Having commenced the rollout of its production class equipment in 2022, John Deere AME has further expanded the range with a number of new machines. The company used its Open Day on 18 April 2024 to introduce new production class models to its dealers and customers. On the stage of the arrival lounge were new products from across various product groups such as wheel loaders, bulldozers, excavators and ADTs.
Of note is that the newly introduced products are the first John Deere machines in the local market branded with the new Performance Tiering system, confirms Griffiths Makgate, sales manager Construction and Forestry AME. In 2022, John Deere announced its Performance Tiering strategy to give customers the flexibility on deciding which products were suitable for their specific economic and application profiles.
“There are three different equipment levels outlined under John Deere’s Performance Tiering strategy – G-Tier, P-Tier and X-Tier. Each tier has different features, based on customer requirements and expected applications,” explains Makgate.
The G-Tier represents a class of rugged and reliable machines designed for light- to medium-duty applications, without all the ‘bells and whistles’. Designed to promote maximum productivity on a range of jobsites, the P-Tier machines come with enhanced features such as a more spacious cab, an option of EH controls and enhanced linkage designs, amongst others. X-Tier machines feature the most innovative technologies, enabling higher levels of productivity and efficiency.
Enter 460P
New to the P-Tier portfolio of ADTs is the 460P, an upgrade to the 460E Series II, which made its local debut in 2022. According to Cory Brant, product consultant – John Deere, what truly differentiates the 460P ADT is its remarkable fuel efficiency. Reduced machine weight, combined with three drive modes, deliver improved fuel efficiency.
Available on the 460P are three drive modes – Normal, Eco, Traction – which allow operators to adapt to their situations and enhance the abilities of the ADT to fit their applications. The drive modes optimise features such as the automatic differential-lock system to reduce tyre wear, improve traction in soft conditions, and reduce axle wear by automatically applying themselves only when needed. Customers will find the drive modes highly valuable for their ease of use, uptime and ride quality.
Normal mode is meant for situations where the truck does not always have to be at full throttle and moving at top speed. Eco mode, when conditions allow, helps reduce fuel consumption by smoothing throttle input, reducing maximum revolutions per minute (rpm) and optimising transmission response for the conditions at hand. This is often the case when you have many trucks in a normal haul cycle.
Traction enhances the ability of the ADT to maintain grip in soft and slippery underfoot conditions by applying additional control to the automated differential-lock system and powertrain. Whether the truck is hauling through deep, sticky mud, or just pulling away on a hard gravelly surface, Traction mode locks up four differential locks – one in each axle and one in the transmission. All six wheels will be getting equal torque, getting traction, and ensuring little or no harmful slippage, allowing the fully loaded ADT to move as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Redesigned components
A completely redesigned dump body allows for improved material retention, lower loading height, lower centre of gravity and reduced transport width. Quarry and mining customers will value the bin redesign and lower overall dump-body height (for easier loading and better material retention) for increased uptime and cycle times.
“The wider bin offers better tyre coverage and easier targeting when bench loading with an excavator. The new side-sheet design makes loading height the same from front to back. The bin rail now features an angled top, helping to reduce material spillage during travel. Tailgate arms have been redesigned to maintain a transport width of under 3,7 m. Changes to the headboard offer increased coverage of the articulation joint,” explains Brant.
With updated machine sensors and improved routing of both hydraulic hoses and electrical harnesses, John Deere has placed value on enhanced reliability. “With upgraded machine sensors and a revamped routing system, the ADT has 10% fewer connection points than its E-Series counterpart. This translates to fewer potential leak points, less friction and a more resilient machine,” explains Matt Costello, product marketing manager, – John Deere.
Operator in mind
With a range of features that support ease of use and operator comfort, the 460P was built with the operator in mind. Redesigning the layout of the components in the cab and grouping features together and packaging them in a meaningful way, based on the application, are just a couple of examples of how John Deere has incorporated customer feedback and is delivering further improvements.
Standard on the 460P are a variety of owner and operator settings that help ease operation and increase jobsite safety. The onboard features, such as rollover protection, downhill dump protection, frame protection, hill hold, shuttle shifting and descent control, help eliminate some of the operator inputs, enabling simplified operation. Additional machine benefits from the machine’s dump body limits, standard transmission warm-up cycle, and maximum speed limits, help to keep the operator and machine safer and up and running for longer.
Rollover protection alerts the operator to a potential unsafe dump angle and stops the dump cycle. Set at 15% from the factory, the setting can also be user-defined by accessing the owner setting in the monitor. Downhill dump protection automatically calculates the truck position to make sure the dump body does not travel over-centre when dumping downhill. With auto dump brake enabled and driveline assist active, the service brakes will latch when unloading the machine.
When stopping on an uphill slope, the truck will automatically keep the service brakes applied while the operator moves their foot from the brake pedal to the throttle to keep the truck from rolling backward. If a dump is stopped before material is shed out of the bin, the truck will cushion the bin travel back to cradle to prevent a full bin from aggressively seating onto the frame.
When activated by the operator, descent control will help automatically control the truck speed when driving down a descent through automatic use of the transmission retarder. At truck start up, the transmission will automatically begin a warm-up cycle. This improves not only ride and shift quality but also increases daily productivity by getting the transmission up to operating temperature quickly.
Growth
Three years after the introduction of the John Deere branded construction range in Africa, Makgate tells Quarrying Africa that the brand has enjoyed good growth. “To meet growing demand for our products in Africa and the Middle East, we have beefed up our Construction and Forestry team significantly, including sales and technical teams. Our dealers have also invested heavily in their people to ensure high levels of customer support,” explains Makgate.
Following the launch of production class equipment in 2022, John Deere AME has seen a quick uptake of its construction range, particularly in the hard rock mining sector. Makgate makes special mention of the ADT and grader ranges as the best-selling products. This is closely followed by excavators, which have done exceptionally well in terms of sales.
“Initially, our ADTs have done well in South Africa. However, in recent times, we have seen increased demand in other African markets. We are truly excited about the addition of the 460P, and more recently the 410P, which made its local debut in May 2024. These models cast a special design focus on efficiency, productivity and safety, and we believe we have the right tools to achieve more growth,” says Makgate.
Apart from products, Makgate reports that there has been increased interest from potential dealers who want to distribute and support the John Deere product in Africa and the Middle East. In addition, the company has also seen a growing base of new customers from across the region.
“The three-year journey has been marked by steadfast commitment to the success of the brand. I will be remiss if I do not take a moment to acknowledge our dealer partners for their devotion to John Deere. Their unwavering dedication to customer support has been instrumental in our success,” concludes Makgate.
