Contracting firm J.H. Reid, South Plainfield, New Jersey, takes delivery of the first John Deere 744K IT4 wheel loader.

When New Jersey Contracting Firm J.H. Reid wanted a wheel loader to allow it to work in Brooklyn, New York, under current and future emissions rules, John Deere found a solution: the new 304-horsepower 744K 4WD loader.

Deere’s new loader is the construction industry’s first IT4-certified iron with more than 175 horsepower. Reid took delivery in late August and immediately put the loader to work on a $125-million, pre-cast bridge job for the New Jersey DOT in Highlands. The loader will head to Brooklyn later this month.

The 744K’s 9.0-L IT4 diesel engine uses cooled exhausted gas recirculation technology to meet emissions regulations, while producing the same torque as a 744K equipped with a Tier 3 engine.