The John Deere 550J crawler tractor has a John Deere 4045 turbocharged, four-cylinder, wet-sleeve, diesel engine producing 80 or 84 horsepower (HP). It has a hydrostatic drive train and 60/40 weight distribution with a low center of gravity, long wheelbase, and high ground clearance. It comes standard with a cab-forward design to improve visibility, deluxe suspension armchair, an overhead instrument panel, including an electric monitor with diagnostic capabilities, and an ergonomically designed single lever for low-effort control steering. It also has separate hydraulic and hydrostatic reservoirs to eliminate contamination.