Caterpillar Offers MHE Ease Of Use Indicate & E-Fence Options For 306, 308 & 309 CR Mini Hydraulic Excavators

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Caterpillar’s MHE Ease of Use Indicate feature gives the operator visual and audible feedback on the bucket’s proximity to the target grade. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Caterpillar has made available some new technologies for a trio of its next-generation mini hydraulic excavators, or MHEs. The new MHE Ease of Use features include Indicate, an entry-level grading system, and E-Fence, which can avoid accidental contact with powerlines, ceilings, tree limbs, and other obstacles.

MHE Ease of Use Indicate and E-Fence are available for the Cat 306 CR, 308 CR, and 309 CR from the factory or through an upgrade kit. The technologies are not currently available for models with a canopy, nor for the Cat 308 CR Variable Angle Boom, 309 CR Variable Angle Boom, or 308 CR Fixed Boom variants.

Safe, Accurate & Productive

MHE Ease of Use Indicate assists operators in more quickly digging to grade. The user sets the target depth and slope using the in-cab touchscreen display. Once digging begins, Indicate gives the operator visual and audible feedback on how far the bucket is from the target grade.

To set up MHE Ease of Use E-Fence, the operator once again uses the touchscreen to mark boundaries above, below, to the side, or in front of the excavator. Cat says no part of the boom, stick, or bucket will cross into the off-limits zones. This makes digging near power boxes, under ceilings, and next to pipes and cables safer, faster, and more worry-free.

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The operator can use the in-cab touchscreen to mark E-Fence boundaries above, below, to the side, or in front of the excavator. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Packaged Extras

Cat is bundling a couple of features with Ease of Use Indicate and E-Fence, which are available together or separately. Swing Assist, also known as “return to trench,” stops the swing of the boom at one or two set points designated by the operator. This can save time and effort while digging a trench, loading a truck, and other repetitive tasks.

The second bonus technology, Bucket Assist, retains the most recent bucket angle for greater accuracy in sloping, leveling, fine grading, and other applications.

Cat Mini Excavators

The Cat 306 CR is a 55.9-horsepower (41.7-kilowatt) mini excavator with an operating weight of 15,766 pounds (7,151 kilograms). It can dig to a depth of 162 inches (4,115 millimeters), or 13.5 feet (4.1 meters).

The Cat 308 CR is in a substantially greater weight class at 20,077 lbs (9,107 kg). It shares a 182.8-in. (4,643-mm) or 15.2-ft (4.6-m) digging depth and 69.5-HP (51.8-kW) rating with the Cat 309 CR excavator, which adds another half-ton of operating weight at 21,091 lbs (9,567 kg).

Source: Caterpillar