John Deere Announces 244L & 324L Compact Wheel Loaders

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The new Deere 244L (shown above) and 324L compact wheel loaders have articulated frames and rear-wheel steering for tight turns. (Photo courtesy of Deere & Company.)

New to John Deere’s L-Series of compact wheel loaders are the 244L and 324L. They’re redesigned replacements for the company’s 244K and 324K, respectively.

"Tailor-made for tight spaces, the 244L and 324L use our proprietary Articulation Plus system to provide greater stability and yield more lifting power while turning tighter," says Drew Miller, product marketing manager, compact wheel loaders, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

Turning & Lifting

The new 244L and 324L come with 30-degree articulated frames and 10 degrees of rear-wheel steering for excellent maneuverability in tight quarters. The company touts their stability while making tight turns, too.

For the 244L, Deere reports an 8-foot, 3-inch (2.51-meter) full-lift dump height and a full-turn top load of 8,157 pounds (3,700 kilograms). The 324L standard lift model has a full-turn top load of 9,766 pounds (4,430 kilograms), but there’s a High-Lift option with a 10-foot, 3-inch (3.12-meter) maximum height.

The 244L and 324L are also better at parallel lifting, Deere says. New linkage keeps rollback minimized to only 6 degrees. Operating weight is 12,258 pounds (5,560 kilograms) for the 244L and 14,110 pounds (6,400 kilograms) for the 324L.

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The 324L is available in a High Lift model with a 10-foot, 3-inch full-lift dump height. (Photo courtesy of Deere & Company.)

Speed for the Street

Both units employ 73-horsepower, Tier 4 Final-compliant, four-cylinder engines. An auto-shift hydrostatic transmission means the operator doesn’t have to worry about shifting gears at worksite speeds. The loaders also use an automatic two-speed gearbox to attain top speeds of 23 mph (37 kilometers per hour) en route to their destinations.

They’re also more suitable for dusty duty on the farm or handling light material, Deere says, due to cooling and debris management improvements. Of course, they can also deal with snow removal, landscaping, and construction jobs.

Cab improvements include better visibility, efficient switch and gauge layout, and an optional air-ride seat with a high back. Also optional are JDLink telematics to get wireless diagnostics and software updates directly from the manufacturer.

Deere backs both loaders with a 2-year/2,000-hour full machine standard warranty.

Source: Deere & Company

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