John Deere has a new 24-speed transmission — DirectDrive — which uses two clutches, three ranges and eight powershift steps to bring most of a CVT’s in-field/on-road benefits. How does it stack up in driving terms? We tried an early version in a 6210R at Deere’s German test facility.
If the words ‘dual clutch’ conjure up visions of the old two-stage foot pedal used to give independent control of travel and the pto, think again. DirectDrive is Deere’s way of bringing the stepless experience to the potentially more efficient mechanical gearbox. Although new to farming, the dual-clutch principle it uses is well established in the car market — check out the grey panel ‘Dualling Clutches’ to see the principle. Just how efficient DirectDrive actually is will become clear once we’ve been able to field test it; meanwhile, here’s a first impression.
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