John Deere has added SmartGrade to its 950K power-angle-tilt (PAT) crawler dozer. The SmartGrade dozer incorporates an EPA Final Tier 4/EU Stage IV John Deere 9.0 l. engine with 280-hp. It includes a hydrostatic powertrain and John Deere dual-path hydrostatic transmission. A 8.6-cu yd. six-way PAT blade aims to offer flexibility. The Topcon 3D-MC2 Grade-Control System is fully incorporated into the machine cabin, structures and software. SmartGrade eliminates external cables into the masts and allows for removal of the masts from the blades. The technology aims to remove the need to install blade-mounted sensors and components daily. Auto SmartGrade allows the operator to adjust the system when moving the machine from one soil type to another. This feature automatically lifts the blade over heavy loads before track slippage occurs, then returns the blade to grade. Machine dimensions are preloaded into the grade control monitor.
