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Hitachi Brings Its First Wheeled Excavators to North America
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Hitachi Brings Its First Wheeled Excavators to North America

By Heavy-shift 3 min read
Hitachi Brings Its First Wheeled Excavators to North America
Hitachi Brings Its First Wheeled Excavators to North America

Hitachi Brings Its First Wheeled Excavators to North America

Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas has unveiled its first wheeled excavators for the North American market. The company showed the 18-metric-ton ZX180W-7 at its dealer meeting in Georgia in late July and confirmed that the 22-metric-ton ZX220W-7 will follow it across the Atlantic. Both models have been available in international markets for some time and are now open for order in North America, with deliveries expected in late 2026 or early 2027.

The debut also gave dealers a first look at the brand's new identity: Hitachi Construction Machinery will officially rebrand as Landcros in April 2027, and the ZX180W-7 on display carried the new Landcros decals.

Two Booms for Two Jobs

The two machines target different applications. The ZX180W-7 is fitted with a two-piece boom, which gives operators maximum flexibility and maneuverability when working in tight spaces and lets the stick extend outward. The ZX220W-7 uses a mono boom, trading some flexibility for higher digging reach, height and force — with a max dig depth of 20' 8" and 35,500 lbf of bucket dig force.

Both run on a 172-horsepower Isuzu diesel engine with cruise control and Ride Control, which suppresses vibrations from the front attachment for a smoother operator experience. Hitachi says the hydraulics are tuned for fuel efficiency at high productivity.

Built for Stability and Speed

On a machine with rubber tires instead of tracks, stability gets extra attention. The ZX180W-7 plants itself with a front dozer blade and dual rear outriggers while digging; the ZX220W-7 uses outriggers front and back. "It's all about safety with this machine," said Hitachi's product manager for medium and large excavators. "You want to be able to actually plant the machine firmly on the ground."

The payoff is road speed. The ZX180W-7 tops out at 21.7 mph and the ZX220W-7 at 17.1 mph — several times faster than a crawler excavator — and pneumatic tires don't damage asphalt. That is why Hitachi sees the municipal market as a key growth area: one machine that travels over the road, handles roadwork and ditch work, and runs mowers, brushes and a variety of other attachments.

Attachment changes are built around speed too. At the dealer meeting, the ZX180W-7 was outfitted with a tiltrotator and hydraulic quick coupling, letting the operator swap work tools in seconds without leaving the cab. The cab features a premium Grammer air-suspension seat with both steering wheel and joystick steering.

A Niche Market, Deliberately Entered

Wheeled excavators remain a niche in the U.S. compared with Europe, where they are common. Hitachi offers seven wheeled models internationally but chose to bring its two largest to North America first, following market research that identified those as the two most popular size classes in the region. The company is clear about the positioning: "It's not designed to compete with a tracked excavator. It's there to supplement and fill out our product lineup."

Still, the segment is growing — and the timing lines up with a bigger transition. By the time the first ZX180W-7 and ZX220W-7 units arrive in customer yards, they will likely be wearing Landcros branding.

Sources

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