Greenfield, Iowa – If there is one thing that can make me feel like a kid in a candy store it’s getting a new combine. It’s an even sweeter treat when you get to place a custom order and then visit the factory to watch it built right before your eyes. So, when John Deere Harvester Works invited us in April to join them for an assembly line tour, we couldn’t say no.
Glen, Brenda, Titus, Ezra and I made the drive to Moline, Illinois to take the Gold Key Tour of the factory, a personalized tour for owners that goes behind the scenes of how these enormous machines are manufactured. Our previous two combines were built during the Covid era when the factory was closed to visitors, and a lot had changed since our last visit.
This year introduced the all-new S7 series of combines from John Deere, so there are number of changes to the machine and also how it’s assembled. Unfortunately photos are no longer allowed, so I can’t show you the latest automated laser welders in action or the world’s largest dip painting system in action. But the amount of new computer automation is amazing, and the technology inside these machines is equal to that used to put them together. Autonomous forklifts roamed the factory, and huge components moved above us on the overhead track assembly towards final assembly. For three hours we watched flat pieces of steel be transformed into the machine we will haul and harvest with all over the country in a carefully choreographed process that almost seems impossible.
Eventually we found our machine on the assembly line. With the cab just installed and the engine lowered into place, the assembly process was almost complete. Soon the tires would be bolted on, those famous yellow decals applied, and our S7 700 would head to the final quality control inspection area. Every combine is attached to a special oil filtration system before heading out to the test track for an extended drive. Here every function of the machine is tested on the track, complete with speed bumps to simulate the rough conditions sometimes found in the field. Once back inside the machine is thoroughly checked again by a team of people for any loose parts, malfunctions or leaks before being released to the staging area for shipping. We wrapped up our factory visit with a trip to the John Deere Pavilion where we had a delicious meal provided and wandered through the displays of both old and new equipment.
The trip reminded me of that classic children’s story about Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. Instead of a golden ticket we received a gold key that started our machine. Our tour wasn’t in a boat down a river of chocolate like Charlie’s was in the book, but we did eat chocolate cake at the pavilion. And while both Mr. Wonka and John Deere employee a diverse workforce, I can report with 100% certainty that no Oompah Loompa labor were used to assemble our combine.
