Photo: John DeereJohn Deere recently debuted a digital experience for professional landscapers through its John Deere Virtual Pavilion.
Including features such as a 360-degree interactive product gallery, the company says the John Deere Virtual Auditorium and live chat capability offer an immersive experience to connect landscape professionals with the brand and explore its products and services.
“We are excited to launch this platform to provide a one-stop shop for professional landscaper contractors to explore our product offerings and connect with John Deere on a deeper level,” says Brad Silva, marketing communications manager, John Deere. “Much like the rest of the world, we’ve continued to pivot as more events are going digital, and the Virtual Platform addresses our customers’ needs for new ways to evaluate equipment and find solutions for their businesses.”
The company says the 360-degree product gallery showcases the full range of John Deere commercial landscaping equipment. Once in the Virtual Pavilion, John Deere says guests can engage with John Deere equipment in a new way by experiencing digital products in an interactive gallery.
Equipment specs, key features and videos are displayed in the self-navigated 360-degree display. Within the gallery, the company says users will see seven different product categories, each driving to in-depth views and exclusive content about the equipment.
John Deere says users can also find exclusive experiences and materials when visiting the John Deere Virtual Auditorium. The company says this virtual meeting space gives users access to on-demand videos and content curated exclusively for landscape professionals, and videos in the Virtual Pavilion include factory tours, product videos and messages from John Deere’s leadership.
The company says the Virtual Pavilion also includes a live chat feature to connect users directly to John Deere representatives who can answer their product questions. John Deere says this communication tool helps users make the most of their virtual John Deere experience, and users can connect with their local dealer and schedule product demos through the platform.
Z900 ZTR attachments
John Deere also updated the Z900 commercial ZTrak lineup for 2021, including machine enhancements, a new deck option and three new attachment offerings.
As a result, John Deere says customers will have more durable and efficient solutions built to meet their productivity, efficiency and comfort needs.
Photo: John Deere“It is important for us to provide our customers with the performance, durability and reliability that they expect from a John Deere machine,” says Ruben Peña, product manager, John Deere. “With these updates, we are further enhancing our outstanding ZTrak lineup, while also adding new options and offerings to meet the needs of our customers. These updates allow us to provide our customers with improved solutions that are designed to maximize jobsite efficiency.”
For 2021, John Deere says it has made updates to its line of commercial zero-turn mowers. The company says all Z900 M and R Series mowers now come with spoked rims and cast iron spindles on all mower deck sizes. John Deere adds that all Z900 machines, including the E, M and R Series models, are now available with quick-release belt covers.
Additionally, the company says a 54-inch mulch on demand mower deck has been added as an option on the Z950M, providing a more powerful 27-horsepower mulching solution to power through tough conditions.
John Deere says it is also introducing three new attachments for the Z900 ZTrak line, including a string trimmer rack, cargo tray and tool carrier.
The company says the string trimmer mount enables the operator to keep handheld string trimmers on the machine for easy access. John Deere says with the cargo tray, operators can store up to 20 pounds of small, hand-held items, providing more storage on machines. Lastly, the company says the tool carrier allows for standard yard tools to be carried on the mower.
Fastback PRO rear-discharge mower deck
John Deere also debuted the new Fastback PRO rear-discharge mower deck for its line of gas and diesel Z900 ZTrak mowers.
Available in 60- or 72-inch cutting widths, the company says the rear-discharge mower deck increases productivity and improves operator comfort without sacrificing cut quality. Well-suited for a variety of applications, the company says the addition of the new deck offers a solution for professional landscape customers who desire or require the rear-discharge placement of grass or debris.
As a result of the rear-discharge design, John Deere says the chance of damage from objects being thrown from the mower deck is decreased. The company says the unique design also helps minimize the amount of debris blown onto the operator, resulting in a cleaner mowing experience.
Additionally, John Deere says the rear-discharge mower deck saves time by allowing operators to mow closely around fixed objects with either side of the deck.
“Every landscaping business is different, and we are committed to continuously listening to our customers to provide the right solutions for their operations,” says Peña. “With the addition of the new mower deck, we are providing our customers – especially those working in restrictive applications – with a mower that meets their needs, while also delivering the performance and durability they expect from a John Deere machine.”
Photo: John DeereThe company says the commercial quality, reinforced deep-deck design allows for a large volume of material to be thoroughly processed during operation, and the baffling system is designed to reduce clumping and windrowing.
The company says the baffles surrounding each blade enhance efficiency by controlling and directing material as it moves to the rear. The company adds that the baffles are lowered at the rear so that collected material can be quickly discharged to minimize the likelihood that clippings will be expelled to unwanted areas.
John Deere says materials are directed to the rear, kept low and guided into the turf by the flexible rear shield.
The company says the rear-discharge deck is suspended from and supported by the mower to provide a level cut, and the mower deck wheels and rollers help smooth out mowing in uneven conditions and reduce the chance of scalping.
The company says two wheel and roller heights, higher and lower, can be set based on the mowing conditions. The higher settings can be used when mowing at lower cut heights, in rougher conditions or as necessary to reduce the chance of the wheels hitting the ground.
John Deere says the lower settings are ideal for higher cut heights and smoothing out the mowing job, and the mower cut height can be adjusted from the machine operator’s station, ranging from 1 to 5.5 inches.
To reduce maintenance efforts, the company says the quick-release belt covers provide easy access to the spindle pockets by lifting one corner of the cover and rotating to remove; no tools and no ring clip are required.
John Deere says a hole in the deck tab is provided for use of an optional ring clip if desired, and with only a single belt to service and a center spindle accessible with a removable foot platform, servicing is quick and manageable.
Finally, the company says a serrated surface is welded to the top left corner of the deck, providing additional traction when entering and exiting the machine
