John Deere purpose built Pipelayer Crawlers place new options for the Pipeline Industry
Purpose-built in Dubuque, Iowa, the John Deere-designed and manufactured 1050K pipelayer-ready (PL) crawlers are now available for pipeline customers looking to get a lift on the competition. The 1050K pipelayer is available in two configurations for 170,000 pounds (PL170) and 220,000 pounds (PL220) of maximum lift capacity.
“Our pipeline customers asked for a purpose-built John Deere pipelayer,” said Nathan Horstman, crawler product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “This was the ideal opportunity to design and manufacture two pipelayer configurations based on our largest crawler platform.”
The 350 horsepower 1050K PL models boast a dual-path hydrostatic transmission that delivers more precise movement and control along the trench. Additionally, electrohydraulic controls enable exceptionally fine metering when placing the pipe.
When they leave the factory, the pipelayer-ready crawlers are ready for the customer’s choice of an approved supplier boom. The machines’ feature a bolt-on/pin-up design that simplifies sideboom installation, improving reliability and reducing setup times.
A purpose-built pipelayer cab integrates an electrohydraulic joystick for precise one-handed control of the load line, boom and counterweight. A large roof-mounted skylight provides operators with a clear view of the boom. To further simplify setup, the purpose-built cab is factory equipped for easy installation of the sideboom supplier’s load moment indicator (LMI).
The cab tilts with the sideboom installed for increased uptime. The front grille is hinged to provide easy access to the coolers. Toolless access is provided to dipstick, sight gauges, fill tubes, batteries, master electrical shutoff, engine, transmission and all filters. Eco mode and auto-idle, which can provide significant fuel savings in many pipeline applications are standard on all John Deere crawlers. Eco mode automatically adjusts engine speed and transmission settings based on load, and has the potential to reduce fuel consumption up to 25 percent with no loss in productivity.
Fleet managers looking to get the most out of their 1050K pipelayer-ready crawlers can rely on their John Deere dealers to provide Ultimate Uptime, featuring John Deere WorkSight™. With Ultimate Uptime, owners receive pre-delivery and follow-up inspections that include five years of JDLink™ telematics, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics, programming capabilities and the ability to add dealer-provided uptime solutions to create a customized package.
