John Deere unveils Premium Circle option to reduce operating costs for motor graders
Option features a fully sealed bearing and pinion design, reducing costs and downtime
John Deere has unveiled a new factory-installed Premium Circle option for all G-Series, GP-Series and SmartGrade motor graders. This option features a fully sealed bearing and pinion design, reducing maintenance costs and downtime, while also significantly boosting circle torque and speed.
With traditional circle designs, customers spend hours in the shop replacing or shimming the wear inserts, as opposed to being on the job. Over the lifetime of the machine, downtime adds up, but is necessary to maintain tightness for accuracy and prevent damage to the circle. The Premium Circle option replaces wear inserts with a sealed bearing that only requires a few minutes to grease every 500 hours. Additionally, the gearbox oil change intervals have been extended from 2,000 to 4,000 hours, while the pinion and circle teeth are completely sealed from dirt and debris to minimize wear.
The new Premium Circle with integrated slip clutch has significant effects on machine productivity as well. With the Premium Circle, John Deere motor graders boast 40 percent more circle torque and 15 percent more speed over the Standard Circle. Contractors will also see improved performance and accuracy when using a grade control system by no longer having to compensate for wear in the circle. This is especially impactful when coupled with the John Deere SmartGrade system. The same grader can now be used from initial site clearing to final grade without stopping to install masts or downing the machine to adjust for looseness in the circle.
