In March 2021 John Deere announced the expansion of its construction line-up to 18 countries in Southern and Western Africa. In addition to the John Deere machines, customers in these markets have access to product support through the world-renowned John Deere dealer network.
Upon introduction John Deere focused on the 21-ton E210 excavator in its excavator offering. It is now actively marketing the E300 LC, a 30-ton mid-sized excavator. Modern Quarrying spoke to Griffiths Makgate, John Deere’s Construction and Forestry Sales Manager: Africa and Middle East about this excavator’s performance, uptime and cost of ownership, but also about John Deere’s pledge to assist customers to keep machines running.
John Deere has been building products for 185 years and its construction equipment is respected all over the world because it offers optimal uptime, productivity and low daily operating costs. When John Deere introduced its line of construction machines locally in 2021, “we focused on the E210 excavator as this is where the market was – market share wise,” Makgate explains. “The introduction of machines was calculated so that the market was not swamped as we wanted to focus on each of the customer segments, and give the right amount of focus to a specific customer segment,” he says.
“The 30 ton E300 LC is a general construction machine that is ideal for applications including quarrying, contracting, mining and general construction,” he says.
“The E300 LC falls in between a small contractor type of machine and semi-mining and fits into this segment because the bucket can be removed and fitted with different types of attachments,” says Makgate.
The heavier nature of the machine makes it even more effective. “The E300 LC has a 2,9 m low reach. It is offered in a short and long carriage – the latter gives more stability on the machine as the undercarriage is slightly longer. It is a good machine for contractors moving between different construction applications,” he adds.
The E300 LC is equipped with 6,8 litre four cylinder John Deere PowerTech Plus engine as opposed to the E210 which has a 4,5 litre engine. “These engines are fuel efficient even though, for me, fuel efficiency is subjective as it is influenced by the altitude of where the test took place. However, compared to excavators currently in the market, it is about 6 l per hour more fuel efficient,” says Makgate. The machine is also equipped with auto-idle which reduces engine speed when hydraulics are not in use.
The E300 LC’s open-centre hydraulic system is fully integrated with the John Deere PowerTech engine to deliver excellent power, control and efficiency.
Performance and uptime
Makgate explains that John Deere’s strategy for the design of its construction machines revolves around performance, uptime and cost of ownership. “The E300 LC has been built to deliver optimal uptime, has heavy-duty booms and arms, a robust electrical system while the hydraulic routing has been optimised,” Makgate says.
The excavator employs reliable digging structures and hydraulic, electrical and undercarriage components. “Consider, for instance, the hydraulic routing of our machines: in most cases when an excavator fails it will be with hydraulics. It takes long to trace where the problem is, whether it is an oil leak or a problem with the feedline,” says Makgate. “Our hydraulic lines have been simplified with less such lines, so if a cylinder breaks it is easy to replace it,” he explains.
Aside from a simplified hydraulics system, Makgate explains that John Deere has added more rollers to its undercarriages, as more rollers absorb more weight, increases movement and the durability of the machine. “There are many maintenance free components to our undercarriage to ensure that more uptime is ensured,” adds Makgate.
Other durability-enhancing features include wet-sleeve cylinder liners, heavy-duty cooling systems and extended service intervals.
The E300 LC combines power with smooth and low-effort control. The performance of the excavators is achieved through four power modes (low, economy, standard and high) and three work modes (lift, dig and, hammer/bidirectional auxiliary) to deliver the right power for maximum productivity and strong digging force.
Trademark of John Deere excavators
“The trademark of all John Deere construction machines, not just excavators, is performance, uptime and cost of operations,” says Makgate. “The machines display qualities and strength in areas that would normally easily fail. Our design is cognisant of those areas that cause money spend. We attempt to master and strengthen those areas and present customers with a stronger, more robust machine.”
Marrying maximal digging forces, swing torques and lift capacities with smooth control and multifunction capabilities.
“The shorter the stick, the higher the breakout force. If the stick is longer, one sacrifices the breakout force. John Deere’s excavators marry the ideal length with the optimal power so that it becomes unnecessary to use additional machines to do the job,” says Makgate. “The time cycle of the swing is also optimal to save time when one is digging, swinging to load or to stockpile and to swing back. This ensures maximal productivity,” he adds.
Operator comfort
The spacious and quiet operator station is designed with convenience in mind: the seven-inch touch-screen monitor provides the operator with quick access to the machine’s features, functions and diagnostics. “The ergonomically placed and robust controls, automatic temperature control and optimal seat ensure that the operator is comfortable and productive all day,” says Makgate. The operator cabin has a wide expanse of front glass that provides excellent all-round visibility.
Simple servicing
“JDLink™ is one of the features we pride ourselves in,” says Makgate. JDLink™ is a telematics system that provide real time utilisation data and alerts that assist customers to maximise productivity by minimising downtime.
“Remote diagnostics enable dealers and customers to monitor machines remotely and react quickly and proactively when problems occur,” says Makgate. “If a customer is planning a 500 hour service for instance, through the help of JDLink™ the dealer or customer can log into the machine and see what parts are needed upfront,” he explains.
“Daily checks are easy as service points have been grouped to swiftly check fluid levels and to grease the machine every day. Covers can be opened easily from ground-level for the quick-change of filters,” explains Makgate. Combined with the detailed diagnostics, this minimises downtime and costs.
More than power
“John Deere’s excavators are competitively priced, but the customers get so much more than just the machine. John Deere brings value to the table: when a customer engages with us, we can sell a lot more in terms of value. We have managed to keep existing machines in the market running, have parts availability, specialised technicians and the capability,” adds Makgate. “It is our pledge that we offer customers aftermarket and product support to assist them with achieving their goals,” he says. “We focused on the 21 ton excavator and now we are focusing on the 30 ton – to ensure that the customer has a good experience of it. Our dealers are spread throughout the country – and can be contacted for a demonstration.”