Slope Control Grade-Management Solution Now Available For John Deere 450K, 550K & 650K Crawler Dozers

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John Deere now makes an entry-level Slope Control system available as an integrated factory option for its 450K, 550K, and 650K crawler dozers, making it easier for operators to meet the required grade. (Photo courtesy of Deere & Company.)

John Deere is making its productivity- and profitability-boosting Slope Control system available as an integrated factory option for its K-Series 450K, 550K, and 650K crawler dozers. The entry-level grade-management solution helps operators in grading smooth planar surfaces by providing real-time cross-slope and main fall-slope percentages on an in-cab monitor. Operators can use this information to manually adjust the blade or employ an automated control feature to meet the required grade.

Increasing Demand

Deere says Slope Control is well-suited for small-site development, road building, forestry, and agriculture applications. Factory installation of the system protects sensors and prevents component damage. In addition, the system can be serviced and supported by members of the John Deere dealer network.

“The demand for grading technology in the construction industry is rapidly increasing, and entry-level solutions are key for that adoption,” says John Deere Solutions Marketing Manager Matt Goedert. “By offering Slope Control on the K-Series machines, customers can precisely maintain and grade desired slopes easier than ever using proven technology.”

Supporting Any Experience Level

The Slope Control solution Deere is offering with its 80- to 140-horsepower (60- to 104-kilowatt) 450K, 550K, and 650K dozers offer is configurable in Target or Joystick modes. Target Mode involves the operator entering a specified target slope on the in-cab monitor. Joystick Mode uses the last joystick input to maintain the slope. Both modes support automatic control of the blade’s tilt, raise, and lower commands to maintain a target slope. Deere says the system helps operators of any experience level to maintain the slightest slopes while maintaining proper drainage.

The system also boasts Deere’s Flip Slope capability, which lets an operators quickly adjust the targeted main fall or cross slope to the opposite value, enabling precise turnarounds prior to starting the next pass. It also includes Increment and Decrement buttons on the blade control joystick for making on-the-fly cross-slope or main fall-slope target value adjustments.

Source: Deere & Company