Caterpillar Launches New, More Efficient & Operator-Friendly 326 Next Gen Excavator

---

Caterpillar says that its new 26-ton class 326 Next Gen excavator is more cost-efficient, more comfortable, and more productive than the 326F and earlier models. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Caterpillar’s 26-ton (23.6-metric-ton) class 326 excavator has been reborn as a Next Gen model with a variety of improvements across the board. Aimed at medium to heavy-duty usage scenarios, the 57,100-pound (25,900-kilogram) unit is designed to reduce fuel consumption up to 10% (15% in SMART mode), cut maintenance costs by up to 20% with intervals that are more synchronized, and improve user comfort and productivity.

High-Tech Simplicity

Cat says the 326 Next Gen’s technologies make it simple to do more in less time. The standard, factory-equipped Cat Grade with 2D system can increase productivity by up to 45%, according to the company. It’s upgradeable to Cat Grade with Advanced 2D and Cat Grade with 3D for more precise excavation. Meanwhile, Grade with Assist lets you dig with one lever while staying on grade, Cat says. Finally, the Cat Payload onboard weighing system ties into VisionLink remote monitoring and produces data that can be downloaded to a USB stick.

Cat reduced the vibration in the 326 Next Gen’s new cab by up to 50%, it says. An 8-inch touchscreen comes standard, but there’s also a 10-inch option. The machine provides high visibility through its large windows, flat engine hood, and lower-profile side fuel tank, Cat says, as well as through safety cams to the rear and right. A 360-degree camera system is optional.

Bluetooth support covers hands-free use of personal devices as well as a remote start key fob. The driver can also start the new 326 via smartphone app or the Operator ID function, which also accesses the programmable control and joystick settings.

---

Cat builds the 326 Next Gen with the Payload on-board weighing system, which can output its data to a USB stick or the VisionLink remote monitoring system. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Better Numbers All Around

A B20 biodiesel-compatible Cat C7.1 engine supplies the 326 Next Gen with 202 horsepower (151 kilowatts), even though it uses up to 15% less fuel than the 326F. The diesel’s exhaust aftertreatment system needs no maintenance. The machine is designed to operate in temperatures as high as 125 degrees and start in temps as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit, but there’s a cold-start option for environments down to -25 degrees.

The 326 Next Gen has a maximum digging depth of 22.38 feet (6.82 meters) and a bucket digging force of 37,318 pounds-force (166 kilonewtons). The bucket holds up to 2.01 cubic yards (1.54 cubic meters) of material, and has Advansys bucket tips that are safer to change out with a lug wrench. The optional Smartboom feature allows the boom to lower freely without using pump flow, saving some fuel. The machine’s main hydraulic flow is 136 gallons per minute (515 liters per minute), and there are auxiliary hydraulics for attachments. Cat gave the new excavator 12% more swing torque for better performance on inclines. The tail swing radius is 9.84 feet (3 meters).

As for lowering maintenance requirements and expense, the new model’s fuel and air filters last twice as long (1,000 hours) as those on 326D2 and 326F units; so does its new hydraulic oil filter at 3,000 hours. For transport purposes, the machine’s width is 10.5 feet (3.2 meters).

Source: Caterpillar

Questions? Comments? Visit the RentalYard Forums to ask questions, get answers, and share your thoughts.