A typical marine diesel discussion will toss around the familiar names of Cummins, Yanmar, Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar but sometimes leaves out one of the more successful, albeit less well-recognized names – John Deere. John Deere engines have been at sea for more than 30 years in both commercial and recreational applications, and are used both for main propulsion and in generator and auxiliary functions.
The division within John Deere that produces these engines is John Deere Power Systems, and they announced this week that they will showcase the two newest engines to the marine lineup at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show. The two powerplants, a 6.8L and 12.5L, will both be displayed at the Miami Beach Convention Center venue (booth H-80).
The PowerTech 6125SFM75TM is a six-cylinder, turbocharged and aftercooled (saltwater) powerhouse that will burn approximately 31 gallons per hour at its full-load rated speed. It becomes the most powerful engine in the John Deere lineup. Its new little brother is the PowerTech 6068SFM75TM, with 6.8L of displacement. It, too, is a six-cylinder, turbocharged and aftercooled diesel, burning only 20.5 gallons per hour at full-load rated speed.
John Deere's 6.8L engineÂ
The full line of John Deere marine engines now extends from 75HP to 610HP. The engines meet EPA Tier 2 and EU emissions requirements and are MARPOL Annex VI compliant. John Deere engines are installed in a wide variety of commercial and recreational vessels. They can typically be rebuilt in-place and have a reputation for reliability. Most of the engines are available in a range of configurations for varying load factors and duty cycles, including 24-hour, full-power.
Incidentally, the first example of the new 12.5L engine was installed in a 40' charter fishing boat in Florida, replacing a V-8, two-cycle diesel rated at slightly higher horsepower levels, but with lower torque and higher fuel flows. Installed in the Key West Marine hull, the new 6125SFM75TM runs faster, at a lower RPM and burns approximately 10 gallons less per trip, according to the boat's owner, Tim Garrett, of Daytona Beach. Garrett says the six-cylinder John Deere also gives him a lot more room to work in the engine room.
John Deere's 12.5L engine
