Digger goes Deere spotting at Langar

Tue 23 Jul 2013

Digger goes Deere spotting at Langar

Not coming from an agricultural background myself, I have never really had much interest in tractors, but getting up close and personal with these machines was a nice bit of light relief from the rigours of the journalist course, and my realisation that I have much to learn in terms of written work! At the end of the first day, the other highly talented course members and I were invited to drive a trio of machines under supervision and in a controlled environment. The assembled John Deere machines consisted of a T560 combine harvester, 855D Gator utility vehicle, and the aforementioned 8360 R tractor. For many of the assembled course members, these units were likely to be the largest machines they have ever operated, and the expressions of joy on their faces was a moment to behold.

I was keen to see how the cabs in these agricultural giants compare to modern excavators for example. I climbed aboard the impressive looking John Deere 8360R, which is the biggest and most powerful pulling tractor in the 8R series. This tractor is powered by a 9.0 Litre, 265kw (360hp) John Deere PowerTech engine, which is stage IIIB emissions compliant. The cab felt massive inside, with excellent all round vision through the expansive windows. The full air-conditioning package was also much appreciated on yet another hot day, during our recent spell of fine weather.

I was taken through the basic controls by one of the John Deere product specialists, once I had arranged the steering wheel console into a comfortable driving position. To the left of the steering wheel is the orange coloured direction lever, which also features a parking position. The most impressive control layout is laid out on the right hand side of the operator’s seat, featuring a massive bank of switches and buttons that wouldn’t look out of place on the Starship Enterprise! The John Deere CommandARM console features virtually every control that you would need to operate this tractor efficiently. Closest to the seat are the hand throttle and travel speed controls, which are colour coded in orange to match the forward and reverse control previously mentioned.

The extreme right hand bank of switches control amongst other things, heater and climate control settings, air vent distribution, lighting, and sound system controls, plus a whole host of other functions of which we didn’t have the time to cover during my drive. In the centre of the console are a number of hot key switches, which work in conjunction with the tractors iTEC (Intelligent Total Equipment Control) system, for transmission and PTO settings. Standing dominantly above the console is a 7” colour screen, which as part of the iTEC system, allows the operator to automate multiple operating functions simultaneously.

To be honest, the in-built technology in these tractors was bit overpowering for a humble excavator operator to take in. It was simply mind blowing to find out just what can be achieved with the tractors today. Take the AutoTrac system for example, this hands- free guidance system monitors where the tractor has been spraying fertiliser, and vastly reduces overlaps on bare soil, helping to reduce costs such as fertiliser, labour and fuel. The possibilities are endless, and the experience has certainly changed my impression of farmers, when I see them out and about on the rural roads in Devon where I live.

What I have covered in this post is just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of modern tractor technology, but I hope it’s given an insight into the world of the modern day tractor for those of us who are not familiar with them.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Steve Mitchell, Adrienne and course lecturer David Mascord for a very enlightening and entertaining experience at the course. And lastly I wish my fellow attendee’s all the very best in their future writing careers.

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