Cat “Ducks” Continue to Evolve

Caterpillar has rolled out its latest wheeled excavators as part of its Next Gen upgrade, with the launch of the new M319 and M320 models which replace to outgoing F-Series machines.

These all-new models feature a much shorter tail swing and front-end design which is said to improve their ability to work in confined spaces, for instance during road lane closures and on urban job sites.

It’s been many years since I last operated a Caterpillar wheeled excavator, as far back as 1996 in fact when I was operating a Cat 212BFT which was essentially a German built Eder machine, while I was working for Northampton based James King Plant, it’s a machine that brings back great memories of my time working in the area and for a great family business.

Photo: Digger Man Blog Archives.

However, Cat wheeled excavators have come a long way since those days, and it will be great to try one of these new models out in due course, if and when we can seriously start travelling again.

The M319 is powered by a Stage V EU emission compliant, Cat C4.4 diesel engine which offers a power output rating of 128-kw (171hp). While the M320 is powered by a slightly up-rated C4.4 engine unit delivering 129.4-kw (174hp).

According to Caterpillar the machines deliver up to 15% more swing torque than the previous generation models and improved fuel efficiency thanks to its Eco mode setting which when selected can save up to 5% in fuel consumption.

High mobility is a key factor with wheeled excavators and these new machines can reach speeds of up to 35 km/h (21.7mph) on the road, a key factor when travelling between job sites.

A new advanced hydraulic system is said to offer a superb balance of power, finesse and efficiency, making the operators job a lot easier to perform precision operations, like grading and lifting.

Talking of the operators, it goes without saying that the cab has been redesigned to as Cat put it, deliver a premium operator experience.  

A new large, 240-mm (10-in) touchscreen monitor with jog dial is fitted and delivers intuitive navigation of all the machine functions and controls. Via this monitor operators can program joystick configuration and power preferences, and the new excavator recalls specific settings based on an operator’s unique ID.

Operators can also adjust the in-cab temperature via the monitor thanks to the climate control feature.  

The Digger Man Blog looks forward to seeing these new machines in the metal real soon!

In the meantime, checkout this promotional video on the new wheeled excavators from Caterpillar.