Bobcat Redesigns 324 Compact Excavator
Redesigns are a necessity. Just take the CE Web site, for example — we’ve run this site through the ringer on more than one occasion and we’re better for it. The fine folks at Bobcat decided that the 324 excavator needed an update, and now it reaches further, digs deeper and dumps higher.
The 324 excavator is a Conventional Tail Swing unit in the 1.5-ton operating class. Its boom cylinder is attached to the top of the boom instead of the bottom, giving it more protection from damage while digging. It also features a lighter-weight yet durable boom fabrication with cast pivot joints.
As a result, the 324 offers a maximum dig depth of 8 ft, 6 in., reach at ground level of 14 feet, and dump height clearance of 8 ft, 8 in. — all of which are best in class.
The undercarriage on the 324 excavator hydraulically retracts to a width of just 38.6 in. for travel through gates and doorways, or alongside homes. It can then expand to 53.7 in. for greater performance. Overall height is just 85.5 in.
A 13.9-hp, Tier 4 water-cooled diesel engine powers the 324, and two travel speed ranges are standard. Equipped with a hydraulic system similar to the larger Bobcat excavators, the 324 has impressive cycle times and breakout forces to complete jobs faster. The system’s torque-limiting piston pump is able to sense and react to hydraulic loads, for better utilization of the engine’s torque curve.
The standard dozer blade features two self-storing extensions that provide a working width of 54 inches. Auxiliary hydraulics with boom-mounted, flush-face quick couplers make changing attachments easy.
Boom swing on the 324 excavator is 80 degrees to the left and 60 degrees to the right. Bobcat’s exclusive in-track swing frame keeps the swing castings and cylinders within the width of the tracks when digging in an offset position, helping the operator dig flush against an obstacle.
