As the 2026 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, is about to open, John Deere is announcing a half-dozen new, high horsepower 8 series tractors, technology upgrades to its X9 and S7 model combines and is offering significant enhancements to its planters.

Here's the rundown.

TRACTORS

Deere is announcing six new high horsepower tractors. This includes three each of its 8R and 8RX tractors, newly powered by Deere's JD14 13.6L engine with three horsepower options -- 440 hp, 490 hp and 540 hp. Depending on the 8 series model, that's up to 200 horsepower more than current 8 series tractors. Max road speed is 60 kph or 37 miles per hour.

The ordering window opens in March.

"These are the 8 series tractors our customers know and love today," said Michael Porter, John Deere marketing manager for large tractors. "But we've taken them into a larger power platform. This is an 8 series tractor with the power of a 9 series. It still turns like an eight and has the comfort in line with our eight series, but it has the pulling power and the power to the ground of a 9 series tractor."

Deere's high horsepower 8 series tractor features a new optional Intelligent Power Management system that unlocks an additional 40 horsepower at rated 1900 rpm but also offers all the way down to max horsepower at 1700 rpm. That enables operators to benefit from up to 634 horsepower for hydraulic, PTO, transport or electrical offboarding applications.

"The new high horsepower options, technology, and other customer-driven changes make these tractors the ultimate planting tractor, planting up to 1,200 acres each day," Porter said.

Deere said the high horsepower 8s also can manage 40% more tillage per day compared to its current 8 series lineup. The new tractors are capable of pulling 24+ row planters, large grain carts or midsize seeders. The tractors are autonomy ready and G5 Plus displays give operators access to AutoTrac Turn Automation, AutoTrac Implement Guidance, AutoPath and optional JDLink Boost connectivity. JDLink Boost pairs John Deere's precision ag technology with Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites.

The high horsepower 8 series tractors offer Deere's Electric Variable Transmission. The EVT enables electric offboarding to power planters by way of a single plug.

Other features include:

-- Transmission Controls. There are new options for transmission controls, including CommandX, CommandX Plus and CommandX Pro, that streamline drive operations.

-- Customizable Handle. Deere's standardized handle with customizable options allows operators to tailor functionality to their needs.

-- Front Hitch. A front hitch and front PTO option is available.

-- Rear Hitch. The rear hitch has a 24,000-pound lift capacity. Hitch active downforce maintains a constant depth with hitch-mounted implements.

-- PTO. The new 8Rs have a 1,300-rpm rear PTO option.

-- Push Button Start. Push button start is controlled by a personalized PIN number.

-- Convenience Display. New Convenience Display for improved access to the radio, air conditioning, the seat and phone controls.

-- Air filter maintenance and fuel/DEF fill are completed from ground level. Battery disconnect and jumper are on the door side.

-- Hydraulic oil interval increased from 1,500 hours to 2,000 hours.

COMBINES

Deere is announcing updates and enhancements to its model year 2027 X9 and S7 combines and front-end equipment, including:

-- Harvest Settings Automation. Harvest Settings Automation helps operators get into the field faster by automatically setting concave clearance, fan speed, rotor speed, sieve clearance and chaffer clearance, all based on the combine model, crop type, history and geolocation. After the operator inputs limits for grain loss, foreign material and broken grain, the system automatically adjusts the five combine settings to stay within the selected limits.

Harvest Settings Automation is currently available for corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, canola and rice. For model year 2027, Harvest Settings Automation adds lentils, peas, rye, triticale, oats and sunflowers to its quiver.

Deere's Harvest Settings Automation to a wider range of crops was not entirely difficult. "Deere has experience in crops that are similar," said Brady Alley, combine product marketing manager. "If you consider edible beans and soybeans, those two are pretty similar. Barley, oats, rye. They're all grasses. We're just better at tuning the algorithm."

-- Green Crop Detection. Deere is updating Predictive Ground Speed Automation. First offered for model year 2025, Predictive Ground Speed Automation controls the combine's ground speed based on crop height and biomass measurements from satellite scans, and from on-the-go measurements made by a pair of cab-mounted cameras. The cameras produce real-time insight to the presence of downed crops and weed patches. Weed maps are generated for further analysis by the operator.

For model year 2027, Predictive Ground Speed Automation features Green Crop Detection, a new feature that detects green crops within otherwise mature crops.

"Think about wheat," said Alley. "It might be a mature crop, but if it gets some moisture in it, that stem can turn green again, and it's tougher to process. So now we anticipate higher moisture and that's an indication that we want to slow that combine down."

-- Throughput. Using an operator-defined crop throughput target as an additional automation setting, Predictive Ground Speed Automation with throughput links ground speed with grain quality.

-- Precision Upgrade. John Deere is launching Precision Upgrade Combine Automation Packages. Precision upgrades allow customers who purchased the Select Technology Package with a model year 2025 or newer S7 or X9 from the factory to upgrade to Premium or Ultimate Technology Packages. Premium and Ultimate upgrade kits unlock automation, productivity and future capabilities for MY25 and new machines without having to purchase a new combine.

Other MY27 features include:

-- All model year 2027 X9 combines feature factory precut openings in the clean grain elevator suitable for mounting HarvestLab.

-- Both X9 and S7 combines can be equipped with the JDLink Boost receiver to provide satellite connectivity in areas with limited or no mobile connectivity.

-- All model year 2027 John Deere X9 and S7 combines feature a power folding ladder option.

-- A new 35-foot unloading auger on the X9 offers an additional 4ft (1.22m) of clearance between the header and unloading auger.

-- An optional 550-bushel grain tank for the X9.

-- Deere is introducing a new 27-row folding corn head (CF27) on 20-inch spacing.

-- Corn head automation will be another optional feature on all model year 2027 heads, which will automatically control deck plate spacing and backshaft speed.

PLANTERS

Model year 2027 John Deere planters offer an option for a dual-product fertilizer system. It allows operators to apply product in-furrow and/or off to the side.

"In the past, we really made you choose one or the other," said Anthony Styczinski, marketing manager, planters and air seeders. "What we've done is unlock the ability to go in-furrow with a seed-safe product to really get that seed off to a good jump. And you can do a high-rate product off to the side. Instead of having to do multiple passes, we are bringing that back to one pass."

The dual-product system includes ExactShot and ExactRate. ExactShot is Deere's in-furrow application that delivers nutrients directly to the seed. ExactRate applies high-value fertilizer off to the side.

The combined system includes dual liquid tanks, and a dual set of stainless-steel fertilizer lines with pumps located under the tanks. Both liquid tanks have fertilizer-level sensing.

An auxiliary tank option enables the use of high-value micronutrients, biologicals, fungicides and insecticides.

The dual fertilizer system is available from the factory on model year 2027 1775NT-16/24R and DB60-24R planters.

New this year to Deere planters is ExactDepth, an electric depth control that supports an in-cab on-the-go range of depth adjustments and individual row unit depth calibrations. ExactDepth allows operators to execute prescriptions for depth for each field or subfield zones. ExactDepth is available for planter models 1725C, 1775NT, 1795 and DB planters -- 36 rows or less.

Another new feature improves furrow quality. It is Downforce Automation powered by FurrowVision. The Downforce Automation feature optimizes the amount of applied downforce by taking into consideration ground contact, soil resistance and furrow health as measured by FurrowVision.

Powered by three cameras, FurrowVision gives operators a glimpse into the seed trench. The automation determines the amount of downforce needed to optimize the furrow and planter performance. FurrowVision cameras are mounted one onto each wing and one in the center of the planter.

"Downforce Automation powered by FurrowVision measures depth and the furrow profile. It verifies that we're still seeing a true V (furrow), and we're not getting a hump or we're not getting flat," said Styczinski.

Dan Miller can be reached at dan.miller@dtn.com

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