Bryce Knowlen, Precision Product Specialist at RDO, joins host Tony Kramer to discuss the John Deere's factory-installed, integrated tractor and planter solution.
John Deere has updated its model year 2022 planters as part of a factory- installed, integrated ExactRate™ solution that eliminates the need for add-on tanks and custom plumbing solutions and multiple suppliers.
Learn more about this latest product announcement from John Deere by visiting: https://bit.ly/3v9K80Q
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Catch the full transcript here:
Tony Kramer: Hi, I'm Tony Kramer with RDO Equipment Company. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Agriculture Technology Podcast. Every day, there are phenomenal advancements being made in the field of agriculture technology. RDO Equipment Company is a leader in agriculture equipment and precision agriculture technology, and is here with industry experts bringing the latest news and information from RDO and John Deere.
Welcome back to another episode of the podcast. This is Episode number 142. Today, we are going to be talking about 8RX ExactRate Tractor Tanks. Before we dive into the show, please take a moment to subscribe to this podcast if you haven't already. You can subscribe to the show on the many different podcasting apps that we're streaming this out to, such as Apple's Podcast app. We've got it on Stitcher, Overcast, SoundCloud, as well as many others.
While you're out there, drop us a review. We'd love to hear what you think about the show. Lastly, make sure to follow RDO Equipment Company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and catch all of our latest videos on YouTube. You can also follow me on Twitter @RDOTonyK. Now with that, let's get back to the show. I'm very excited to bring back Bryce Knowlen, who is a product specialist with RDO Equipment Company.
Now Bryce, we had you on about 10 episodes ago, the end of last year, talking about planter performance upgrade kits coming into the early order program, that time of year when guys are sitting in their planters, thinking about what can we do for next year. This episode fits right into that but before we dive in, why don't you just take a moment to remind our listeners who you are and what you do with RDO?
Bryce Knowlen: Thanks for having me back, Tony. As Tony mentioned, Bryce Knowlen, Product Specialist here with RDO Equipment Company. I've been with the company for right around nine years now. Probably about six years of that has been with the product specialist team, and then three years prior to that was with the parts team at the parts counter.
Tony: Again, thank you for coming back on the show, Bryce. Like I had mentioned, the 8RX ExactRate Tractor Tanks, which is what we are going to talk about today, it fits in with that planter performance upgrade kit episode that we talked about. If you have not listened to that one, I'd encourage you to go back, listen to Episode number 132, where I sat down with Bryce and we talked about all of the options for performance upgrade kits.
As you're sitting in the planter this spring, going up and down the field, thinking about what can I do next year to improve this planter, we all know that getting a new planter isn't on everybody's list but maybe there's a performance upgrade kit, or a specific feature that you can add. Now, this one is a little different just because of the availability of it, but let's dive into the show, Bryce, and talk about these 8RX ExactRate Tanks. To start out, what are the 8RX ExactRate Tractor Tanks?
Bryce: Last year when John Deere released the ExactRate technology on planters, they saw the need for more liquid to be carried on tractors. That is when they came with the idea for the 8RX ExactRate Tanks. These tanks are a thousand-gallon capacity mounted right over the rear fenders of the 8RX tractor. There is one solution provider for this system, and that is John Deere. It's fully integrated with the John Deere Command Center, and includes a pump, agitation, fittings, hoses, and routings to go back to the planter. This allows the operator to carry more liquid at one given time without stopping the planter.
Tony: You talked about, Bryce, that this is a one solution provider. John Deere is normally with fertilizer systems, whatever planter you're running in the John Deere portfolio. We've had two. John Deere's offered some minimal pieces of the fertilizer systems in the past, a 400-gallon tank to go on the drawbar or things like that. Now if you wanted to go above and beyond that, you'd have to go to a third-party provider. This is now provided one shot pump. Everything is from Deere, correct?
Bryce: Yes, correct. These tanks are integrated into the 8RX over the rear fenders. They did not sacrifice the width of the machine because they are set inside of the track frame.
Tony: Yes, I know the first time I saw a picture of one of these, you look at it and it's almost like, man, that is a huge fuel tank on the back of those 8RXs, but this is not a fuel tank. These are the thousand-gallon factory-installed tanks for the machine to be able to carry more product at one time. Now Bryce, they're referred to as the ExactRate Tractor Tanks on the 8RX. Is it something that is only capable of being used with ExactRate fertilizer systems? Or what's the compatibility with other tools there?
Bryce: No, your options are fairly endless here with this system. John Deere gives you the ability to have the tanks mounted. You can put liquid fertilizer in them. You can put water in them if you want for that matter, just for extra weight to carry around for traction issues or whatever that may be. No, you think of side-dressing applications or things of that nature as the crop is growing up in the growing stage. You can use it for that as well. Your options are endless from the tractor back. You can plumb and do whatever you need to do from the tractor back. John Deere will supply the tanks and the fittings and the pump to supply that product to go back to the tool. From the tool back, it's up to you to how you want to fit that.
Tony: I know we already mentioned it, but how do I get these tractor tanks? They already have an 8RX. Is it possible to get them added on? What is the availability of these 8RX Tractor Tanks right now?
Bryce: Right now, they're factory installed. When you order any Model Year 2022 8RX, it is an option code, of course, not standard, but we're hoping in the future that Deere will come with some additional kits to add them after the fact. As of right now, Model Year 2022 8RX machines, they are compatible with.
Tony: Speaking of compatibility, now I know there are some specifics when it comes to the compatibility, and you talked about it earlier when you were talking about where these tanks get mounted. They're inside the tracks. You don't sacrifice any transport width or anything like that. What are the compatibility scenarios, or what can we put these on and what can't we put these on?
Bryce: Good question. It is just 8RX machines we can put it on. We cannot put them on 8RTs or 8R machines. The machine has to be spaced at 120 inches that gives its ability to set those tanks inside the frame. You can run 18 or 24-inch belts with the ExactRate Tanks.
Tony: When you talk about adding these, you said that the track spacing is specific, the belts you can run 18-inch tracks or the 24-inch tracks, are there any tractor size limitations?
Bryce: They can be installed on all 8RX models except for the 8RX 310.
Tony: Really this entire solution, Bryce, it's just a way to carry more product on the tractor, which like I said earlier in the episode, it fits in with the planter performance upgrade kits that we talked about back in Episode 132. This is just an addition to the entire planting solution. As you're in the field this spring, running up and down the field, putting seed in the ground, you're having to fill constantly with a seed and/or fertilizer. Keep in mind, if ordering a new tractor is in the books for you, this is an option to carry a thousand gallons more of fertilizer. Now, if somebody wants to learn more, Bryce, about the 8RX or the ExactRate Tanks, or even ExactRate itself, where can they go? Who can they talk to?
Bryce: You can go to www.deere.com. Look up the 8RX tractor. You will find the ExactRate Tractor Tanks underneath that 8RX model. You can also go to John Deere's YouTube page. They have a lot of good information on their YouTube channel as well as rdoequipment.com. Talk to your account manager, or walk into your local RDO Equipment store.
Tony: Awesome. Thank you, Bryce, for taking a few moments out of your day here in this busy or soon-to-be busy planting season. I know up here in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, we're just getting rolling the weather. Isn't wanting to cooperate with us real great, but we'll take what we can get and hope to be putting some seeds in the ground very soon. Thanks again for doing this, Bryce.
Bryce: Thank you.
Tony: Thanks again for tuning in to another episode. If you have questions about the technology and products discussed, or have ideas about future episodes, please leave them in the comments below. You can also subscribe to RDO's YouTube channel and be in the know about each episode, or tune in on any streaming service. Thanks again for listening.
