John Deere repositioning equipment based on performance

Available first on the wheel loader lineup, the performance tiering strategy provides machine solutions built for various applications and jobs designed to enhance profitability and efficiency, John Deere says. Photo: John Deere

John Deere provided updates on new equipment and services during a virtual press event. The company also provided additional details on its performance tiering strategy, which launched earlier this year as a means to deliver a range of products at different levels of capability and user experience.

Tiering by performance

According to Deere, it developed performance tiers in response to evolving customer needs and expectations with the goal of offering a range of products at different levels of capability and user experience.

By adopting tiers based on performance, Deere is moving away from traditional series letter designations for equipment.

“We believe every job presents different opportunities,” says Jason Daly, global director of production systems, technology and marketing at Deere. “Customers want machines that are personalized to meet their needs.”

Deere is first applying performance tiering to wheel loaders, with new designations (G tier, P tier and X tier) for specific features.

“We’re starting with wheel loaders, and we’re going to work through that to bring the G, P and X to market,” Daly says. “We started there to get the process out. We want to make sure the expectations are met on the wheel loaders.”

According to Deere, the G-tier models are practically equipped and economical, providing proven capabilities with reliability and ruggedness built in. G-tier models are ideal for customers in need of a reliable machine to complete common light- to medium-duty tasks, Deere says.

“We recognize there’s a customer who’s looking for things that are more economical in the G tier,” Daly says. “Our rationale was to simplify so customers know what to buy, the capability set and [we] put a price-to-value equation on what makes sense for their application.”

The price-to-value concept is central to Deere’s performance tiering approach, Daly adds.

“Customers expect different performance in different applications,” he says. “That’s what we want to stress. You tell us your needs, challenges and obstacles you want to overcome, and we’re going to help direct you through our state-of the-art dealer channel to find the G, P or X tier.”

P-tier models are designed to produce at high levels, the company adds. They have advanced features that deliver exceptional performance, efficiency, comfort and service life in demanding, high-production applications, Deere says.

X-tier models, meanwhile, are built with the most innovative technology and features, according to Deere. They’re designed to deliver high levels of productivity, efficiency and customer experience.

“The P and X are pretty close,” Daly says. “But you can take the X to an all-new level of performance.”

Loader rollout

In terms of a debut model, the 644 G-tier loader is Deere’s very first machine in the G-tier portfolio. The loader is currently available in Canada and in select Latin American countries, with a rollout to come in the U.S.

According to Deere, the 644 G tier is equipped with an all-new cab that’s designed to boost operator comfort and productivity. The 644 G tier is ideal for light to medium construction jobs such as stockpiling, short load-and-carry applications, truck and hopper loading, and material handling.

The 644 G tier can be customized through a variety of base-level packages, including axles, tires, ride control, seats, radio and rear chassis work-light selections.