Hitachi brings factory-installed Grade Guidance system to three excavator models

Looking to offer increasingly tech-savvy contractors a straight-from-the-factory guidance system, Hitachi has introduced an integrated Grade Guidance system in three of its excavators.

The manufacturer has worked with Topcon on the system, which offers a real-time display of distance-to-grade that helps operators reduce the amount of time it takes to reach final grade, while ensuring they don’t have to leave the cab. Designed for use on jobs such as trenching, shaping slopes and digging foundations, it also reduces the demand for grade checkers or grade stakes.

Customers can pick a 2D or 3D system for their new Hitachi ZX210-6, ZX210LC-6 or ZX350LC-6. While the factory-installed option is limited to these three models currently, the company said it plans to offer the option on all Dash-6 models in the future.

While The Topcon-enabled factory-integrated model will arrive on a job site set to work, Hitachi also offers open architecture that lets contractors use mounting brackets to enable a Trimble or Leica systems to work as well.