John Deere 2D Slope Control is an advanced grading technology designed to enhance the precision and efficiency of slope creation, adjustment, and maintenance. This system reads the cross slope and mainfall of your machine, providing precise grading measurements and enabling you to adjust the blade’s tilt and pitch accurately. With 2D Slope Control, you can fine-tune the grading on your 333G Compact Track Loader to meet your specific construction and landscaping needs.

Operation Screen Overview 

The 2D Slope Control operating screen is displayed on your 333G’s rear-view camera. To access it, follow these steps: on the main monitor, select “MENU,” then “GRADE CTRL,” followed by “SELECT MODE.” Scroll down and choose “2D SLOPE CONTROL.”

On-Board Grade Indicate

The two top icons on the screen display the percentages for cross slope on the top left and mainfall on the top right. A positive cross slope indicates that the right-hand side of the machine is elevated, while a negative slope means the right-hand side is lowered. Similarly, a positive mainfall shows the front of the machine is tilted upward, whereas a negative mainfall means the front is tilted downward.

Live Blade Position Readings

On the left-hand side of the screen, below the cross slope icon, you can see the blade’s cross slope reading. Directly below it reads the blade’s mainfall. The positive and negative percentages of the blade cross slope and mainfall are interpreted in the same way as the machine’s cross slope and mainfall.

Target Mode

In the center of the screen, a green target icon indicates that your machine is in target mode. In target mode, the blade adjusts its cross slope and mainfall according to your targeted settings once automatics are enabled. The adjustable parameters for your blade cross slope and mainfall are shown to the right of the live blade position readings.

Joystick Mode

Alternatively, you can use joystick mode, marked by a green joystick icon at the center of your screen. In this mode, you control and adjust the blade’s cross slope and mainfall using the joystick. Pressing the trigger on the joystick locks the adjusted blade position until pressed again. 

Settings Menu Overview(s)

The settings menu in the 2D Slope Control system offers a range of customizable options that can be tailored to best suit your needs. To enter the settings menu, scroll down and select “Settings” on your operating screen.

Mainfall Offset

Mainfall offset compensates for the density of terrain that the machine operates on. Given that the tracks of your 333G may sink into lower-density soils, this setting allows you to adjust the vertical position of your blade relative to the track plane. You can set the mainfall offset within a range of -20 to 40 mm (-0.066 to 0.131 ft).

Blade Response

Blade response or blade aggressiveness is a measure of how quickly the machine responds to a command from the automatic system. In simpler terms, it determines how fast the blade will adjust to your blade position commands. This setting can be adjusted on a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is slow, 9 is fast, and 5 is the default medium.

Square Blade

Square blade calibrates the geometry of your blade to its squared position. When enabled, this setting squares your blade relative to its rotation or angle.

Match Slope

If your 333G’s blade is set down to the ground, you can enable match slope to match the cross slope and mainfall of your target screen. For a shortcut, press and hold the bottom-right button on your joystick for one second after positioning the blade on the ground to synchronize your live and targeted slopes.

Flip Slope Mode

If you’re working on a slope that needs to be mirrored or flipped, you can use flip slope mode to quickly invert the slope settings of your blade. For example, if you’re using a positive blade cross slope to create a right-side slope, you can enable flip slope mode to quickly switch your positive cross slope value to a negative one when it’s time to create a left-side slope. This setting can be toggled to only flip cross slope, only flip mainfall, or both.

Enable Cross Slope and Mainfall

You can enable or disable cross slope and mainfall individually to manually adjust your slope parameters as required. When you disable one parameter, the machine’s automatic functions for that aspect are turned off, allowing you to manually control it while the automatic system manages the other. 

Slope Control Mode

The slope control mode toggles between target and joystick modes. To switch between modes, access “Settings” on your operating screen, scroll down to “Slope Control Mode,” and toggle between the two options.

Increment/Decrement Mode

On the joystick of your 333G, there are two vertically aligned buttons that allow you to quickly increase or decrease your slope values. By selecting increment/decrement mode in the settings menu, you can toggle these buttons to adjust either your blade’s cross slope or mainfall.

Blade Measurements

In the blade measurements section, you can input measurements for your pitch link length following adjustments to the pitch link and left/right blade wear measurements.

Diagnostics

The last item in the settings menu is diagnostics, designed for machine technicians to capture live values and verify sensor functionality during machine servicing.

Mainfall Control On/Off Overview 

As mentioned earlier, 2D Slope Control allows you to turn manual control of the mainfall function on and off as needed, with a similar option for the cross-slope function. This allows for function versatility in moments where you need one automatic slope variable, but also need to manually control the other. For instance, disabling mainfall while keeping cross slope enabled allows you to manually adjust mainfall while the machine continues to handle cross slope, and vice versa.

Enhancing Precision with John Deere 2D Slope Control

John Deere 2D Slope Control brings grading to the next level, offering precise control in slope adjustments, bringing efficiency and accuracy to a wide range of construction and landscaping tasks. With its intuitive and accessible settings, you can customize your 333G to optimize grading, unlocking the full potential of John Deere’s advanced technology suite. 

Contact your local John Deere dealer today.