John Deere is revising its 8000 and 9000 series forage harvester portfolio for the model year 23. The focus is primarily on the smaller models of the 8000 Series, but the 9000 Series also receives important updates to further increase performance. A new top-of-the-range machine is also being added to the pick-up model range – the 30R – which increases output, especially in the upper horsepower segment.
New 8000 series forage harvesters
In addition to a facelift, the 8100, 8200 and 8300 models receive additional horsepower. The 8100 harvester with the 9-litre engine now delivers a maximum power of 431 hp and replaces the current 8200. For 2023 the 8200 forage harvester receives the larger 13.5-litre engine and therefore increases its output by 34 hp to 465 hp. The power increase of the smaller 8000 models is rounded off by the new 8300, which now has a maximum output of 505 hp instead of the previous 490 hp.
To further enhance the performance and reduce operating costs, the Dura LineTM Kernel Processor has a new coating, the BusaCLAD. This coating has been specially developed for highly stressed machine components and is available for all 8000 and 9000 Series models. In addition to a longer service life, it allows lower wear costs per tonne to be achieved.
Above: the new 8100 harvester with 9-litre engine delivers a maximum power of 431 hp
The 9000 Series – what’s new?
Like the 9500 and 9600 forage harvesters before, the 9700 model now also gets the JD18X engine, which does not require DEF (Diesel exhaust fluid). This 18-litre John Deere engine increases the performance of the forage harvester. It also introduces HarvestMotion Plus, which provides an exceptional torque increase and even more power at low engine speeds. As a result, the 9700 forage harvester now delivers up to 825 hp.
Furthermore, all self-propelled forage harvesters in the 9000 series are now equipped with the newly designed discharge chute, which is 20 cm longer than the previous version. Thanks to its optimised contours and design, it enables a higher throughput and provides a better overview during chopping. Additional openings facilitate maintenance here.
The new 30R
To utilise the full John Deere power, Kemper has developed the new 30R Grass Pick-up with a working width of 2.7 metres. Equipped with a large 80 cm diameter auger, deep 20 cm auger flights and 6 tine bars with 6.5 mm tines pick up, the new R-series pick-ups are designed for high throughput. To ensure the full John Deere power is used during the upcoming chopping season, the 30R features a chainless drive and heavy-duty wear parts that reduce maintenance costs.
AutoSetup
John Deere offers a range of solutions to increase operator comfort in the tightly-timed chopping season. One of them is AutoSetup. If the machine is equipped with a JDLinkTM modem, data can be exchanged wirelessly and free of charge with the John Deere Operations Center TM. This allows workflows to be set up, planned and monitored in a single online portal. Using John Deere AutoSetup, it is then possible to send this information to forage harvesters directly in the field.
The pre-planned work schedules then automatically appear on the Gen 4 display when the machine crosses the boundary of the designated field. This gives the driver direct access to the correct lanes, work settings and field boundaries.
