I am a John Deere diesel mechanic, and was blessed with the opportunity to tour the JD Engine Works in Waterloo, Iowa about 3 months ago. On the tour of the facility, I saw sitting on the floor some 3,4, and 5-cylinder diesel engines. They looked like they had just been pulled off of the test cells. From where I stood, I could tell that they use a unit injection system, and all were turbo/intercooled. My uncle is a machinist in Waterloo, and he has seen some strange things come out of the shops lately. As of yet, I have not seen any of these engine in the new equipment.
Another thing is that John Deere/Ford have been announcing the X-plan to John Deere dealer personnel for a while. I was wondering if it is at all possible that these two events could possibly spell out who is next in line to build the diesels for Ford. Maybe a half-ton? Just my thoughts.

 

Oh no...I can see it now. A John Deere green F-150 JD Edition...which I guess wouldn't be toooo bad. But those wheels are gonna be UUUUUUUUgly!

 

I wonder if the cab will be round too???

 

So long as they use the paint scheme I have seen on some of the JD sales office trucks for the local JD dealers up in SE PA (new F150 Crew Cabs) I think it would look great, and sound great too (diesel clack in the F150).

 

Hay, then you could have a bumper sticker that says "we plow deep while others sleep".

 

"We plow deep while others sleep"
...I just need to repeat that...

 

Yeah, here in central Iowa, it is a neck and neck battle between the Powerstroke and the Cummins. I think that most Iowans sharpened up in the diesel truck realm way back when the Green Mucous Chunks (General Motors Company) came out with the 350 D, 6.2/6.5, and never looked back. I have always felt that Ford and Deere have always built a tough, reliable, serviceable machine. I would love to see them work together.

 

Just curious but every JD I've ever set foot in has had a Cummins or a Cat engine, does JD even make there own engines???

 

Deere makes almost all of their engines except for small diesels which are mostly made by yanmar. if the equipment had cat, cummins in them they may have been swapped. i for one would love it if jd and ford joined up.

 

The only Deere products I have enountered (which has been nearly everthing)has, for the vast majority, been Deere power. However, Deere did install some Cummins BC3&4 engines in their 8960-8970 tractors. Here in Central Iowa, there is a manufacturer who installs Cummins engines in John Deere products.
16diesel is correct. We have Japanese-built Yanmar diesels in some of our smaller products. John Deere has been building engines since 1916, when the Waterloo Gasoline Engine company was bought by Deere. Deere introduced their first diesel in 1949, and has been leading the off-road diesel market for years. Cat and John Deere are archrivals. I personally do not like Cat, and have never seen a Deere repowered with a caterpillar. Most of John Deere's engines are built in Waterloo, Iowa.

 

300cidguy, I've been to the Waterloo engine works. I've been to most of the Deere factorys in Waterloo and in Moline. I've always wanted to repower a Ford truck with a Deere diesel. I think that a Dubuque engine would work well in a pickup.

 

SLE, I'm really curious, what JD have you ever seen or operated that had something other than a Deere engine? (JD supplies engines for over 700 other manufacturers in sizes from 19hp up to 600hp.)

And get this, the series III line of JD engines feature cooled egr valves, variable geomerty turbos and 4 valves per cyclender. Hmmmm, let me think, where have I heard of these features.

 

i don't think cat would be selling engines to its competitor.

 

My father inlaw has a (don't know the model) but is a mid 80s 4wd JD with CAT engine, I can read the large CAT letters on the yellow valve covers without even trying to look for them. I'll have to ask him about that. Also a good friend has a JD 8650 that I have driven many times that has a cummins. I won't say either are OE, just stating what I've been exposed to.

 

I think it would be awesome if my 2 favorite companies joined up. I have only been to the JD Dubuque plant so far. Pretty impressive but I also want to make it to others, especially Waterloo.