2006 John Deere Forestry News and Press Releases

MOLINE, Ill. (May 18, 2006)—As the need to use fewer machines to do multiple jobs continues to grow, the John Deere 650J Crawler Dozer offers the perfect solution. It features numerous design enhancements to deliver the performance and versatility needed to be productive in a variety of jobs.

The 650J’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine uses a simple wet-sleeve cylinder design, providing improved cooling for longer service life; electronic fuel control offers precision and increased reliability; a self-adjusting belt tensioner reduces maintenance costs; and a coolant recovery system simplifies maintenance. The oil change interval has been increased to 500 hours for more uptime and lower daily operating costs.

The engine features new engine and transmission controllers that limit the range of the throttle and transmission speed during the first few minutes after a cold start that keeps the engine from operating at critical levels during warm-up, extending the life of the components.

To help monitor the 650J’s productivity, the transmission controller displays the hours and miles of operation of the machine, as well as monitors charge pressure and temperature, and will automatically limit its functionality when critical levels are reached.

The dual-path hydrostatic drive transmission provides infinite speed control, a power management system, power turns, counter rotation, dynamic braking, and automatic tracking control.

Speed-In-Grip (SIG) transmission control system features an increased number of user-definable rates, enabling each operator to tailor its operating characteristics to his preference.

The cab and controls on the 650J have new design features to improve convenience and comfort. Cab doors open easily with new pull handles, and a redesigned instrument panel with backlit rocker switches allow the operator to monitor the machine’s functions with just a glance.

As dozers of this size are becoming more popular, the 650J offers the best combination of large blade capacity and pulling power.

John Deere (Deere & Company – NYSE:DE) is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment; a major manufacturer of construction equipment; and a leading supplier of equipment used in lawn, grounds and turf care. The company was founded in 1837. John Deere construction and forestry equipment is distributed through a network of more than 600 independent dealers worldwide.