In the current economy, you need to figure out how to get the most out of your equipment investment. The ability to accomplish the same task with a smaller machine can reduce capital expenses.
Realizing the potential savings, Caterpillar recently introduced a version of the 320E excavator with a heavier counterweight option. “It is called the 320E Heavy-Lift configuration,” says Kent Pellegrini. “That stretches the machine out to have the lifting capability of a 324. So if somebody is running a thumb, a bucket and a coupler, the machine is completely stable.”
The dimensions of this model are identical to the standard 320E. “The counterweight doesn’t grow in thickness,” says Pellegrini. “The material fill that goes into the counterweight is heavier. So we don’t change the overall carbody dimension or affect swing radius with the heavier counterweight.”
The standard 320E counterweight machine is 3.5 metric ton, while the heavy counterweight option is 5.4 metric ton.
