John Deere debuts F8 and F9 forage harvesters

DAILY Bites

• The F8 and F9 Series include new engine options ranging from 425PS to 1,020PS, offering more power choices and improved fuel efficiency.

• Automation features such as ground speed adjustment and single-touch harvest settings are designed to reduce manual input and operator fatigue.

• Updates to the kernel processor, inoculant system, and cab layout aim to improve feed quality, simplify maintenance, and enhance visibility.

DAILY Discussion

John Deere has announced the launch of its new F8 and F9 Series self-propelled forage harvesters (SPFHs), designed and built from the ground up with customer input to elevate forage performance, fuel efficiency, operator comfort and, ultimately, farm productivity.

The new machines offer increased horsepower options and improved automation with a higher level of comprehensive technology offerings compared with previous models to transform how farmers and custom operators harvest, process and manage forage.

“A higher-quality forage output with more power, more precision and more uptime, that’s the focus of the new forage harvesters for our customers,” said Bergen Nelson, John Deere go-to-market manager for harvesting equipment. “We’ve combined our strongest hardware with our newest and smartest precision ag technology to give forage producers a machine they can count on in every pass, every season, to create higher-quality forage they can depend on throughout the year.”

Greater power, greater efficiency 

The new F9 Series is available in two engine options — John Deere 18X and Liebherr V12 24L — with five horsepower options ranging from 700PS to 1020PS; while the F8 Series comes with the JD14X engine bringing six horsepower options, ranging from 425PS to 645PS, offering farmers the option to choose the power they need to meet their production goals.

These engine options deliver serious power with improved efficiency, helping farmers do more with less. The JD18X engine features no DEF requirements, and John Deere’s HarvestMotion Plus technology allows for increased torque at lower rpms, driving up to 15 percent in fuel savings and up to a 10 percent gain in power.

Technology that works smarter

The new John Deere forage harvester brings a new level of automated harvesting intelligence. Ground speed automation helps maintain ideal load and helps prevent operator stress by adjusting ground speed in real time based on crop conditions. Operator input can be reduced by using ProTouch Harvest, allowing operators to initiate multiple harvest-ready settings with one push of a button, while Active Fill Control ensures consistent truck fills even under the toughest harvesting conditions.

“The new automated technologies available on the F8 and F9 Series puts precision into action,” Nelson said. “The machine is not just collecting data; it is using the data to optimize automated decision-making to not only help operators do more but help them do it better with less manual input and more consistency in every pass.”

Forage quality first

Feed quality is where it all comes together. The John Deere self-propelled forage harvesters deliver a new inoculant dosing system with an insulated, larger-capacity tank and an automated cleaning system that reduces end-of-day maintenance, offering better feed preservation with less operator hassle, ultimately increasing operational productivity.

Kernel processors are at the core of ensuring silage integrity and improved quality. The new John Deere F8 and F9 Series machines deliver two different KP ranges for ultimate processing performance: the John Deere Ultimate250 KP and the John Deere XStream305. With up to 56 percent more surface area, the XStream305 delivers a more effective kernel crush at wider gaps, ultimately providing longer wear life as well as optimal milk production from every ton of forage.

The launch of the new John Deere forage harvesters brings the long-anticipated arrival of the operator-favored swivel seat to the machines, allowing for improved unloading visibility and elevated operator comfort. Paired with John Deere’s intuitive hydro handle and the lightning-fast G5 display system, operators will have more control of the machine from the upgraded cab with less effort.

Customers also will have optional lighting packages to choose from, providing up to 68 percent better nighttime visibility, offering increased operational safety for the occasional workdays that turn to night.

Based on customer input, the new forage harvesters from John Deere are designed to tackle the work at hand with Dura Line wear parts to extend machine life and reduce downtime. Serviceability also is improved with redesigned wiring harnesses, centralized control panels and upgraded embedded software for more reliable diagnostics aimed at increasing uptime.

“At the end of the day, this machine isn’t just about horsepower — it’s about forage quality that leads to better milk production, feed consistency, and operator productivity and confidence,” Nelson said. “For contractors and dairy producers alike, the new F8 and F9 Series self-propelled forage harvesters deliver the performance, automation and technology required to keep up and thrive in a competitive, evolving forage landscape.”