With growing demand for grade-control systems on its dozers, John Deere has launched the 700K Smart Dozer, which features an integrated 3D grade-control system from Topcon Positioning Systems, eliminating the relatively fragile masts that most systems are mounted on.
“Aftermarket systems today have to have a mast. Doesn’t matter whether it’s Topcon, Trimble, Leica, you've got a mast on the front. They got cables that are dangling from the sensor, the antenna,” says Williiam Bauman, an instructor with Deere’s WorkSight division. “We want to get rid of that mast, we want to get rid of the cables and integrate this into the dozer.”