The JD18 at arm’s length with Wirtgen

John Deere Power Systems’ JD18 makes its way to the construction site aboard Wirtgen’s new W 220 XFi. This is another of John Deere’s new products at bauma 2025. At the Wirtgen booth we noticed both Kreisel electric and internal combustion upgrades. Regarding Kreisel we refer to the serial KBP63 battery pack and the CHIMERO stationary charger.

The Xtended F Series large milling machine is powered by JD18

Deere’s 18-liter was awarded Diesel of the year 2021. “The decision to award the John Deere 18.0L was not only based on its specific curves, but also on the industrial philosophy that lies behind them. John Deere still believes in the ICE and invests in the efficiency of the Diesel cycle,” the DOTY Jury stated.

So, according to the American company, the Wirtgen cold milling machine W 220 XFi with the JD18 deployed for the rehabilitation of the K 20 county road between Troisdorf and Lohmar showed that high productivity and sustainability can go hand-in-hand. The 18-litre John Deere engine with a 2-speed powershift transmission and digital assistance systems such as Mill Assist and WPT Milling made it possible to realise the project efficiently within an extremely short time. Cracks in the road surface made the rehabilitation of the busy county road absolutely essential. The section between Troisdorf and Lohmar is a part of the Mauspfad, a medieval highway and trade route, which leads for the most part through a forested area. The lead contractor relied on the new W 220 XFi for the rapid completion of the construction project. The new machine made it possible to complete the removal of the surface layer of the section of the road with a length of 2 km and a width of around 6.5 m within a period of only two days.

What they say about the engine

According to the official, the 18-litre engine from John Deere is designed to meet the requirements of cold milling and features environmentally friendly engine technology. Its Dual-Shift powershift transmission delivers high torque under all load conditions that can also be used to achieve high milling performance in the low engine speed range. Lower noise emissions are an outstanding feature of the new large milling machine, as Kevin Dick, machine operator at lead contractor Dr. Fink-Stauf, confirms: “I’m pretty impressed with how much quieter the machine has turned out to be.”