With plenty of features and updates in the John Deere 844P, there’s a lot to look at
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Pukekawa, just south of Pōkeno, Winstone Aggregates’ Pukekawa quarry is rather unique. Alongside the full rock quarry is a sand operation as well, meaning a wide variety of materials are being processed here.
That also means it’s a busy place, as evidenced by both the almost continuous trickle of trucks heading in and out over the weighbridge, as well as the number of heavy-duty machines on the quarry fleet.
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The John Deere 844P doing what it does best
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A machine deployed here clearly has to be fit for purpose and ready for the hard yards involved in day-to-day quarry operations.
That’s why we were on-site at Pukekawa, as Winstone Aggregates takes charge of the latest in John Deere wheel loader technology and firepower, in the form of the new John Deere 844P.
Organised as a demonstration day for the Winstone Aggregates team, New Zealand John Deere distributor, Brandt, brought the new machine in for a detailed walkthrough for quarry employees, as well as a demo run doing what it does best. With plenty of smart features and updates throughout the John Deere 844P, there’s a lot to look at.
Cutting-edge features
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John Deere’s newly designed P series buckets feature spill guards at the top, which direct material away from the pins at the base
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“The 844P features intuitive controls and plenty of safety equipment onboard, as well as lots of details that make it simple to use and service,” says Fergus Goodwin, Brandt product manager for construction and forestry.
“Before we even climb up into the cab, there are some great features to highlight around the exterior of the machine. For example, John Deere’s quad cooling system is easily accessible from ground level behind a side-hinged service door. All of the machine’s coolers are separated out and, again, easily accessible for maintenance checks and servicing. The hydraulically driven reversing fan is fully customisable from the cab, as and when the operator wants it to reverse.”
At the other end of the 844P is an example of John Deere’s newly designed P series bucket. These now feature spill guards at the top, which direct material coming over the top of the bucket away from the pins at the base. The side cutters have also been redesigned to achieve more material retention while carrying.
“This is a 5.73-metre, or 7.5-yard, bucket, which is pretty well mid-size for this machine and will suit most applications,” says Fergus.
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At the rear of the loader, John Deere’s quad cooling system is easily accessible from the ground
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Further practicality is evident elsewhere in the factory-fitted auto greaser, which provides access to grease nipples on each of the pins.
“With this system, it still auto greases from one side of the pin and the operator can still manually grease each pin. That’s a major benefit if you break a line, or if you have a squeaky pin, as you still have the ability to grease it with the factory-fitted auto greaser.”
While John Deere designs its wheel loaders with ‘one side servicing’ in mind — meaning most of the daily checkpoints are all housed on one side of the machine — it still locates the isolator on the other side of the loader to ensure the operator walks around the machine to do a visual inspection as an extra safety measure.
The 844P features a central point for fuelling and AdBlue under a twice-lockable cover, while the 33-tonne machine — which sits near the top of John Deere’s extensive P Tier model line-up — also features tyre pressure management on all four tyres.
“This data runs through to the main display inside the cab, giving the operator pressure and temperature information in real-time,” explains Fergus. “This data, along with other operational information relating to the performance of the wheel loader, is all reported back online to the John Deere Operations Center, which is very handy for operators and owners.”
The built-in John Deere Operations Center is an online management system that enables access to machine productivity and performance information on any device at any time. It’s an impressive example of the connectivity of modern John Deere machinery and allows for eyes-on operational management of one or several machines across multiple sites.
Enhanced operator comfort
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The 844P’s operator cab has improved in terms of available space and ergonomic controls
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Up inside the cab — which boasts more legroom than previous models, thanks to the air conditioning system now being located outside the cab, along with a few other clever ergonomic redesigns — the level of tech present in the John Deere 844P is really on display.
For a start, there’s the new Advanced Vision System, which includes two digital cameras mounted on the rearview mirror that integrate with a rearview camera for a single display on a dedicated in-cab monitor. This provides for a wide field of vision at the rear of the machine.
Coupled with distance radar, which works as it does in most modern passenger cars, the operator is alerted to any obstacle behind the wheel loader.
Operator controls are more intuitive and easier to operate than before, with keyless start and seat-mounted right-hand hydraulic controls featuring programmable multifunction buttons. Up to 10 driver-specific PIN numbers can be entered into the machine for better security lockout too.
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The SSM (Sealed Switch Module) where many machine functions are housed
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“The machine we’ve delivered to Winstone Aggregates is running with no steering wheel and joystick steering configuration instead,” Fergus explains. “We have forward and reverse on the left-hand joystick, and then we’re running fingertip controls for all the other machine functions. You can also run with two joysticks: it’s entirely up to the customer how they spec the machine.”
Combined with the smooth-shifting transmission with lock-up torque converter, which delivers easy acceleration and quicker cycle times, John Deere’s wheel loader cabs are purpose-built to be safer, comfier, and mitigate operator fatigue across a long day at the quarry.
Dynamic weighing technology
More tech makes things easier in the form of John Deere’s optional SmartWeigh system, which features dynamic weighing technology. This allows the operator to weigh material without interrupting their workflow and removes the need to lower and re-raise the boom after tip-off. Payload data can be visualised from almost anywhere, too, thanks to SmartWeigh’s integration with John Deere’s connected JDLink system.
And with improved horsepower over the 844K it replaces (now 311kW/417hp), plus a dedicated steering pump, the John Deere 844P will heap heavier and haul more.
Safe and reliable
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Fergus Goodwin, Brandt product manager for construction and forestry (right) with Winstone Aggregates loader operators
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After a morning run shifting material in the new loader, John Stephens, quarry supervisor for Winstone Aggregates at Pukekawa, says he’s impressed with it.
“I can definitely see the benefits of using the John Deere loader. There are all the safety features onboard, and it has good visibility out of the cab: there are pretty much no blind spots out of the cab at all,” he says, adding that the loader is destined to be the quarry’s main load-out machine, mainly shifting sand in the site’s sand processing operation.
With a lot of work on the horizon for the 844P, there will need to be an equal amount of horsepower under the hood when it comes to the after-sales service local John Deere distributor, Brandt, can offer Winstone Aggregates.
“Brandt has experienced exceptional growth over the last few years,” says Haydyn Smith, Brandt director of sales — construction and forestry. “We’ve grown to over 6500 employees and that number is growing daily, with locations in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Closer to home, we have 17 locations throughout New Zealand providing sales and support to our loyal customers.
“We’re confident that between the safe and reliable performance of the John Deere wheel loader range, and the large footprint of sales and service expertise that Brandt offers here, customers like Winstone Aggregates will be able to get on with the job at hand with confidence and with the right machine for their operation.”
For more information, visit brandt.ca/nz
Photography: Cameron Officer and David Lott