New loaders, excavators that could upgrade your operation

Hitachi Construction & Mining Division introduced a new service plan for select construction excavators. According to Hitachi, its ZX Secure plan will further support customers by providing routine equipment maintenance from dealer service technicians at every 500-hour interval. The new service plan helps avoid missed service intervals so the machine’s uptime and productivity are further increased. Plus, machine owners can see a lower cost of machine ownership and operation over the equipment life cycle, Hitachi says. ZX Secure is now available for select Hitachi construction excavators ranging from the ZX75US-5 to the ZX870LC-6 in the U.S. and Canada.

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New model rounds out crawler excavator series

Liebherr developed a new crawler excavator model in the R 928 G8, which is being positioned between the company’s R 926 G8 and the R 930G8. According to Liebherr, the R 928 G8 complements its Generation 8 series, which already includes seven models with a gross vehicle weight of 22 to 45 metric tons. The R 928 G8 has several features in common with the R 926 G8 and R 930 G8, including the same superstructure and equipment as the R 926 G8 and the same LC or NLC undercarriage as the R 930 G8. The performance of the R 928 G8 lies between the R 926 G8 and the R 930 G8, the company says. Liebherr says it offers high drawbar pull, excellent load-bearing capacity and a large bucket. The crawler excavator’s weight makes it easier to solve earlier transport problems, the company adds.

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Medium loaders deliver more productivity than predecessors

Caterpillar launched new 980 and 982 medium loaders that slot into the 10- to 12-ton wheel loader class. According to Cat, the new 980 XE and 982 XE are up to 10 percent more productive and lower maintenance costs up to 20 percent compared to the previous 980M and 982M powershift models. The new loaders include an expanded technology platform to increase machine performance and improve operating efficiency, Cat adds. For the first time in this size class, Caterpillar offers a continuous variable transmission option, expanding the Cat medium wheel loader offering. The 980 XE and 982 XE feature a high-efficiency continuously variable parallel path drive system. This combines a direct mechanical path from the engine to the wheels with a Hystat variator, according to Cat.