John Deere 850L Dozer Pushes Productivity to the Next Level

Mon June 17, 2019
John Deere

Designed to meet the demanding needs of today's earth movers, the new John Deere 850L dozer boasts the productivity, reliability and durability customers expect in a production dozer. A few of the customer-inspired updates include a larger displacement engine, increased operating weight, new operator station and several improvements to maximize reliability and durability.

"Our K-Series dozers are a favorite with customers, and thanks to their ongoing feedback, the next generation of Deere dozers are our strongest, most durable and productive yet," said Nathan Horstman, crawler product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. "The 850L combines muscle, efficiency and balancefor impressive new levels of performance. Coupled with an extraordinary focus on reliability and uptime, you have the winning combination our customers are asking for."

The 850L incorporates an EPA Final Tier IV John Deere PSS 9.0L diesel engine that provides a 10 percent increase in horsepower. At 225 hp (168 kW), the 850L has more horsepower than any dozer in its size class. Equipped with the popular Eco mode feature, fuel consumption is reduced by up to 20 percent, without sacrificing performance, according to the manufacturer. Auto-idle and idle shutdown also are standard which further minimize fuel costs.

Like all John Deere dozers, the 850L features a dual-path hydrostatic transmission, now with 13 percent larger pumps than the K-Series.

The new dozer is available the widest Power Angle Tilt (PAT) blade in its class. At 172-in. (437 cm), the new blade increases productivity, especially in grading applications. All 850L configurations now utilize an eight-roller design with 130-in. (330 cm) of track on ground, increasing productivity, stability and gradeability.

The Dubuque, Iowa, manufactured dozer also comes standard with grade control-ready electrohydraulic (EH) valves — making it easy to add a grade control system. Owners also have the ability to purchase the machine with John Deere SmartGrade. This technology is integrated into the dozer — eliminating external cables to the masts, which reduces breakage, and the removal of the masts from the blades helps decrease vulnerability to theft and damage. SmartGrade technology removes the need to install blade-mounted sensors and components daily, reducing setup time, and allows operators to get more work done.

Inside the cab, a new operator station was designed with input from the John Deere Customer Advocate Group. The cab has 15 percent more space and interior operator noise was reduced by 27 percent when compared to the K-Series model. A new, angled seat keeps operators comfortable while using the rear implement or looking rearward. The new HVAC system incorporates a long-life brushless motor for improved airflow to keep operators comfortable all day, no matter the conditions outside the cab. Additionally, a new heated and ventilated seat option further increases operator comfort. Other new options on the 850L include a rear camera and automatic temperature control.

The 850L boasts all-new, ergonomic control joysticks for the transmission and hydraulic functions. The new transmission joystick has a rocker switch to control the forward-neutral-reverse (FNR) direction of travel and the hydraulic control lever includes a proportional thumb roller precise blade angle or power pitch adjustments. Other buttons are available to enable grade control, increment/decrement grade control, blade shake (PAT only), and return to pitch (outside dozer only).

Designed with reliability and durability in mind, the 850L features improved electrical and hydraulic routing, and a heavy-duty mainframe with increased thickness by as much as 60 percent in some areas of the machine to combat the rigors of the job site. The dozer's cooling package also was upgraded with larger fin spacing and a simplified design allowing full access to both sides of the cooler.

The 850L is equipped with a tilt cab that can raise up to 65 degrees, providing increased access to major machine components. This feature reduces downtime during repairs or adjustments to major electrical, hydrostatic, and hydraulic system components.

No matter the intended application, owners can customize their 850L with John Deere-designed, factory-installed configurations, including wastehandler, forestry protections, mechanical angle blade and a purpose built pipelayer-ready model.

Fleet managers looking to get the most out of their 850L can rely on their John Deere dealers to provide Ultimate Uptime, featuring John Deere WorkSight. With Ultimate Uptime, owners receive predelivery and follow-up inspections that include five years of JDLink Ultimate telematics, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics, programming capabilities and the ability to add dealer-provided uptime solutions to a customized package.

For more information, visit www.JohnDeere.com.

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This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.