John Deere Forestry and Construction filled the bucket of the machines in one of its new E Series with light bulbs signifying the “bright ideas” used to develop this series and its new 644K Hybrid wheel loader

Because of the way the engine operations, the machine runs two decibels lower than the Interim Tier 4 model. A 3-decibel reduction is 50 percent quieter, which makes the lower level of noise significant.

The water-cooled brake resistor passively consumes energy whenever the power electronics actively control its circuit and is only needed to consume excess recycled energy.

The hybrid wheel loader is going into production now and should be on dealer lots in March, Chesterman said.

Deere also introduced another “bright idea” with its new E-Series line of skid steer loaders and compact track loaders (CTLs). The new line includes five skid steer models and four new compact track loaders, each with Interim Tier Four or Final Tier Four engines.

“The E-Series skid steers and compact track loaders are one of the finest examples of customer-driven product development the John Deere Commercial Worksite Products group has ever offered,” Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry, told editors. “We asked hundreds of customers how we could make this equipment better. They told us, and we responded.”

Zupancic says the improvements made to the E-Series skid steers and CTLs are the result of extensive market research and John Deere’s Customer Advisory Group (CAG) process, which solicits input and ideas from customers. For the E-Series, customer input largely dealt with areas of the machines that improve on uptime, productivity and a lower daily operating costs.

The large-frame skid steers and CTLs feature a flat floor design with 25 percent more foot room than previous models. All models in the line include low-effort electro-hydraulic (EH) controls for additional comfort and ease of operation. The EH controls are available for ISO, H, and foot control patterns. In addition, the E-Series features an option to allow the operator to switch between all three previously mentioned industry control patterns.

Other new standard features include connect-under-pressure auxiliary hydraulic couplers, and a new courtesy lighting feature that automatically shuts the machine lights off after operation.

The mid-frame models have been improved to enhance performance and make the machines more versatile. The optimized boom design provides best-in-class boom and bucket breakout throughout the lift path. It also offers greater reach at truck-bed height and increases lift height to the hinge pin, Zupancic noted.

John Deere’s 318E skid steer

These size models also include the option for switchable controls to allow operators to choose between foot pedals, ISO and H-pattern. Other options include a new keyless start feature and a ride control option that cushions the boom under heavy load for a smoother ride.