John Deere celebrates production of two millionth tractor

By Alistair June 19, 2024 08:53

The John Deere plant in Mannheim celebrates the production of its two millionth tractor. A tractor rolls off the assembly line here every three minutes. Around 3,300 employees produce about 40,000 tractors per year for the whole world. In the city of Mannheim, the factory is one of the most important employers.

Due to the sharp increase in production, the factory is now the largest John Deere production facility outside North America. At the same time, it is the largest tractor production facility in Germany, as two-thirds of all tractors manufactured in Germany are produced here. The factory benefits from its convenient location on the Rhine, via which about 250 tractors are shipped twice a week to Rotterdam or Antwerp and then on to overseas and the UK.

However, the plant is not only a production site, but also a development site for all medium tractors from John Deere. More than 250 engineers work here on the tractors for tomorrow and beyond. The main focus is on performance, comfort and efficiency. Today’s tractor cabs offer the comfort of a car with automatic air conditioning, AppleCar Play, comfortable seats, GPS steering and much more. The developers also put a lot of effort into clean fuel combustion. After all, similarly strict exhaust emission standards apply here as for other vehicles. At the same time, engineers are working on alternative concepts, such as the use of biofuels. Electric drives are also an issue, albeit only for smaller tractors, as the battery capacity is not yet sufficient. In 2026, the first fully autonomous and battery-driven tractor with approx. 100 hp will be presented.

The development department led the way with the introduction of the frame design on the Mannheim tractors. The sturdy bridge steel frame gives the tractors enormous stability when using heavy implements. In addition, the other components of the tractor can be built lighter, e.g. the gearbox housings are made of aluminium. After the introduction of the frame design in the 1990s, production figures went steadily upwards. For more than 20 years, John Deere has been the market leader for tractors in all major Western European countries. The current success is due, among other things, to the flagship of Mannheim production, the 6R 250. With a maximum output of 300 hp, it is the largest tractor ever built in Mannheim. Overall, Mannheim tractors cover the range from 90 to 250 hp rated power in the ‘luxury class’.