Recognizing a gap in its 15- to 25-ton compact excavator range, Caterpillar released its 19-ton 319 CR at ConExpo 2026.
The model leverages the powertrain, boom, stick and bucket linkages of a conventional tailswing 317, with a longer, wider undercarriage that shares many parts commonalities with Cat’s 20-ton family.
Caterpillar Senior Market Professional gave Equipment World a complete overview of the new machine in the video above from ConExpo 2026, including the types of projects it is best suited for versus the 315 and 325 models.
The 319 CR has a maximum digging depth of 21.5 feet, a maximum reach of 30.2 feet and a maximum loading height of 21.1 feet.
Its 133-horsepower Cat 3.6 diesel engine offers three selectable power modes to match engine and hydraulic power to jobsite conditions:
Smart Mode matches engine and hydraulic power to current working conditions.
Eco Mode helps reduce fuel consumption.
Power Mode for maximum productivity.
The wider 19.2-foot undercarriage and heavy counterweight provide more lifting capacity, stability and the ability to use larger work tools. The model on display at ConExpo 2026 was equipped with a Cat TRS17 Tiltrotator and a Grading Beam. The standard blade offers backfilling capability and further enhances stability.
The large cab comes with a 10-inch touchscreen display, customizable electro-over-hydraulic joystick controls and a seatbelt reminder alarm. A variety of standard and optional technology features, including Cat Grade 2D and 3D, Cat Payload and E-Fence, help operators increase safety and productivity on the jobsite, the company says.
Caterpillar leads the market in excavator sales, with 28.9% market share, according to Fusable’s latest EDA data. This new excavator release offers strong sales potential, as it sits between two of the manufacturer’s top-selling models. From May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026, the 315 was Cat’s third-highest selling excavator, with 418 units sold, while the 325 ranked fifth with 352 units sold. (Fusable is the parent company of EDA and Equipment World.)
To see all of the products and technologies unveiled at ConExpo 2026, check out our show coverage page here.
Caterpillar 319 CR Compact Radius Excavator Specs
Engine: Cat C3.6
Net Power: 133 horsepower
Operating Weight: 44,100 pounds
Max. Digging Depth: 21.5 feet
Max. Reach at Ground Line: 30.2 feet
Max. Loading Height: 21.1 feet
00:00:00:02 - 00:00:17:23
Brian Stellbrink
I would say one thing that I would like contractors to take away on this is a very nimble, versatile machine that can work in that 46 to 48,000 pound size range. There's a lot of opportunity there to work a broad range of different sites.
00:00:17:25 - 00:00:48:22
Brian Stellbrink
All right. Well hello. My name is Brian Stolberg, product specialist with caterpillar. And I'm here to introduce a brand new model for us, which is the 319 compact radius machine. Now the 319 excavator really fits in between our 15 ton and 25 ton excavators. Very popular size classes today. And what we decided was and heard from customers that there's an opportunity for something certainly a little bit larger, can lift more, do more, work more productive, carry a little bit bigger work tools than kind of a very popular industry size of that.
00:00:48:22 - 00:01:16:18
Brian Stellbrink
15 and also 325. So our 25 ton size class, we've found that sometimes those machines, it's just a little bit too big for certain job sites. And where these compact radius machines go, it's typically on restricted job sites. That's where they excel, whether it's road building, whether it's site development work, whether it's even working in some some rural areas around obstacles such as trees cutting in single lane roads and sometimes a 25 ton machine is just a little bit too large.
00:01:16:18 - 00:01:41:24
Brian Stellbrink
So we saw an opportunity based on what customers were telling us in the feedback for a machine. Right, in that 46 to 48,000 pounds size class. And that's what this news 319 is here for us. Obviously, a lot of versatility there and being able to configure that very different ways. You can see this machine, it's rigged out with the blade for a great backfilling for enhanced stability, rubber trackpads for working in the street.
00:01:41:24 - 00:02:04:27
Brian Stellbrink
Whether you're tracking over concrete, you're working at asphalt. It helps protect that surface. Also, from a work tool standpoint, you can see on this machine actually out front there's a tilt rotator. So that provides excellent versatility to spend more time working, less time repositioning and getting that work overall done faster. Also loaded up with integrated technology from grade systems to an onboard scale system for load.
00:02:04:27 - 00:02:24:11
Brian Stellbrink
Now trucks, knowing that you're basically loading that truck to the target payload also with fence features. So if you're working in underneath maybe a skeleton structure building or you're working underneath power lines, modern bridge decks, doing work where you can
protect basically the front parts of that machine from going beyond a certain point. So that's our fence feature as well.
00:02:24:11 - 00:02:33:18
Brian Stellbrink
So a lot of technology in a very versatile machine working with a compact radius footprint is our new 319 from caterpillar.
