John Deere’s new G-Series: Skid steers, track loader driven by customer feedback

When customers speak, John Deere listens. This isn’t always a given for a leading brand that dates back to 1837 — that’s a long period of time to get complacent. But John Deere proved it once again at World of Concrete 2016 in Las Vegas, debuting four skid steers and a compact track loader that were largely influenced by customer feedback.

The four Final Tier 4 G-Series skid steers (312GR, 314G, 316GR, 318G) and the compact track loader (317G) were several years in the making. The company said the impetus driving the development of these new machines was a perceived hole in their lineup. These additions will level the playing field for today’s rental, ag material handling, construction and landscape customers.

“With the addition of these new G-Series models, John Deere now offers a full line of skid steers and compact track loaders to meet the quality, performance and price point needs of today’s customer,” said Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

And all five models, including three vertical and two radial-lift options, are full of customer-requested features aimed at improving operator and machine productivity, and uptime and lowering daily operating costs.

“Customer input led to increased durability, higher engine power, improved fuel capacity and updated cab and productivity features, so when customers buy or rent a John Deere G-Series machine, it isn’t just an easy decision, it’s one they can make with total confidence.”

Get to know the G-Series

The G-Series machines feature an improvement in horsepower-to-weight ratios and an optimized boom design that enables lift heights over 10 feet on the vertical lift models and a 20 percent increase in breakout forces on the radial-lift models. With the option of a radial or vertical lift, customers can now choose the Deere system that best fits their application needs.

The new vertical-lift design on the 314G (51 hp), 318G (65 hp) and 317G (65 hp) provides excellent all-around visibility with clear sight lines both above and below the boom to enable easier grading in tight spaces, plus the low-profile rear-hood design expands rear views.

The radial-lift option used on the 312GR (51 hp) and 316GR (61 hp) offers an exclusive one-person boom lockout system for safety that can be activated from within the cab. The lift system is designed for lower maintenance and optimal digging performance, and is ideal when more reach is needed at mid-range lift heights — such as dumping over a foundation wall, backfilling or loading a flatbed trailer. These machines are also ideal for work in small areas or indoor operations.

The 316GR, 318G and 317G offer 24 percent more engine power and all G-Series machines provide 11 percent additional fuel capacity over previous models for daylong productivity and uptime. A durable, high-performance Yanmar Final Tier 4 engine and hydraulic powertrain provide maximum pushing power, and boom and bucket productivity. The optimized power-to-weight ratio also helps deliver more usable power, resulting in faster cycle times on the job site.

John Deere designed an all-new operator station for the G-Series, featuring many of the same comfort, space and visibility refinements originally introduced on the E-Series machines. A swing-out cab door creates a wide-open entryway and flat floors allow easier entry and exit, along with more foot and legroom. The cabs and floors are sealed and pressurized to keep out dust and excess noise, and a footwell clean-out makes debris management easier than ever, minimizing costly maintenance and downtime.

The new skid steer economy models 312GR (radial lift) and 314G (vertical lift) were purpose built for simplicity, reliability and durability, and include a key set of standard features for the entry-level customer. The higher performance 316GR and 318G models offer several customer-driven features, including 2-speed, air-conditioning, electrohydraulic (EH) joystick controls, an enhanced lighting package and a new self-level and ride control combination that features shock-absorbing boom cylinders that cushion bumps, helping retain full bucket loads while navigating over rough terrain.

Flexible control choices on the 316GR and 318G allow contractors to choose between standard foot and hand controls, optional hands-only controls or enhanced (EH) joystick controls that are switchable between ISO- and H-patterns.

To learn more, visit John Deere’s website at www.johndeere.com.