NZ Technicians Honoured at 2026 John Deere Awards in Brisbane
Leading John Deere technicians and apprentices from New Zealand and Australians were recognised at the recent sixth annual JD Technician of the Year Awards, held in Brisbane.
Power comes from a 13.5L straight six engine, sitting longitudinally in the chassis; output is rated at 574hp, climbing to 616hp maximum as the engine is pulled down to 1800rpm. This is coupled to a ProDrive hydrostatic transmission which offers field and transport ranges with speeds of 1-12km/h and 0-40km/h respectively, with diff locks included for difficult traction situations.
Most of that available power is funnelled into the real heart of the machine – the chopping cylinder, said to be able to use over 75% of the available power.
Power from the engine is transmitted via an angular gearbox, with a dry sump configuration to save power, to the cutter head by a multivee 'power band' that also drives the kernel processor and the crop accelerator.
The DuraDrum chopping cylinder calls on the maker's 50 years of forager design and has revisions to the knife holders for added strength and the ability to direct crop flow; it carries 48 knives with a multi-bolt fixing system that allows rearwards movement in the event of hitting a foreign object.
Additionally a new hydraulic cutter head brake can bring the unit to a stop within seven seconds. Sharpening is done by a system that runs the drum in reverse to maintain a keener cutting edge, and an automated shear bar adjustment system maintains knife-to-ledger clearance.
Ahead of the cylinder a larger, four roller feeder housing has a larger 830mm feed opening to use the power on tap, and sees the JD IVLOC (variable length of chop) system offer chop lengths from 6-22mm in 1mm increments; it allows easy changes as crop or climate conditions change throughout the day.
Rearwards of the chopping cylinder the kernel processor uses a twin roller, quick removal system and a large speed differential between the rollers to ensure that all kernels are cracked for maximum nutrient uptake by the animals.
Finally the crop accelerator offers 1800rpm rotational speed delivering a concentrated crop stream into trucks and trailers; Auto Fill is an option.
The driver sits in an air-conditioned cab with wide front glass, taller side glasses and slim pillars for great visibility; an air suspension seat ensures comfort, and a refrigerated compartment keeps drinks and food cool. Control is via the CommandArm to the right side of the seat; it has a number of 'hot keys' for repetitive tasks.
A wide range of lights suits field or road travel, and the option of a guidance system on the maize header takes care of steering and collecting all the crop.
Interestingly, and as a result of growers need for yield and constituent data, the JD HarvestLab system uses near infrared technology to give real-time readouts of dry matter and tonnage harvested, and there is also the option of measurement of crude protein, starch and fibre content if required.
During the busy harvest period, there's a saying "if it's not chopping it's not earning" so the latest series sees service taken care of with large one piece panels for easy access, auto greasing systems and the likes of slide out radiator screens to help reduce daily servicing time. There is also the option of an air compressor to offer swift clean down between job moves or at the end of the day.
