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Inside the Build: The First Hillco-Equipped X9
As you may have heard, Hillco has officially verified that the rumors are true. The John Deere X9 is now available with Hillco’s Leveling System!
A Peak Behind the Process
The first Hillside-equipped X9 (prototype) installation process began in late April of 2025.
The Hillco engineering crew began by removing the stock John Deere rear axle and replacing it with the Hillco drop axle, followed by reinstalling rear hoses, tie-rod, and wheels.
Stock John Deere Axle, Rear
Hillco Drop Axle
Then, our team removed some assemblies for the major front-end work.
Feederhouse Removal
This was followed by documentation around the fan housing and rock trap.
Next Stop, Transmission Removal!
The Leveling Manifold
With the drivetrain opened up, we moved into the control side of the system with the leveling manifold install, plus hose extension planning/documentation to ensure correct lengths, movement range, and routing.
Out with the Old, in with the New... Front Axle
Then it was time to reinstall the transmission, after accounting for hydraulic hose extensions.
Reinstallation: Transition & Feederhouse
After the critical mechanical and hydraulic work was validated, we put the feederhouse back on and moved on to programming and testing!
On-site testing, prior to field testing.
FAQ: One Standout X9 Differentiator
There was a key durability jump on the X9 Leveling System design!
Our other levelers use ¾” front and rear undercarriage steel plates.
The X9 uses 1” thick plates.
That extra material isn’t just an upgrade for upgrade’s sake- it was driven by the increased weight of the X9. With more machine mass and higher loads transferring through the undercarriage, moving to 1” plate adds the strength necessary in the areas that take the most punishment in real field conditions.
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