Case Construction Equipment says the E in its new line of wheel loaders and compact wheel loaders stands for “everything,” including operator comfort and ease of serviceability.
The cabs on the 721E, 721E/XT, and 821E wheel loaders feature tilting steering columns, adjustable seats, comfortable arm rests and increased roominess.
“A comfortable operator is more alert, responsive and productive,” says Dave Wolf, brand marketing manager. “Operators are in these machines eight to 10 hours a day, so we want to make sure they don’t have to take multiple breaks to stretch their legs out.”
The quiet, ISO-mounted cab features a floor-to-ceiling glass in front and a sloping rear engine compartment for a panoramic view of both directions. This setup gives the operator a clear view of the front tires to the edge of the bucket, providing good visibility for attachment change-outs. The E-Series’ steps are tilted 5 degrees to allow the operator easier access to the cab.
The machines also come with a standard single-lever loader control and forward-neutral-reverse joystick with a transmission downshift button. The digital display records real-time data, shows diagnostic information and allows programming of operational modes.
A cube-shaped cooling module is located directly behind the cab, and the engine behind the rear axle. The machine is equipped with a reversing fan to purge debris from the coolers.
The bottom floor plate of the bucket is set at a 5-degree angle, and the hinge pins are raised for improved mixing and gathering of material. The buckets in the E-Series are also compatible with Case’s D-Series wheel loaders.
Choose your power setting
The E-Series wheel loaders are powered by fully electronic 6.7-liter Case engines, which match power and fuel economy to their application. You can also choose between three power curves – maximum, standard and economy – and four work modes – maximum, standard, economy and automatic. The engines incorporate a common-rail fuel system that allows air and fuel to mix in nearly equal proportions for a cleaner burn.
For high-production activities such as aggregate operations that require high breakout force and fast cycling, the operator can choose to use maximum power at all times. Economy mode can be used for greater fuel efficiency, and in auto mode, the electronically controlled engine adjusts between power curves.
Like previous Case wheel loaders, the E-Series is equipped with Ride Control, which allows the loader arms to act as shock absorbers to reduce wear on the machine and operator fatigue. Ride Control can be set for full-time mode or in auto mode when the machine is in motion at about 3 mph. You can raise the electrically actuated rear hood to inspect the engine and all its components. There are also three remote drains for coolant, engine and hydraulic fluid.
“You basically have one access panel to do all of your maintenance,” Wolf says. “In previous models, you had to open up multiple panels to be able to do daily maintenance checks.”
Can’t forget the compacts
The E-Series compacts replace the D-Series 2, and like their larger cousins, come with the same operator comforts and ease of serviceability, but also feature the Versa-Boom, which allows the operator to concentrate on moving materials rather than on making adjustments to the level of the load. It has a coupler system that can be equipped with a variety of attachments such as 4-in-1 buckets, pallet forks, angle booms or jib booms. The compact wheel loaders are also compatible with Case’s skid-steer attachments.
The bucket rollback on the compact wheel loaders has been increased for better material retention. You can invert the bucket completely to pull material away from walls or foundations during snow removal or landscaping applications. It can also be used as a leveraging machine to maneuver out of wet conditions.
The reach of the E-Series compacts has been increased 10 percent. The longer reach is designed to help you work from one side of a flat bed truck when unloading palletized material. The Versa-Boom has a precise level lift of 1 degree for accurate handling of palletized material.
The E-Series compacts have high-torque, four-cylinder, oil-cooled Deutz engines and two-speed hydrostatic transmissions for travel speeds up to 12.4 mph. An optional high-speed transmission on the 221E and 321E can deliver a top speed of 21.7 mph.