Case CE Launches D Series Excavator Line

By Mike Kezdi April 24, 2015 View Profile

Earlier this week, Case Construction Equipment invited editors to its fabled Tomahawk Customer Center in Wisconsin to officially unveil its line of D Series crawler excavators.

Though all of the excavators unveiled fall out of the compact equipment range, of the five excavators unveiled, four are ideally suited for utility installations, residential and commercial excavation. And it’s safe to say many of our contractor subscribers fall into this category.

Case CE highlighted four of the five D Series models available the CX210D, CX250D, CX300D and the CX350D. The only model not displayed was the CX250 Long Reach (LR).

“We’ve had a great excavator in the marketplace the C Series excavator we prided ourselves on great fuel economy but what the customers told us, especially when you get into the larger size excavators, is that productivity is key,” Jim Hasler, Case’s vice president for North America, told the assembled media. “I’m really excited and I am really proud of what we’re bringing to market.”

The D Series line is suited for those working in the utility construction and commercial and residential excavating to bridge construction and the oil and gas and aggregate industries.

“The value proposition of the D Series excavators is the ability to do more work while also reducing fuel use and therefore lowering the total cost of ownership,” says Phillipe Bisson, Case’s brand marketing manager for excavators and wheel loaders. “Of the four D Series excavators introduced today, the cycle time has been improved by up to 12 percent over the previous model and that allows the equipment to work faster and faster translates to the ability to improve productivity and get more work done.”

Increased cycle times come from advancements in the hydraulic system – namely with Spool Stroke Control, which uses electronically controlled pumps, larger valves and multiple sensors to re-direct hydraulic oil to the work function. Other improvements that comprise Case’s Intelligent Hydraulic system are Boom Economy Control, which reduces RPMs by using gravity during boom down and swing; Auto Economy Control, which lowers RPMs during idle and automatically shuts down the engine after a pre-set idle time and Swing Relief Control, which reduces hydraulic power at the swing start.

In addition to the increased cycle times, the new D Series lineup is up to 14 percent more fuel efficient than the C Series models, are more responsive, have improved controls and an overall improved cabin. The cabin features include joystick controls, a 7-in. monitor to display pertinent data, a Bluetooth radio and a heated air ride seat (a welcome addition when you’re testing equipment during a mid-April snow squall). A common statement heard throughout the product launch and subsequent testing was that a comfortable operator is a productive operator.

For its new D Series excavators, Case CE improved the cab with the addition of an air-ride heated seat, Bluetooth radio and a 7-in. monitor that displays the rear view camera and all pertinent data for the operator.

During research and development, the improvements in productivity were interpreted by how many more trucks the D Series could fill than its predecessors could – the CX300D was the king of the D Series boasting 9,500 more truckloads a year. The CX250D can fill up to 4,800 more trucks.

“That’s something an equipment operator can understand,” Bisson says, adding that filling more trucks at a faster rate makes for increased profitability and a decreased overall cost of ownership.

To meet Tier 4 Final emission requirements the D Series models all have a trio of methods of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR), selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) technologies and there is no diesel particulate filter.

A 7-in. display and improved visibility are some of the D Series cab features.On the safety side of the equation, the D Series is available with a standard rear-mounted camera that is constantly showing on the cabin’s 7-in. monitor. Case also unveiled an LED lighting solution for the D Series, which illuminates to near sunlight levels.

This, Bisson says, allows a machine to work round the clock. The optional system features six lights – two front mounted, two rear-mounted and one light on each side of the machine. It is also coupled with side-mounted cameras, which adds the Case Maximum View monitor, which combines feeds from three cameras to provide a comprehensive view to the rear and both sides of the machine.

Rounding out the product highlights is Case ProCare, which provides a three-year Advanced Case SiteWatch telematics subscription, a three-year/3,000-hour full-machine factory warranty, and a three-year/3,000-hour planned maintenance contract. This option provides three-years of predictability to the excavator owner; It amounts to a $15,000 cost of ownership savings Bisson says.