John Deere currently offers three tractor ranges with models rated above 300 engine horsepower, three in the 7 Series offering 310 to 350 horsepower, and 12 in the 8 Series, all of which use the brand’s 9-litre diesel.
All the flagship articulated 9 Series tractors now get power from Deere’s latest high-horsepower engine, the 13.6-litre JD14X diesel. This engine produces 13.5 per cent more power than the 13.5-litre engine it replaces, takes up less space under the hood, runs significantly quieter and drinks seven per cent less fuel.
The JD14X engine features a 500-hour oil change interval, hydraulic fan drive, and a high-pressure common rail fuel delivery system for increased fuel atomization, efficiency and power, along with faster start times.
This year the green brand had a lot of interesting news to tell about its future tractor offerings. It revealed the 2023 model year 410 horsepower 8R, 8RT and 8RX models will be available with a new step-less electric variable transmission (EVT). Deere says that design enables precise speed control and enhanced drivability.
The EVT uses electric motors instead of hydrostatic motors to improve transmission performance and to the operator it will feel much like an Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT), only much quieter. Deere says it will provide better overall tractor control, along with easy serviceability and diagnostics
Deere expects electricity will almost certainly soon see increased importance in a variety of systems beyond just the transmission, and in the future the EVT will likely be the transmission of choice for customers, it says.
In the future the EVT will be available with optional electric power generation, capable of off-boarding electricity to power implements. Deere says the EVT can generate up to 100kW of electricity. This would allow it to power implement fan drives, take the place of implement hydraulic pumps, or assist the tractor by powering an implement’s axles. It is similar to the technology John Deere currently uses on some of its construction machines.
And Deere became the first major brand to announce it would soon have a fully autonomous tractor on the market, an 8R. Its commercial release was expected in early 2022; however, by year end Deere has only said it expects to open the tractor up to customer orders soon, with no official launch date confirmed yet.
The autonomous 8R will be capable of performing tillage operations without an operator in the cab. Its development is the result of Deere’s recent purchase of the tech start-up company Bear Flag Robotics. Located in California, it had already been supplying retrofit systems to its customers making Deere tractors autonomous. Deere expects to soon retail OEM autonomous 8 Series tractors through its dealer network.
High Horsepower John Deere Tractors for Sale in Canada
High Horsepower John Deere Tractors for Sale in the USA
Brands offering high-horsepower tractors in Canada.
- Case IH
- Challenger
- Claas
- Deutz-Fahr
- Fent
- John Deere
- JCB
- Massey Ferguson
- McCormick
- MTZ
- New Holland
- Versatile
High-Horsepower Tractor Guides :
2023 High-Horsepower Tractor Guide
2022 High-Horsepower Tractor Guide
2020 High-Horsepower Tractor Guide
