New John Deere harvester with V12 engine

The double exhaust on the rear of the hood reveals that no ordinary engine was built in this harvester. John Deere placed a powerful Liebherr V12 engine in its new 9000 series. Doing so, John Deere joins competitors Claas, Fendt and Krone. They already opted for a V12 engine in their strongest harvesters.

Substantial fuel savings

In the 9900 top model the 24.2 litre engine puts out 970 hp. And because the engine delivers its maximum engine torque between 1,400 and 1,800 rpm – which is 400 to 600 rpm less than usual – John Deere claims to save a lot on fuel with this engine.

Engine placement

The powertrain is of course adjusted to this abundant engine power with amongst others a wider powerband. The new models 9800 and 9700 have the same V12 engine, but slightly tempered in horsepower. John Deere remains faithful to its concept with a motor placed lengthways. That remains special since manufacturers like Claas and Krone choose to place it across the chassis.

The new John Deere 9000 series with Liebherr V12 engine. The top model stays just short of the 1,000 hp mark. – Photo: Matthijs Verhagen

8000 series remains available

The models mentioned replace the heaviest models from the current 8000 series: the 8700 and 8800 with wide (850 mm) chopping cage and Cummins engine. These are already out of production. The lighter models from the 8000 series, with John Deere engines and narrower chopping cage, will remain available.

The 9000 is therefore an additional series above of the existing 8000 models. Despite many changes in detail, the basic concept does not differ from the existing machines. The 9000 series are built on a new chassis, but have an identical cab as the current lighter models and are operated the same way.