New John Deere Motor Grader with Premium Circle option reduces operating costs
John Deere unveils a new factory-installed Premium Circle option for all G-Series, GP-Series and SmartGrade™ motor graders. This industry-leading option features a fully sealed bearing and pinion design, reducing maintenance costs and downtime, while also significantly boosting circle torque and speed.
“To be profitable, customers constantly work to balance ever-tightening margins with increasing expenses,” said Luke Kurth, motor grader product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “John Deere is focused on providing new ways to help reduce those costs, and we are able to do that with the new Premium Circle option for all G- and GP-series motor graders worldwide. By eliminating the circle wear inserts and need for adjustment or replacement, customers will benefit from reduced parts and labor costs, while still maintaining an accurate grade.”
With traditional circle designs, customers spend valuable hours in the shop replacing or shimming the wear inserts, as opposed to being on the job. Over the lifetime of the machine, this downtime adds up, but is necessary to maintain tightness for accuracy and prevent damage to the circle.
The Premium Circle option replaces wear inserts with a sealed bearing that only requires a few minutes to grease every 500 hours. Additionally, the gearbox oil change intervals have been extended from 2,000 to 4,000 hours, while the pinion and circle teeth are completely sealed from dirt and debris to minimize wear.
The new Premium Circle with integrated slip clutch has significant effects on machine productivity as well. With the Premium Circle, John Deere motor graders boast 40% more circle torque and 15% more speed over the Standard Circle. Contractors will also see improved performance and accuracy when using a grade control system by no longer having to compensate for wear in the circle.
This is especially impactful when coupled with the innovative John Deere SmartGrade system. The same grader can now be used from initial site clearing to final grade without stopping to install masts or downing the machine to adjust for looseness in the circle.
Those attending the 2020 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show in Las Vegas can get a close-up look as John Deere premiers the Premium Circle for the first time in booth #N12525.
