Ditch Witch XT1600 Excavator- Tool Carrier
It’s a mongrel machine. The second model in Ditch Witch’s excavator-tool carrier series — the XT1600 — is a combination of compact equipment breeds (mini excavator, track loader and backhoe). The company’s latest
excavator-tool carrier is due out in June and is aimed at redefining the word “versatility,” helping your crews with just about every job on a project site — besides packing lunches or fetching smokes.
The XT1600 is a dedicated digging machine on one side and a tool carrier/loader on the other. The excavator boom on the back is handy for any digging operation with its whopping 260-degree excavator sweep, and the skid steer quick-attach plate on the front can handle hundreds of
different implements, making it extremely versatile.
With a dedicated track undercarriage for mobility, the unit is also a comfortable ride with low ground pressure and great traction. Ditch Witch officials say it makes the perfect piece of equipment for, well, just about everybody.
“While anyone can use the XT1600, our biggest success has been with the general contractor market,” says
Mike Lumbers, senior compact utility product manager with Ditch Witch. “We’re also targeting those that work in demolition, material handling, commercial excavation, utility contractors and restoration. And this is a great tool for municipalities that need to handle all of their
landscaping, road work, grading and construction needs.”
The versatile XT1600 is a ride-on machine with a comfy seat that swivels back and forth from excavator to tool
carrier (like a backhoe loader). Equipped with a 59-hp diesel engine, the front loader sports a hinge pin height of more than 10 ft (great for unloading into dump trucks) and a tip capacity of 4,600 lbs. The machine’s excavator has a dig depth of 11 ft, 2 in., a boom sweep of 260 degrees and a boom breakout force of 7,180 lbs. This machine is
engineered to operate in confined places, specializing in offset digging along walls, fences and buildings.
But it’s just not digging; versatility is the name of the game for the XT1600 excavator-tool carrier. The unit will have the option of 24 different Ditch Witch branded
attachments right from the get go — from augers to cold planers — as well as hundreds of third-party OEM skid steer implements to choose from on the market. For the first time, “Ditch Witch is now getting into the full-size skid steer attachment market,” says Lumbers. The company is also giving operators the alternative for auxiliary high flow hydraulics for the attachment — from 15 gpm up to 26 gpm.
“This machine has quite a bit more hydraulic flow,” explains Lumbers. “It’s got a high and low flow option — like a lot of skid steer units in its size. And of course, you can use some of the SK attachments [from Ditch Witch’s mini skid steer line] on the excavator end as well.”
With 30-net horsepower going to the front-end attachment, the XT1600 can perform a tremendous range of work — loading trucks, angering holes, lifting pallets of brick, planing pavement, trenching drainage, you name it. With the unit’s quick-disconnect fittings, attachments can be changed with the hydraulic system under pressure, making multitasking quicker and simpler.
Of course, an attachment is useless without good
traction and mobility; that’s where the XT1600’s dedicated undercarriage comes into play. With a set of tracks that are 70 in. wide and exert only 5.8 psi, the unit can sport two travels speeds: 3.5 and 6.8 mph. This dedicated undercarriage also touts more traction and comfort than other track units. The undercarriage utilizes what’s called an equalizer track system, which has pivoting rollers that keeps more track on the surface for better grip and an easier ride.
“This is a track system that helps give you as much
tractive effort as possible in tough terrain,” explains Lumbers. “It will have less of a break-over compared to standard track units too.”
The XT1600 has a set of stabilizers for excavating.
The stabilizers can be adjusted to individual levels for uneven digging situations and they stay within the footprint of the machine and out of the sweep of the machine’s 260-degree arm reach. Self-leveling is also standard on the tool carrier end, so lifting pallets of brick or carrying buckets full of
gravel is made that much easier (especially for novices).
Another option is a cab. Equipped with both air conditioning and heating, the XT1600’s operating environment can be completely enclosed. Ditch Witch is also offering an optional hydraulic quick-release system for the machine’s attachment plate. This feature allows the operator to switch out attachments without ever leaving his or her seat.
Whether its comfort or work, the XT1600 offers
contractors multiple advantages. The latest in the
excavator-tool carrier series is definitely one of the
most interesting machines in Ditch Witch’s expanding compact utility division (which also includes mini skid steers and compact excavators). We can only hope the series is primed to expand.
“We’re growing the line. With its popularity, I think you could see units on either side of this one,” assures Lumbers. “The excavator-tool carrier class has definitely filled a
gap between mini excavators, compact track loaders and loader backhoes.”
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