Loading innovation surfaces from Deere, Doosan, Case

By |  June 16, 2021

Although trade shows were put on pause due to the pandemic, equipment manufacturers continued to innovate over the last 12-plus months.

Count John Deere, Doosan Infracore North America and Case Construction Equipment among these innovators. The manufacturers recently rolled out new equipment and technology in wheel loaders, sharing the details of their latest wares with the trade press this spring through virtual events and other means.

Photo: John Deere

The first John Deere loader in the G-tier portfolio is the
644 G tier. Photo: John Deere

John Deere

John Deere, for instance, provided additional details on the company’s performance tiering strategy that launched early this year as a means to deliver a range of products at different levels of capability and user experience.

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.

Photo: Doosan

The DL550-7 wheel loader replaces Doosan’s DL550-5. Photo: Doosan

Doosan

Doosan, meanwhile, is launching its -7 Series wheel loaders in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Doosan, the loaders feature redesigned cabs with first-class comfort features, increased bucket capacities and new, fuel-saving technologies.

Seven models are included in the new -7 Series, with standard bucket capacities between 3.7 and 7.6 cu. yd. now available. Doosan plans to launch five additional models with bucket capacities between 2.6 and 3.3 cu. yd. in early 2022.

The wheel loaders launching next year will include tool carrier iterations for two models, Doosan says.

“While we have made enhancements to our wheel loaders during the past 15 years, this is a significant milestone in the Doosan product,” says Aaron Kleingartner, Doosan’s dealer and product marketing manager. “The new -7 Series wheel loaders represent more than a decade of research and development, as well as [incorporate] feedback from our customers. The next generation of Doosan wheel loaders easily competes with any machine available today.”

All Doosan -7 Series wheel loaders have the same control setup, so operators won’t miss a beat when moving from machine to machine. For improved visibility from the cab, Doosan says the total glass area is 14 percent larger than prior models – and a full glass door improves visibility on the left side. Large mirrors extend the operator’s view to the side and rear of the machine.

Photo: Case CE

The new G Series lineup from Case CE features a touchscreen in the operator’s cab. Photo: Case CE

Case CE

Case CE also introduced loader enhancements, albeit to its line of G Series wheel loaders. Case CE’s enhancements aim to improve performance and productivity, increase uptime and afford operators greater control and understanding of their machine, according to the company.

The lineup’s enhancements include an all-new touchscreen display designed to put all core operational controls at the operator’s fingertips. Configurable buttons built into the armrest allow operators to program certain settings and tasks in a more efficient manner, Case CE adds.

The Case G Series wheel loader lineup features new adjustable electro-hydraulic controls and parallel lift functionality, a Smart Power Mode, an OEM payload system and a tire pressure monitoring system.

“Wheel loaders – especially those in production and heavy working environments – achieve significant improvements in performance and profitability when you shorten cycle times, simplify operation and increase uptime,” says Andrew Dargatz, product manager at Case CE. “Each of the enhancements introduced in the new Case G Series loaders drive those incremental improvements that lead to big gains in productivity and efficiency.”


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