When Steve Westlund talks about running iron, he starts with his grandfather. That is where he first learned that every pass counts. In Minnesota, he worked alongside his grandfather to check grades with stakes. Westlund learned the value of keeping a close eye on the material moved to reduce rework. Now as the Owner of Westlund Excavating, he still follows the family playbook: do it right the first time and keep the machines moving.
Westlund Excavating was originally founded in 1976 and built a regional reputation through sewer, water, and municipal projects. In 2009, Steve Westlund took ownership and restarted operations with a few old machines, securing floodway and ditch work for the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District. The company expanded into aggregate in 2011, opening the Hawley pit and leasing additional pits in Felton and Rollag, Minnesota.
Today, Westlund runs more than 40 machines across commercial, industrial, and municipal work, including the region’s first underground stormwater vault and multiple StormTech underground systems across the Fargo-Moorhead area.
While working on a 900-acre data center development job in North Dakota, Westlund recently met with equipment experts at RDO Equipment Co. to discuss the latest addition to his 40-plus machine fleet — a John Deere 850 X Crawler Dozer equipped with SmartGrade.
On the data center job site, Westlund’s fleet of John Deere machines includes the 850 X dozer, alongside 824 X and 744 P wheel loaders and a 510 P excavator with 3D control. These machines form a production core that moves material efficiently from cut to fill, then shifts into finish mode. John Deere’s recent P‑Tier enhancements — touchscreen displays, climate upgrades, and SmartGrade options — can help new operators get comfortable faster, while seasoned hands use the full 3D toolkit to finish to spec.
| Your local Deere & Co dealer |
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| West Side Tractor Sales Co |
| West Side Tractor Sales Co |
Labor markets remain tight, and wages continue to climb. Fuel volatility adds pressure to every bid. Westlund’s strategy to combat this is to give good operators technology that multiplies their output and pair that technology with machines that cut idle time and gallons per hour.
“Other than wages, fuel is one of the biggest costs of doing business,” Westlund said.
On sprawling jobs where dozers and loaders rack up hours fast, gallons per hour can make or break the estimate. That is why Westlund leaned into integrated grade control and a new generation of machines that squeeze more work from every drop of fuel.
On large earthmoving and finish projects, automatic blade control reduces rework and helps less‑experienced operators produce consistent results, while wireless file transfer keeps crews on the latest design without burning time shuttling USB sticks. John Deere’s newest SmartGrade platform layers in Auto‑Load and Carry, adjusting blade settings based on ground conditions to maintain steady production — another way to remove variability when the clock is running.
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| Brandeis Machinery |
| Brandeis Machinery |
On the fuel side, Westlund compares data hour-by-hour across the fleet and has noted that John Deere’s latest X‑Tier models can run at lower revolutions per minute (RPM) while delivering the torque needed to push, rip, and finish — resulting in fuel savings, increased operator comfort, and noise reduction over a long day. That aligns with John Deere’s published design intent for the 850 X’s E‑Drive system and cab refinements focused on efficiency and fatigue reduction.
“In today’s fuel market, any machine that helps us burn fewer gallons to move the same dirt pays for itself faster,” Westlund said. “That’s how you keep bids competitive and still make money.”
Traditional mast‑and‑cable grade control required added steps and failure points — install in the morning, remove at night, worry about damage or theft. External systems also made it harder to switch between 2D and 3D workflows as tasks changed.
With integrated SmartGrade, Westlund’s operators climb in, load the design, and go. There are no cables to set up and less downtime after a surprise afternoon spec change. Integrated 2D and 3D options, plus compatibility with lasers and total stations, let the crew choose what is most efficient for each task.
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| Brandeis Machinery |
| Brandeis Machinery |
The difference shows up in pass count. Finish work that used to take “feel” and multiple checks can now be validated continuously in‑cab, so operators can stop chasing the last 10th. Across a 900‑acre site, shaving even a few passes from the job translates into real fuel, time, and wage savings.
Westlund’s crews run John Deere SmartGrade across the fleet because the system is integrated into the machine — no external masts or cables to install, remove, or repair. That integration matters during colder temperatures where it can be challenging to achieve accurate grades quickly. SmartGrade supports 2D slope control, 2D laser, full 3D GPS, and 3D total station workflows, making it adaptable to the day’s task — cutting a subgrade, building a pond, or finishing a pad. EZGrade, SmartGrade‑ready 2D, and full 3D SmartGrade are available on P‑Tier and X‑Tier machines to shorten setup time and help operators reach grade in fewer passes.
“It takes the guesswork out. Every pass, our operators know exactly where they need to be — and we burn fewer gallons getting there,” Westlund said.
Operators said they can feel the difference in the seat: the blade reacts smoothly, and the screen shows exactly where they stand against design and updates flow wirelessly so the field and office stay aligned. John Deere’s recent platform updates added larger, more intuitive touchscreens and simplified plug‑and‑play compatibility for laser and total station, widening the toolset for complex sites.
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| Burris Equipment |
| Burris Equipment |
When RDO Equipment Co. offered a demo of the new John Deere 850 X‑Tier Crawler Dozer, Westlund and his operators noticed two things right away: the blade’s precise placement and that the machine felt quiet and composed, even under load. The core difference is the dual‑path electric drive — John Deere’s E‑Drive powertrain that replaces traditional hydrostatic pumps and motors with a generator and electric motors at each final drive. The result is immediate torque, precise control over each track, and fewer mechanical complexities in the driveline.
E‑Drive technology is engineered for better fuel economy and longer powertrain component life while sustaining strong pushing power. In practice, that translates into fewer gallons per yard moved and less heat/stress in the powertrain across long shifts.
The X-Tier’s windshield is about 14 percent larger and is paired with an Advanced Vision System for better situational awareness. A tilting cab improves service access to E‑Drive components, which can benefit uptime and life cycle cost. On Westlund’s jobs, those design choices show up as smoother cornering, confident full‑power turns, and lower RPMs.
“The control is phenomenal,” Westlund said. “It reacts instantly, and we’re getting more done with less.”
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| Brandeis Machinery |
| Brandeis Machinery |
RDO Equipment Co. provides Westlund with machine setup, job‑based SmartGrade onboarding, and ongoing assistance through RDO Connected Support. When designs change midday or a control nuance needs tuning, the team can remotely access the display, diagnose, and coach operators so uptime stays high and production steady. That end‑to‑end support helped Westlund scale SmartGrade from a few machines to a fleet standard — and gain value from day one on the 850 X demo that turned into a purchase decision.
John Deere also backs critical E‑Drive components on qualifying 850 X units with 84 months/15,000 hours of coverage (Electric Drive Component Assurance). This adds another layer of confidence to a drivetrain that is new to many dirt contractors, which can reassure owners planning five‑ to seven‑year run horizons.
As Westlund continues to grow his multifaceted contracting business, he pays special attention to the machine and its warranty to keep operators in seats, moving dirt without excess production hours.
“We want machines that keep operators comfortable and confident so they can do the job in less time,” Westlund said. “That’s what helps a small business grow and still take care of people.”
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| Brandeis Machinery |
| Brandeis Machinery |
Photos courtesy of RDO Equipment Co.
