CINCINNATI, Ohio – Agricultural tractors with parallel twin rubber tracks are notorious for bouncy rides. The front of the tracks jump up and down in some field conditions, much the way a porpoise leaps through waves.
The porpoising action in the field is rough on the operator and machine and it prevents all the power from reaching the ground. It’s also a problem in most transit situations.
John Deere thinks it has solved the problem by installing air bag suspension on the three rubber track machines that make up the company’s new line of 30T tractors, introduced in mid-August at Cincinnati, Ohio.
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“This is in response to customer’s requests for suspension on our T tractors,” said Jeremy Unrue, an instructor at the product introduction.
“The front of the tracks no longer experience that porpoising, or jumping up and down. This improves the ride for the operator and the machine, which translates into better longevity for the equipment.
“It lets the tractor put more power down to the soil for better pulling performance and better use of fuel. And the range of vertical motion at the tracks makes it a lot easier to work on side hills and along drainage systems.”
Deere calls the new system the AirCushion walking I-beam. Unrue said it’s a double pivoting device that uses a scissors action with double vertical movement. One pin is on the left side of the tractor and a second pin is in the middle.
The scissors action pivots on the left side pin where the whole system anchors to the tractor frame. It also pivots within itself at the centre pin.
Most people think of a walking I-beam as running fore and aft on a machine. However, Unrue said the new mechanism runs across the front of the tractor, left to right.
Two air bags and one large shock absorber are located on the right side of the tractor. One air bag is attached to each arm to serve each rubber track, but the single shock absorber serves both tracks.
At the end of each beam, close to where it ties into the front idlers, there is a rubber-mounted joint that allows the front idlers and bogeys to follow the ground contour.
“It fluctuates, flexes and bends so the rubber belts remain in contact with the soil. They don’t tilt or tip to the left or right. If you’re on a really rough surface or a side hill, the tracks stay flat, in full contact with the ground.
“For vertical movement, we have a total range of motion of 13.7 inches. From a rest, it’s 67/8 inches up and 67/8 down.”
Air pressure in the bag can be calibrated from the cab to give a continuous cushion for vertical movement.
“They basically just float over rough surfaces.”
A new bogey undercarriage has wider front idlers. The design allows for easier track alignment and also provides increased track tensioning and recoil.
The three new T tractors are designated as the 9430T at 425 hp, the 9530T at 475 hp and the 9630T at 530 hp.
Deere also used the Cincinnati event to introduce five new tire tractors ranging from the 9230 at 325 hp to the 9630 scraper model at 530 hp.
The six cylinder PowerTech Plus engines have four valves per cylinder and use a variable geometry turbocharger, which produces up to a 38 percent torque rise and a 10 percent power bulge. To help fuel economy, the mechanical cooling fan runs only at the necessary speed to meet the engine’s requirements.
There are two transmission choices. A 24 speed manual transmission is standard equipment on the 9230, 9330 and 9430.
The 18 speed PowerShift is available as an option on those three models and is standard equipment on the 9530, 9630 and 9430T models.
The 9530 and 9630 wheeled tractors have a new double-reduction axle to handle the higher horsepower and increased loads, such as the new 100 foot corn planters.
The high demands on the latest generation of big tractors prompted Deere to introduce an ISO Class 5 hitch as standard equipment on all 9530 and 9630 tractors with tires or tracks.
The drawbar is three inches tall and five inches wide, with a hardened steel pin that’s 23/4 inches in diameter. John Deere called it the first ISO standard Class 5 hitch available on the North American market.
The three largest tire tractors are available with a scraper option. This includes AutoLoad, a new system that automates the scraper hydraulic functions during the loading cycle. When the operator engages AutoLoad, it automatically adjusts the cutting-edge height according to draft loads, wheel slippage and soil conditions. The system disengages at the end of the cut when the operator hits the selective control valve.
The wheeled tractors now have a fuel capacity of 350 US gallons. The T models now carry 330 US gallons.
Base prices without options range from $183,000 US for the 9230 on tires up to $305,000 US for the 9630T.
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Agricultural tractors with parallel twin rubber tracks are notorious for bouncy rides. The front of the tracks jump up and down in some field conditions, much the way a porpoise leaps through waves.
The porpoising action in the field is rough on the operator and machine and it prevents all the power from reaching the ground. It’s also a problem in most transit situations.
John Deere thinks it has solved the problem by installing air bag suspension on the three rubber track machines that make up the company’s new line of 30T tractors, introduced in mid-August at Cincinnati, Ohio.
“This is in response to customer’s requests for suspension on our T tractors,” said Jeremy Unrue, an instructor at the product introduction.
“The front of the tracks no longer experience that porpoising, or jumping up and down. This improves the ride for the operator and the machine, which translates into better longevity for the equipment.
“It lets the tractor put more power down to the soil for better pulling performance and better use of fuel. And the range of vertical motion at the tracks makes it a lot easier to work on side hills and along drainage systems.”
Deere calls the new system the AirCushion walking I-beam. Unrue said it’s a double pivoting device that uses a scissors action with double vertical movement. One pin is on the left side of the tractor and a second pin is in the middle.
The scissors action pivots on the left side pin where the whole system anchors to the tractor frame. It also pivots within itself at the centre pin.
Most people think of a walking I-beam as running fore and aft on a machine. However, Unrue said the new mechanism runs across the front of the tractor, left to right.
Two air bags and one large shock absorber are located on the right side of the tractor. One air bag is attached to each arm to serve each rubber track, but the single shock absorber serves both tracks.
At the end of each beam, close to where it ties into the front idlers, there is a rubber-mounted joint that allows the front idlers and bogeys to follow the ground contour.
“It fluctuates, flexes and bends so the rubber belts remain in contact with the soil. They don’t tilt or tip to the left or right. If you’re on a really rough surface or a side hill, the tracks stay flat, in full contact with the ground.
“For vertical movement, we have a total range of motion of 13.7 inches. From a rest, it’s 67/8 inches up and 67/8 down.”
Air pressure in the bag can be calibrated from the cab to give a continuous cushion for vertical movement.
“They basically just float over rough surfaces.”
A new bogey undercarriage has wider front idlers. The design allows for easier track alignment and also provides increased track tensioning and recoil.
The three new T tractors are designated as the 9430T at 425 hp, the 9530T at 475 hp and the 9630T at 530 hp.
Deere also used the Cincinnati event to introduce five new tire tractors ranging from the 9230 at 325 hp to the 9630 scraper model at 530 hp.
The six cylinder PowerTech Plus engines have four valves per cylinder and use a variable geometry turbocharger, which produces up to a 38 percent torque rise and a 10 percent power bulge. To help fuel economy, the mechanical cooling fan runs only at the necessary speed to meet the engine’s requirements.
There are two transmission choices. A 24 speed manual transmission is standard equipment on the 9230, 9330 and 9430.
The 18 speed PowerShift is available as an option on those three models and is standard equipment on the 9530, 9630 and 9430T models.
The 9530 and 9630 wheeled tractors have a new double-reduction axle to handle the higher horsepower and increased loads, such as the new 100 foot corn planters.
The high demands on the latest generation of big tractors prompted Deere to introduce an ISO Class 5 hitch as standard equipment on all 9530 and 9630 tractors with tires or tracks.
The drawbar is three inches tall and five inches wide, with a hardened steel pin that’s 23/4 inches in diameter. John Deere called it the first ISO standard Class 5 hitch available on the North American market.
The three largest tire tractors are available with a scraper option. This includes AutoLoad, a new system that automates the scraper hydraulic functions during the loading cycle. When the operator engages AutoLoad, it automatically adjusts the cutting-edge height according to draft loads, wheel slippage and soil conditions. The system disengages at the end of the cut when the operator hits the selective control valve.
The wheeled tractors now have a fuel capacity of 350 US gallons. The T models now carry 330 US gallons.
Base prices without options range from $183,000 US for the 9230 on tires up to $305,000 US for the 9630T.
