At a dealer convention way back in August of 2014, John Deere gave farm media a glimpse of what was then its pre-production prototype 9RX tractor, a 9R Series articulated model that rode on four tracks instead of tires.
It made me ask, why break with standard practice? Why reveal a machine not yet ready for production?
The reason, according to Deere marketing staff, is that farm demand for a tractor in four-track configuration is so high, the brand wanted to reassure its dealers there was a green one on the way.
The 9RX was the most talked about machine at that event, even though company executives made it clear no official release date had yet been set. Those same executives were also tight lipped about the tractor’s specifications.
Fast-forward to August of this year and the tractor made its second appearance at a media event, which was held at Deere’s Waterloo, Iowa, plant. This time, however, after the 9RX rode into the light, it wasn’t quickly ushered back into hiding. This was its official public debut, and it’s now ready for the assembly line.
There are four models in the 9RX line, spanning a horsepower range of 470 to 620. The two smaller models (the 9470RX and 9520RX) get Deere’s own 13.5-litre PowerTech diesel, while their two bigger brothers (the 9570RX and 9620RX) will rely on a Cummins QSX 15 litre.
Like the other 9R and 9RT (two-track) models, the 9RX tractors get the brand’s e18 powershift transmission with Efficiency Manager. That system provides automated control of the engine and transmission combination to improve power delivery and fuel efficiency.
Deere is offering 30- and 36-inch Camso rubber belts on the 9RXs. In its press release announcing the tractors, the company says, “The engine powers a large-diameter drive sprocket and drive lugs that, along with optimally placed idlers and mid-rollers, work to deliver exceptional horsepower to the ground with less track slippage.”
“The 9RX has a superior undercarriage with a positive-drive track system that effectively delivers power to the ground,” said Jerry Griffith, John Deere product marketing manager for its 6-9 Family Tractors in the press release. “It features the outstanding comfort of our CommandView III cab with a new cab suspension system for improved ride quality, and it is designed with integrated performance features already available on our 9 Family of tractors.”
The tractors also get a redesigned hydraulic system, which includes up to eight SCVs and delivers a standard 58 gallons per minute (220 litres) of flow, or an optional 115 gallons per minute (435 litres).
“It easily meets the speed and high hydraulic power demands of the large implements our customers often use in the field,” Griffith said.
Deere also announced in August that it has struck a deal with Quebec-based Soucy Track, so green dealers will retail that company’s S-TECH 012P track modules as a dealer-installed option on 12- to 24-row NT planters.
“This agreement will allow our dealers to provide a track configuration on all 1770NT and 1775NT planter models equipped with hydraulic drive or electric drive,” said Casey Dray, product manager, John Deere Planter Works. “This will increase flotation and optimize planter performance when operating in more difficult conditions.”
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One of my first jobs was working as a mechanic’s helper at a farm equipment dealership in the late 1970s….
Changing the planters from tires to tracks is about a three-hour job, according to Dray.
