Fresh from its unveiling at the bauma Munich trade fair in April 2019, John Deere’s E360 LC excavator has made its way to Australia just in time for its local launch at the 2019 Diesel Dirt and Turf show in Penrith, NSW.
New John Deere construction machinery distributor for all of Australia (except WA) , RDO Equipment, used the show as a platform to announce its takeover of the brand as well as its ambitious plans moving forward.
The company also took the opportunity to unveil several new models at the show as a preview of what’s to come into the Australian market in the next 12 months.
The E360 LC is part of John Deere’s new series-II excavator line-up that has been redesigned to offer improved comfort and performance.
One of the enhancements is a brand new cab which is bigger and features a premium leather air seat with an intuitive 7-inch touchscreen monitor.
“A sealed switch module controls your start stop and a range of other functions including lights and machine settings,” said John Deere Territory Customer Support Manager, Sean Beardmore.
“So there's no more keys or individual switches to switch everything on.”
John Deere has also completely reworked the hydraulic system to provide for a much smoother and faster operation and up to 12 per cent increase in digging force, the company claimed.
A John Deere Tier 2 PowerTech engine with an output of 319hp powers the new machine.
“There will be additional engine options after the release date, which will potentially be interim Tier 4 should the customers choose to go that way,” Beardmore said.
Other changes include a brand new bucket made of ultra-high-grade steel for increased wear life.
“It has a new profile design that reduces digging resistance to allow the bucket to slide through the digging channel more easily,” Beardmore explained.
All machinery maintenance points have been grouped together at ground level, making daily servicing easier and safer.
However, customers eager to get their hands on the new E360 LC will have to wait a little longer before they can get their hands on the product.
“John Deere will actually be building the series-II in November and from there, it's just the lead time to get them into Australia which is usually about six to eight weeks from when they’re finished,” Beardmore said.
Also displayed at the Diesel Dirt and Turf show was the smaller E210 LC which also sits in the series-II line-up with an operating weight of 22.2 tonnes.
Watch the video to find out more about John Deere’s new series-II excavators.