2018 International Forest Industries December 2017 January 2018 | Page 8

LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS
John Deere equips 900M-Series Tracked Feller Bunchers and
900MH-series Harvesters with Final Tier 4 Engines
The John Deere 900M-Series
Tracked Feller Bunchers and
900MH-Series Harvesters are
now equipped with Final Tier 4
(FT4) engines, offering fuel and
fluid-efficient machines without
sacrificing power and performance.
John Deere is the leader in FT4
technology, offering a diesel
particulate filter (DPF) solution that
is known for its ability to reduce
the dependency of diesel exhaust
fluid (DEF). Built on decades of
John Deere engine experience and
millions of hours of FT4 runtime,
the 900M-Series and 900MH-
Series machines deliver premium
performance, optimum fluid
efficiency, increased reliability and
economical operating costs.
“Out in the woods, machine
productivity and uptime are crucial
to business success. Our FT4
engine and emission solutions
have been rigorously tested and
in the most extreme applications,
loggers can be confident that
their tracked feller buncher or
harvester can withstand even the
most challenging conditions,” said
Jim O’Halloran, product marketing
manager for John Deere. “As a
proven partner offering the most
comprehensive solutions in the
industry, John Deere is proud to
offer loggers a powerful, reliable
machine that meets current and
future emissions standards.”
With the required emissions
change, John Deere FT4 engines
maintain power density, torque, and
transient response – which results
in productivity, uptime, and more
value for your machines. In addition
to excellent fuel economy, the
design of the engine after-treatment
system results in exceptionally low
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) usage.
“DEF usage has become a real input
into the planning and cost of the
overall equipment operation,” says
O’Halloran. “We have to talk about
overall fluid economy now, and
if you use less fluid, there is less
handling and storage requirements.
It’s a real positive factor in the
efficiency and overall bottom line of
our Customers.”
John Deere has also made
changes to the machine line-up,
and improving the structure,
design and horsepower on select
machines. John Deere offers
three 900M-Series tracked feller
buncher models, the 903M, 953M
flat bottom and 959M leveling
machines, as well as two 900MH-
Series harvesters, the 953MH
flat bottom and 959MH leveling
machines. All of the 900M-Series
and 900MH-Series machines
feature a redesigned engine
enclosure, improving structural
strength while maintaining the
excellent serviceability that John
Deere machines are known for. In
addition to all of the 900M-Series
and 900MH-Series machines now
boasting 330 horsepower, the
959M Feller Buncher and 959MH
Harvester continue to have best in
class leveling envelope, maximizing
operator comfort and performance
requirements in demanding steep
slope logging applications.
Other updates include an
improved LED work lighting option,
and the expansion of the Disc Saw
Felling Head option availability.
This includes the 22-inch felling
head, which is now available for all
of the 900M-Series tracked feller
bunchers.
Drax Biomass Inc. begins pellet production
in Urania, Louisiana
Drax Biomass Inc. (DBI) has
began start up production at its
newest facility, LaSalle BioEnergy
in Urania, Louisiana. The wood
pellet manufacturing facility, which
is roughly 160 miles northwest
of Baton Rouge can produce
approximately 450,000 metric
tons of wood pellets per year.
LaSalle BioEnergy will employee
approximately 78 employees and
is the third pellet plant in DBI’s
portfolio.
A series of upgrades and
repairs have been ongoing at
the plant since the acquisition in
early April of 2017, supporting a
further investment of more than
$20 million for the region. The
asset was a strategic investment
6 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018
considering LaSalle BioEnergy’s
proximity to an abundant wood
basket and its production capacity
that supports DBI’s strategy of
increasing self-supply.
LaSalle BioEnergy further
demonstrates DBI’s commitment
to the revitalization of the local
wood products sector, which has
suffered in recent years from the
closure of several large-scale paper
mills. Drax Biomass is committed
to expanding its positive presence
and supporting the communities
in which it operates by promoting
sustainable forestry and investing
in local economic development.