including waste handler, forestry protections, mechanical angle blade and a purpose-built pipe layer-ready model.

Fleet managers will have access to an Ultimate Uptime package with John Deere WorkSight. With Ultimate Uptime, owners receive predelivery and follow-up inspections that include five years of JDLink Ultimate telematics, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics and programming capabilities.