With its innovative automatic 2D grade control for tiny track loaders, Topcon, known for its GPS grade control systems for heavy equipment, has entered the compact market.

The in-cab controls of the CTL are directly connected to the 2D-MC system, which operates with a box blade attachment. A common jobsite rotating laser is compatible with the outside masts attached to the box blade.

The operator sets the grade with a tablet mounted in the cab. The system uses a CAN bus connection. “It goes right into the brain of the equipment,” said Brandon Jaynes, company spokesman, at the Topcon booth at World of Concrete. “You can get this up and running in about 15 minutes. It’s an affordable cost of entry for midsize contractors who are looking to do more with what they have.”

Major brands of compact track loaders that weigh at least 8,000 pounds are compatible with the 2D-MC technology. Finish grading for things like home pads, drainage, roadside rights of way, slope work, sidewalk grading, replacement of road bases, parking lots, sports fields, landscaping, inside work, and concrete site preparation are all things it is capable of doing.

It is intended to be precise and more effective. To adjust the blade, the operator no longer needs to get in and out of the cab. “Now they set that grade, go almost at full speed, depending on what they’re pushing through, and the grade that they ask the system to deliver is the grade that they get,” said Oscar Cantú, Topcon construction content manager.

Customers are frequently drawn to a product for a specific reason, he continues, but over time they learn they can handle more challenging tasks.

Cantú says demand has been high for the 2D-MC, driven by contractors’ lengthy jobs backlog and a labour shortage. “Their calendars are full. They've got plenty of work to do. There is a challenge of hiring, and they're relying on technology to keep up.”

The 2D-MC system can be purchased already integrated onto Level Best and SharpGrade box blades. The attachments with the system come ready to work. It takes about 3 hours of training for someone who has never used grade control, Cantú says.

“You put a battery in a rotating laser, set it up on a tripod,” he explains, “go out with a level rod that the rotating laser measures to, get in the cab, set your grade – you're going. The learning curve is quite low.”

It's also simple to change grade settings if the grading requirements change.

The in-cab monitor of the system is an Android-based tablet built to withstand the harsh conditions of a construction site. Cant stated that the controls were purposefully kept simple, with few options to choose from.

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Bobcat to launch M3-Series skid steers, CTLs for cost-conscious buyers