Excavator marketers have spent the
past year extending their lines — in many cases, with compact,
short-tail-swing designs.
Volvo
More comfortable and digs faster
 Volvo
rolled out a B-series 16.5-metric-ton excavator, the EC160B, a year ago.
The new machine weighs 36,340 pounds in its base trim, and is powered by a
low-emission, 109-net-horsepower engine (121 gross horsepower). B-series
improvements include a more powerful and precise hydraulic system for
faster digging, faster swing speeds, and faster cycle times than the
EC150, Volvo’s prior entry in the 16.5-ton class. Other enhancements
include a more advanced electronic system, improved serviceability and
visibility features, and automatic temperature control and heated
air-suspension seats in the cab.
Volvo’s B-series excavator line includes a total of eight models,
ranging in operating weight from the 30,000-pound EC140B to the
105,600-pound EC460B.
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Bobcat
Smooth worker turns lightly
 Bobcat’s
new ZHS compact excavators are the first in the industry to feature an
all-hydrostatic drive system, with separate piston pumps and motors for
the right and left tracks. The benefits, says Bobcat, include better
torque control for dozing, smoother turns under a load, and more gradual
turns on surfaces like asphalt and concrete. In addition to the FastTrack
drive system, the ZHS units feature Zero House Swing — a zero-tail-swing
design in which even the corners of the house stay within the track
footprint when the house rotates. The first two ZHS models are the
8,024-pound 430 ZHS and the 10,555-pound 435 ZHS.
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Caterpillar
Get to the work fast
 Over
the past two years, Caterpillar has introduced five C-series wheel
excavators to compliment its complete line of crawler excavators.
Newest to the line are the 115-horsepower, 29,000-pound M313C and the
121-horsepower, 33,000-pound M315C which replace the M312 and M315,
respectively. Both C-series models feature electronically controlled
engines that provide more power, better fuel economy, and reduced
emissions. They also get increased lifting and digging performance and a
more comfortable operator station, according to the company.
Three other models extend the range of Cat wheel excavators to
164-horsepower. The M316C is a 138-horsepower, 35,800-pound model; the
M318C is a 151-horsepower, 39,200-pound unit; and the top-of-the-line
M322C produced 164 net horsepower and has an operating weight of 45,200
pounds in base trim.
Wheel excavators bring increased travel speed to users compared to
crawler-mounted units. The four smaller Cat models have top travel speeds
of 21 miles per hour, while the M322C has a top speed of 15.5 miles per
hour.
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Gradall
One engine, more power
 The
newest generation of Gradall’s 46,000-pound XL 4100 truck-mounted
excavator gets more power and productivity from its single-engine design
than the previous model got from two engines, one to power the excavator,
the other for the truck chassis. The XL 4100-II has roomy new cabs for the
carrier and upperstructure, an aerodynamic profile that enhances operator
visibility, and Gradall’s new gray and red color scheme. The six-wheel
chassis is available with four- or six-wheel drive. Maximum boom reach at
ground line is 30 feet, 1 inch for the 6 x 4 model, and 2 inches less for
the 6 x 6. Maximum digging depth is 20 feet, 10 inches for the 6x4 and 20
feet, 6 inches for the 6 x 6. Power comes from a 250-horsepower diesel.
With high-pressure hydraulics and a telescoping, tilting boom, the new
machine is recommended for fine finishing and grading as well as pavement
removal, ditching, and excavating.
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Vermeer
New compact has independent-swing boom
Vermeer expanded its line of compact excavators last year with the
introduction of the CX224, a 5,400-pound, 58-inch-wide unit powered by a
25-horsepower engine. The new model has a reach of 14 feet, 5 inches and a
digging depth of just over 8 feet. It has an independent-swing boom and
develops a bucket breakout force of 4,410 pounds. The boom swing angles to
the left up to 55 degrees and to the right up to 80 degrees.
Operator features include short-lever hydraulic pilot joystick controls
and a standard canopy.
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Komatsu
Gets lighter and more productive
Komatsu has issued a Series 7 version of the 39,500-pound PC150LC-6
hydraulic excavator last year. Designed for the construction, public
works, and aggregates markets, the PC150LC-7 is more productive and more
stable than its predecessor, but lighter to enhance its transportability,
according to Komatsu. The company has also reduced maintenance costs by
extending oil-change intervals from 100 hours to 500 hours, and the fuel
tank is now 74 U.S. gallons, up from 66. An Equipment Management
Monitoring System monitors critical fluid levels and components.
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JCB
Works harder for less
JCB calls the 137-horsepower JS220 a new generation machine with more
power, efficiency, and performance than the model it replaces. Upgrades
include 7% more power, 4% more digging forces, 7% more drawbar pull, and
an increase in dipper speed of 14%.
New features that reduce operating costs include an intelligent
management system, and greasing points on key pins increased from 50 to
1,000 hours.
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Kubota
New compact works quietly
Kubota’s latest compact-excavator introduction is the 71-horsepower,
3,693-pound KX41-3V. The company says the unit’s three-cylinder diesel
engine is quiet enough to work in residential or school worksites without
disturbing neighbors. Other features include a digital monitoring panel,
including service alerts and alarm displays. The machine has a maximum
reach of 11 feet, 8 inches and a maximum digging depth of 7 feet, 9
inches.
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Liebherr
Full line of crawlers and wheel-mounted models
 Liebherr
offers a full line of excavators from the A 904 at an operating weight of
45,470 pounds to the R 996 Litronic mining machine at 1,427,650 pounds of
operating weight.
Various boom configurations and boom and stick lengths are available to
meet different applications. Single- and double-function high-pressure
hydraulic kits with plumbing are also available for hammer, shear,
nibbler, cutter, and mower operation. Liebherr manufactures both crawler
and wheel-mounted excavators as well as electric-powered pedestal machines
for industrial applications.
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John Deere
High-production units top 17-model line
 Among
the latest additions to the John Deere excavator line are two new,
top-of-the-line excavators, the 57-metric-ton 600C LC and the
75-metric-ton 800C. Both models are powered by a 15.7-liter turbocharged
diesel; the 600C LC version develops 396 net horsepower, while the 800C
develops 454 net horsepower. Both machines feature heavy-duty
undercarriages and reinforced booms, and Deere’s proprietary
engine/hydraulic management system, which balance hydraulic pressure and
flow for peak performance and optimum fuel efficiency.
Company spokesmen say uptime and durability were the primary design
priorities for the new models. To this end, the engine received several
improvements, including direct oil spray to cool pistons, four rings per
piston, and a double lip valve stem.
John Deere fields a 17-model line of crawler excavators, ranging from
the 1.7-metric-ton 17ZTS to the 75-metric-ton 800C.
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Case
Big machine technology in new compacts
 Case
extended its full line of crawler excavators last year with the
introduction of a five-model line of zero-tail-swing compacts. Ranging
from 11.9 to 36.5 net horsepower, the compacts are said to feature large
excavator undercarriage technology, including heavy-duty travel motors for
traction and heavy plate guards for the motor piping.
The top-of-the-line CX47 weighs 10,400 pounds and develops digging
forces up to 8,747 pounds. Its maximum digging depth is 11 feet 11 inches.
At the other end of the line, the 11.9-horsepower CX14 weighs 3,240
pounds and has a maximum digging depth of 6 feet, 11 inches.
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Gold Horse
Chinese line tries North America
Yancheng Gold Horse Tractor of Shanghai, China is wooing North American
distributors with a four-model line of compact excavators, ranging in size
from the 1.5-ton, 20-horsepower GH15 to the 8.5-ton, 80-horsepower GH85.
The smallest unit is powered by an EPA-certified Perkins engine, the other
three models by certified Cummins diesels.
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Daewoo
Small powerhouse leads a new series
Daewoo has ushered in an entire new Solar V series of 11 crawler and
wheel excavators featuring Tier II compliant, fuel-efficient engines,
revamped hydraulic systems for improved speed and smoothness, redesigned
undercarriages, and improved operator visibility. Daewoo says swing torque
has increased 14% across the line.
Daewoo has also added one completely new model to their excavator
lineup, the 17,643-pound Solar 75 V. Powered by a 53-horsepower engine,
Daewoo says the machine offers “the highest digging parameters in its
class.” These include digging depths to over 20 feet, dump heights to 22
feet, 7 inches, and bucket breakout forces over 10,800 pounds with a
1.22-cubic-yard bucket capacity. Substantial power comes from a load
sensing hydraulic system that uses heavy-duty precision pumps and motors,
and precision cylinders with high-strength piston rods and sleeves.
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Link Belt
Full-size excavators get short-swing features
 LBX
Company introduced a three-model line of Link Belt Spin Ace minimum
swing-radius excavators in 2002 that complements their offering of
conventional excavators, including the nine-model Quantum line and the
eight-model LX series.
Topping the Spin Ace lineup is the 51,400-pound, 138-horsepower model
225. Link Belt says the 23-ton, turbocharged machine can work in the same
space a 7-ton conventional machine would work. The 16,900-pound model 75
and 29,100-pound 135 complete the Spin Ace line.
Link Belt’s LX series offers technologically advanced models ranging
in size from 27,000 to 174,600 pounds. The Quantum series emphasizes
simplicity, with fewer electronics, and ranges from 15,400 to 177,000
pounds in operating weight.
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Kobelco
Why just dig when you can doze too?
Last spring, Kobelco extended its Blade Runner excavator/dozer concept
to a 36,000-pound, short-radius model, the ED150. The new 94-horsepower
machine has a swing radius that extends just over 5 inches beyond the
width of its tracks when the upper frame is rotated through a complete
swing arc. With a standard 9-foot, 8-inch arm, the ED150 has a digging
reach of 29 feet, 9 inches and a maximum digging depth of 19 feet 2
inches. As a dozer, it has a six-way power angle tilt blade that measures
10-feet, 8-inches long and has a capacity of 2.9 cubic yards. As a dozer,
the ED150 has 32,600 pounds of drawbar pull.
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Ditch Witch
Choose from tight or zero tail swing
Five mini excavators have been added to the Ditch Witch line. Models
range in size from 0.9 to 4.5 metric tons with digging capabilities
ranging from 4 feet, 11 inches to 13 feet. All five models have tight
tail-swing design and removable counterweights for zero tail-swing
operation.
The 10,300-pound MX45 is the largest model in the line. It is powered
by a 38-horsepower engine and measures 77-inches wide. Its auxiliary
hydraulics feature an 18.5-gallons-per-minute flow rate and 3,770 psi of
pressure. It is rated for a maximum lifting capacity of 2,340 pounds.
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Reprinted from Better Roads Magazine
March 2004 |
