Since introducing hydrostatic transmissions to the North American crawler dozer market in 1976, John Deere continually utilizes customer feedback to better design machines to meet the needs of the evolving contractor and job site. The new 450K and updated 550K and 650K dozers are no exception, and they help meet customer needs in site development, commercial and residential building, as well as road-building applications.
"The 450K, 550K and 650K are key models in the John Deere dozer lineup," said Nathan Horstman, crawler dozer product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry. "With the 450K, we focused on proven K-Series durability and fuel-saving technologies, and we updated the 550K and 650K models to offer enhanced reliability and serviceability upgrades to improve customers’ operating costs."
The 450K boasts a John Deere 4.5L Final Tier 4 diesel engine with 80 horsepower. The latest crawler addition delivers 16 percent more horsepower along with a more impressive power-to-weight ratio, available torque and drawbar pull than its J-Series counterpart. Like its K-Series siblings, the 450K features Eco Mode that regulates engine RPM and the hydrostatic transmission to burn up to 20 percent less fuel in a wide range of applications. The addition of Total Machine Control (TMC) enables an operator to customize control of decelerator mode and response, forward/reverse ground speed, steering modulation, forward/reverse speed ratios and even record machine usage.
The updated 550K and 650K dozers incorporate a John Deere 4.5L Final Tier 4 diesel engine with 92 horsepower and 104 horsepower, respectively. The 550K features six undercarriage rollers versus the 650K's seven, and 86 inches of track on the ground versus the 650K's 92. An efficient, friction-eliminating direct-drive fan on the 450K and 550K models is easy and less costly to maintain. A cool-on-demand variable-speed fan on the 650K runs only as needed, reducing fuel consumption, and includes an optional reversing feature to aid cooler cleanliness in high debris environments.
When examining operating costs, all K-Series models boast exclusive turbo cool-down that increases durability by allowing the engine to idle momentarily prior to shutting down. An auto shutdown feature turns the engine off after an operator-determined period of machine inactivity, saving fuel and warranty hours. Additionally, both the 550K and 650K include a composite fuel tank that features a dual-fill design for easy access from either side of the machine. Other serviceability improvements include redesigned diagnostic lines with pressure sensors and John Deere transmission software.
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