Deere Unveils New High-Speed Dozer at ConExpo

March 17, 2008
Moline, Ill.-based John Deere last week unveiled a new machine form with its 764 high-speed dozer, a unit designed to give operators the ability to do more in less time.

Moline, Ill.-based John Deere last week unveiled a new machine form with its 764 high-speed dozer, a unit designed to give operators the ability to do more in less time.

This innovative rubber-tracked dozer combines the speed of a grader with the flotation of a crawler dozer. As a result, operators can perform grading and moderate dozing at about double the speed of a similarly sized crawler. The machine is also engineered to travel 18 mph across a jobsite without damaging pavement.

“The 764 HSD has the potential to revolutionize site preparation and road building with its speed alone,” said Dan Drescher, Deere's product marketing manager for crawler dozers and crawler loaders. “Combining the rubber tracks with the speed dramatically expands travel possibilities around the jobsite, meaning less trailer hauling and no need for contractors to lay out mats just to cross pavement.”

The 764 HSD weighs 32,000 pounds and is powered by a Tier-3 John Deere PowerTech 6.8-L engine rated at 200 hp.

Twenty-four-inch-wide tracks provide 4,989 square inches of track-on-the-ground for superior flotation. The entire powertrain system works together to distribute power to the tracks for maximum push while avoiding spin. When the machine articulates, the inside and outside track speeds automatically change to improve turning. The hydrostatic transmission also adjusts to deliver the maximum power and speed to the tracks under varying load conditions.

Speed can be infinitely controlled from 0 to 18 mph, with four easy-to-use ranges available at the touch of a button. Finish grading can be achieved at speeds around twice that of a comparably sized dozer. “The finish grading speed lets operators do precise work faster,” Drescher said. “That means higher production and more profits.”

The fore-mounted operator's station is close to the 12-foot, six-way dozer blade and moves with it as the unit turns. This gives the operator a full, panoramic view of the blade at all times and close-quarters control.

The 764 HSD is also available with Deere's “plug-and-play” Integrated Grade Control, meaning the dozer arrives from the factory pre-wired and ready to add the operator's favorite laser/GPS system. A rear hitch and two hydraulic circuits allow the dozer to pull implements like scrapers, discs, box blades and compactors, increasing its versatility.

Like all John Deere crawlers, the 764 HSD features smooth and easy-to-use controls. Two right-hand levers handle blade functions, while the left controls perform steering and FNR/speed change duties.

In addition, the 764 HSD is engineered for easy maintenance. Daily service points are grouped together for fast access. Lockable service doors provide wide-open access to sight gauges, filters and dipsticks. The service interval for hydraulic/transmission filter changes is 500 hours and 2,000 hours for transmission oil.

Deere & Co. is an international provider of advanced products and services for agricultural and forestry, and a major provider of advanced products and services for construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping and irrigation.