March 24, 2015 – John Deere continues to upgrade its G-series excavator lineup with the introduction of the 17G and 26G compact excavators.

“The operator focused design of the 17G and 26G models maintain proven, John Deere reliability with a few nice refinements,” said Mark Wall, product marketing manager for excavators with John Deere Construction and Forestry. “These compact machines boast big productivity and uptime features, as well as updates that focus on lower daily operating costs.”

The 17G and 26G incorporate a 14.5 hp (10.8 kW) and 20.0 hp (14.9 kW) Final Tier 4/ EU Stage IV diesel engine without the complexity of an after treatment system. This means the customer has no DOC and no DPF, and thus no requirement for DEF, said John Deere.

The 26G utilizes the same operator’s station as the 35G (open station or cab with heat only). The hinge portion of the door design was simplified to provide better visibility and the door width was increased by over three inches to allow for easier entry and exit. The new cab has a larger front window that is two inches wider and six inches taller. The 17G cab remains unchanged from the D series model.

John Deere noted it added a third service door to both excavators to provide improved access to the cooling core and other daily checkpoints. The cores were positioned side-by-side rather than being stacked inline to permit easier access. Extended fluid and lubrication intervals and sight gauges help keep maintenance and expenses at a minimum.