TVEX EK-18 wheeled excavator in Moscow - sale and leasing

For questions regarding the purchase of this equipment (TVEX EK-18 wheeled excavator), terms of credit and leasing, service and warranty, please contact the plant’s dealers or official representative offices. TVEX EK-18 wheeled excavator can be supplied either directly from the manufacturer or from sites in Moscow and other regions of the Russian Federation .

About the manufacturing company

Currently, the EK-18 manufacturer, the Tver Excavator Plant (TVEX), is part of one of the leading machine-building companies in Russia. It specializes in construction and road equipment and unites 4 plants: Tver Excavator Plant, Bryansk Arsenal, Chelyabinsk Road Construction Machinery Plant and Zavolzhsky Tracked Tractor Plant.

Through 78 dealer centers in Russia and the CIS, RM-Terex sells, services and provides spare parts for: backhoe loaders, wheeled and tracked excavators, motor graders, tracked snow and swamp-going vehicles, front-end and fork loaders, industrial material handlers. All manufactured equipment has the official status “Made in Russia”.

The Tver Excavator Plant (during the USSR it was called “Kalininsky”, like the city itself) traces its history back to 1943. Long before the final victory in the Great Patriotic War, construction of a plant began in Kalinin to produce spare parts and components for excavators, saw shafts, multi-story lifts, other peaceful equipment and consumer goods.

Soon after the end of the war, the company began producing the country's first pneumatic-wheeled excavators with rope suspension (model E-255). In the 1970s, the plant mastered the production of hydraulic wheeled and tracked excavators. In 1978, one of these models - EO-3322B - was awarded the State Quality Mark. In March 1981, the fifty-thousandth excavator rolled off the production line of the enterprise, and the plant was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for replenishing the national economy with reliable and productive equipment.

TVEX traditionally uses Minsk engines. Most of the other units, assemblies and components of excavators are produced directly at the Tverskoy Excavator Plant, even in our time. According to statistics, more than 90% of special vehicles produced at the plant are equipped with domestically produced hydraulics and Belarusian diesel engines, and only about eight percent are produced with Bosch-Rexroth hydraulics and imported Perkins engines.

Average cost of construction equipment

Approximate prices for a new bulldozer are from three to four million rubles; the cost will vary in each region. Today there are many advertisements for the sale of used construction equipment, some needed a car for a year or two, different brands, equipment and release dates. In some cases, it makes sense to pay attention not to a new one, but to one that has already been in operation. As an example: Chelyabinsk, 2012 issue. – 3,000,000 rubles; Novosibirsk, 2009 issue. – RUB 1,460,000; Stavropol, 2007 issue. – 1,250,000 rub.; Tomsk, 2005 issue. – 670,000 rubles; Irkutsk, 2002 issue. – 300,000 rub. The price range is quite large, from three million to three hundred thousand rubles, there is an explanation for this. Even if the documents are in complete order, the equipment works properly and has undergone maintenance on time, first of all, the cost will depend on: year of manufacture, operating time, operating conditions, number and scale of breakdowns, appearance. Place of use and sale (geographically) plus the store’s pricing policy.

Among the products of the Tver plant, the TVEX EK-18 excavator has the highest power indicators. Advantages such as long service life and reliability of the equipment are due to the use of a reinforced metal structure of the supporting part.

Consumers also note the high technical characteristics of the machine; in Russia, the EK-18 is one of the most popular domestically produced models. The company produces a large number of special construction equipment. The hydraulic special vehicle is equipped with pneumatic wheels. The excavator is positioned as a universal, productive, unpretentious, easy-to-maintain equipment for performing earth-moving tasks. Its profitability is due to the availability and low cost of parts and low fuel consumption.

Excavator design and device

The EK-18 wheeled excavator consists of the following main components and systems:

• pneumatic wheel running device,
• turntable,
• hydraulic system,
• pneumatic control system,
• electrical equipment,
• working equipment.

The pneumatic wheel running device of the special vehicle is made on 2 drive axles. It is capable of providing a fairly high speed of movement on work sites and on the roads between them, as well as, if necessary, simple and safe towing of the EK-18 with a tractor.

The front axle is controlled. The tires on it are single; the bridge itself is balanced on the running frame. The rear axle is unsteered, gable; is attached rigidly to the running frame. The axles are driven through a gearbox and cardan shafts from a low-torque hydraulic motor. Before excavation work, the excavator rests on folding supports and a dump support to increase stability.

The turntable is attached to a turntable, which is mounted on the running frame. The following are mounted on the rotating platform: a power unit and a diesel fuel tank, a rotating mechanism, an operator’s cabin, a heating and ventilation unit, hydraulic equipment (hydraulic tank, hydraulic valves, oil cooling unit, etc.), elements of electrical and pneumatic equipment, as well as a counterweight.

The working equipment of the EK-18 excavator is installed in the eyes of the turntable and secured with fingers. The design of this special machine provides for the possibility of using all kinds of replaceable working equipment and working parts. In addition to the backhoe, this includes a grab, hydraulic hammer, ripper, hydraulic shears, log grabber, etc.

Additionally, the technological capabilities of the EK-18 are expanded by the front support blade, increasing the degree of versatility of this special equipment. They can be used to fill trenches, clean the soil surface, rake up construction debris, and level the work site.

The drive of all movements by replaceable working equipment, as well as the control of the executive bodies of the excavator and its steering are hydraulic. The control of wheel brakes and parking brake, gear shifting is pneumatic. The EK-18 is equipped with electrical lighting, ventilation, alarm and diesel start systems, and is ready for work at any time of the day and in any climate, while maintaining normal operating conditions in the cabin.

Application area

This model is designed to work with soils up to category 4 inclusive.

Scope of application are:

• Cargo handling.
• Laying trenches.
• Development of pits.
• Work in a quarry.
• Destruction of medium-strength buildings.
• Stacking, loading/unloading logs, lumber.
• Leveling the sites.
• Other work in construction, agriculture, land reclamation.

Pneumatic undercarriage and slewing ring

The EK-18 undercarriage includes: undercarriage frame with a slewing ring; folding supports + blade support; gearbox, front and rear axles, which are connected by cardan shafts; wheel turning and control mechanism; a central manifold, which is connected by pipelines to the gearbox hydraulic motor, folding support hydraulic cylinders and blade support hydraulic cylinders, as well as to the components of the pneumatic control system: built-in air receiver, wheel brakes, parking brake, gear shift mechanism.

The rotary support device on excavators of this model is a bearing-type rotary support: roller, single-row, with internal teeth. The platform rotates using a low-torque axial piston hydraulic motor with a 2-stage planetary gearbox. It increases torque and reduces turntable speed.

Gearbox and brakes

The EK-18 gearbox is used to transmit torque from the hydraulic motor to the drive axles; to change gears, turn on/off the front axle and prevent the excavator from spontaneously starting to move (applying the parking brake). The gearbox consists of a hydraulic motor, a 2-speed gear transmission, a gear shift mechanism, and a parking brake. The excavator axles are equipped with pneumatic shoe brakes.

Parking brake EK-18 is a permanently closed type, with pneumoelectric control. Gear shifting can only be done after the excavator has come to a complete stop. The pneumatic system of the special vehicle is involved in the operation of the brakes, in shifting gearboxes, and in turning the front axle on/off.

Bridges

The rear axle of an excavator of this model includes a main gear, a housing, wheel hubs with parts located in them (planetary gear, axle shafts, bearings).

When the EK-18 moves straight on a flat road, the drive wheels on the right and left travel equal distances. When turning, as well as when driving on uneven ground surfaces, the drive wheels of the excavator, which move along the inner radius and experience great resistance, rotate more slowly than the wheels that move along the outer radius and experience less resistance.

The wheel steering control mechanism consists of a system of levers, longitudinal and transverse rods, which ensure the rotation of the special vehicle both when driving independently and when it is towed by a tractor.

EK-18 excavator engine

The vast majority of excavators of this model are equipped with diesel engines from the Minsk Motor Plant. In the EK-18-20 modification, this is the MMZ D-245S, with a power of 105 horsepower (at 2200 rpm) and a maximum torque of 384 N.m (at 1400 rpm). In the EK-18-20 modification – MMZ D-245.2S2, developing 122 horsepower at 2200 rpm and 501 Nm of torque (at 1600 rpm).

MMZ D-245S.

In both versions, it is a four-stroke, four-cylinder diesel engine, with an in-line vertical cylinder arrangement and direct injection of diesel fuel, with turbocharging. The working volume is 4.75 l; cylinder diameter – 110 mm, piston stroke – 125 mm; compression ratio - 17.1.

Imported diesel Perkins 1104C-44TA (modification EK-18-20) - of a similar design. Also inline four-cylinder, equipped with a turbocharging system. Its maximum power is 123 horsepower at 2200 rpm. The working volume of the Perkins engine is 4.4 liters. The cylinder diameter is 105 millimeters, the piston stroke is 127 millimeters. The maximum torque reaches 500 N.m.

The EK-18 excavator can be equipped with a Hydronic-10 (12 V) liquid heater for pre-heating the engine. To warm up the cabin interior in cold weather, the excavator has a Zenit-8000 liquid heater.

Technical characteristics of modifications of the TVEX EK 18 excavator: 18 20, 18 30, 18 60, 18 90

Among a large selection of excavator models, mainly foreign brands, Russian companies also offer their own models, built both from domestic components and in cooperation with foreign manufacturers of important components and assemblies. One of the most used and purchased Russian excavators is TVEX EK-18.

The EK-18 hydraulic excavator is produced by Tverskoy Excavator OJSC, occupying a middle position in the line of wheeled earthmoving equipment from this manufacturer. This is a universal machine for a wide range of applications, unpretentious, not difficult to maintain due to the availability of spare parts, and efficient.

The excavator can move independently around the site where work is being done.

For transportation to a remote work site, it can be towed using a vehicle. The maximum speed is limited and should not exceed 40 km/h.

The photo shows the TVEX EK-18 excavator

Application area

This model is designed to work with soils up to category 4 inclusive.

Scope of application are:

• Cargo handling.
• Laying trenches.
• Development of pits.
• Work in a quarry.
• Destruction of medium-strength buildings.
• Stacking, loading/unloading logs, lumber.
• Leveling the sites.
• Other work in construction, agriculture, land reclamation.

Working equipment

As a standard, the TVEX EK-18 excavator is equipped with a backhoe bucket with a volume of 0.65 to 1 m3, depending on the length of the handle used.

The following can be used as replaceable attachments:

• Hydraulic hammer MG-300.
• Hydraulic shears NG-1624.
• Ripper 225-00-40.17.400.
• Log gripper 313-00-40.12.000. Maximum load capacity – 3000 kg.
• Digging grab GK-221.
• Loading grab (five-jaw).

Replacement attachments for the EK-18 excavator

This successful excavator is offered in several versions, differing mainly in the installed engines and hydraulics. The excavator can be equipped with a domestic or foreign engine, more powerful, economical, and with an extended service interval. To ensure reliable starting at subzero temperatures, a German pre-start liquid heater “Hydronic 10” is installed.

The hydraulic system produced by Pnevmostroymashina can be replaced with Bosch-Rexroth.

The excavator is equipped with a comfortable cabin of its own design with a large glass area, equipped with a heating system or (optionally) air conditioning, an adjustable compact steering column, an adjustable operator's seat, and joystick-style control handles. The cabin has vibration protection.

The excavator is equipped with two outriggers and a blade support. Operating temperature range – from -40? up to +40?.

Main technical characteristics of popular models:

The EK-18-20 modification is built on domestic components and assemblies, and is the simplest in the model range.

The EK-18-90 modification is the result of further improvement of the excavator, which uses axles with limited slip differentials that improve cross-country ability. The compact Italian-made AMA steering column takes up less space in the cab, increasing operator comfort. Cabin rigidity has also been increased. The upgraded engine has increased power and increases the performance of the excavator.

Buyers can order any of the 3 listed sizes of the handle installed on this EK-18. The basic package includes a 2.2 m long handle; a longer one allows you to increase the digging depth and radius, but the volume of the bucket will decrease.

The EK-18 wheeled excavator is a Russian machine for work on domestic construction sites, in quarries, wherever a productive, reliable, maintainable unit is needed that is not afraid of low temperatures, heat, or difficult working conditions.

The video shows the capabilities of the TVEX EK-18 excavator:

Source: https://allspectech.com/stroitelnaya/jekskavatory/kolesnye/tveks-ek-18.html

Working equipment and hydraulic system

As already noted, the design of the EK-18 excavator provides for the possibility of using this special equipment with various types of replaceable working parts. These include backhoe buckets of various volumes, grab equipment (digging and loading), hydraulic hammer MG-300, hydraulic shears IG-821 and IG-811, concrete crusher, log grabber with a lifting capacity of 3 tons, ripper 225-00-40.17.400 .

The main type of replaceable working equipment - a backhoe - is intended for a wide range of earthmoving and loading / unloading operations. Its components are: a boom, a handle, a replaceable working element, a bucket drive mechanism, hydraulic cylinders, a system of pipelines and high-pressure hoses that connect the hydraulic cylinders to the excavator hydraulic system. Replaceable working parts of the backhoe - digging buckets of different volumes (from 0.65 to 1 cubic meter) and practical purposes.

The hydraulic system of the excavator is designed to drive its power mechanisms: for movement, rotation of the platform, operation of working equipment, outriggers and blade (1st circuit), hydraulic control (2nd circuit) and steering (3rd circuit).

The pump unit is a 3-flow hydraulic drive unit that converts the rotational energy of the drive shaft into the energy of the flow of working fluid. It is equipped with a gearbox; two adjustable pumps and one unregulated.

An adjustable axial piston type hydraulic motor can be used as a travel hydraulic motor. A hydraulic motor with a connecting rod pumping unit for the cylinder block with a flow regulator makes it possible to obtain proportional dependences of volume on pressure.

The gear hydraulic pump is driven by the diesel engine on which it is mounted. Direction of rotation of the pump input shaft: left – with MMZ D-245 engine.

The excavator is equipped with a ten-spool hydraulic valve. It consists of a common plate on which 10 sections are located. Of these: two central sections are pressure and drain sections and eight sections are working sections.

The hydraulic cylinders with which the EK-18 excavator is equipped differ in their design, in nominal and maximum permissible operating pressure, in the diameters of the rod and piston and in the piston stroke. But all hydraulic cylinders consist of the following parts: welded body, rod, front cover, seals. The supply of working fluid occurs through pipelines that are connected to the cylinder body with flanged or threaded connections. The piston divides the internal space of the cylinder into two cavities that do not communicate with each other: the piston and the rod.

All modifications of the EK-18 excavator are equipped with hydraulic power steering.

Attachments

In addition to a large selection of digging buckets for EK-18 excavators, several types of additional attachments are provided.

So, the car can be equipped with:

• hydraulic shears
• hydraulic hammer
• log grabber
• ripper
• digging with a grab
• loading grab.

All this allows the machine to be used not only on urban construction sites. It is actively used in agriculture and forestry, especially after it became possible to install a log grabber, as well as in rural, reclamation and transport construction.

Electrical equipment

Electrical equipment EK-18 is responsible for starting the engine, illuminating the work area if necessary, ventilating the cabin, turning on the light alarm when the special vehicle is moving, and for pre-heating the diesel engine. In addition to the starter, consumers of electricity on this equipment are control and measuring equipment, lighting and signaling equipment, electric fan motors, and a motor heater. All current sources and consumers are connected according to a single-wire circuit, in which the metal structure (“ground”) of the special vehicle serves as the negative wire.

Price new and used

The new EK-18 excavator will cost 4-4.5 million rubles. Used options are much more affordable. So, for a 2008-2009 model in good condition you will have to pay 1-1.8 million rubles. Cars before 2000 are offered for 400-500 thousand rubles. Renting an excavator costs about 8,000-10,000 rubles per shift.

Analogs

Analogues of EK-18 are models EO-33211 and EO-4321.

Modifications

EK-18 excavators are produced with indexes -20, -30, -40, -44, -60 and -90 (M). The differences between them are buckets of different volumes, different load capacity indicators; in various hydraulics and diesel engines.

• EK-18-20 – with a 1 m3 bucket.
• EK-18-30 – with Bosch-Rexroth hydraulics.
• EK-18-40 – with a grab grip, for loading and stacking logs, pipes, metal; hydraulic lifting cabin and scrap equipment;
• EK-18-60 – with a Perkins engine and Bosch-Rexroth hydraulics.
• EK-18-90 – with a more powerful modification of the MMZ D-245 engine.

Replacement equipment

Extensive possibilities for using the EK-18 excavator are provided by a variety of compatible working equipment. So, instead of a standard bucket, the following can be installed:

• hydraulic hammer (for demolishing buildings and structures made of brick, concrete, reinforced concrete structures, road surfaces, unreinforced concrete, loosening frozen soils, compacting loose soils, and other similar types of work);
• hydraulic shears for demolishing concrete structures, equipped with a rotator and having an unlimited rotation angle;
• ripper for leveling and other earthworks;
• log grabber with a lifting capacity of 3 tons (for loading and unloading operations, stacking of any lumber, including logs). To increase the angle of rotation, the log grabber is equipped with a full-rotation rotator;
• digging devices of various capacities;
• digging grab for various excavation works.

Technical specifications in numbers

• Total length – 9.4 m; width – 2.5 m; height – 3.25 m.
• Operating weight – 17.3 tons.
• Bucket capacity – 0.4; 0.65; 0.77; 1 m3.
• The maximum digging depth is from 5.77 m to 7 m, depending on the modification.
• The maximum digging radius is 8.85 m.
• The maximum unloading height is from 6.24 m to 6.72 m.
• Pumping unit power – 51.5 kW (70 hp)
• Pressure in the hydraulic system – 28 MPa (280 kgf/cm2)
• Pressure in the pneumatic system – 0.6…0.7 MPa (6…7 kgf/cm2)
• Total pump flow – 248 (112+112+24) l/min
• Excavator hydraulic system capacity – 335 l Turntable rotation speed – 6 rpm
• Travel speed – 20 km/h
• The voltage in the electrical system is 12 V.

Engine

The high characteristics of TVEX 18 are due to the installation of a powerful D-245 engine with a volume of 4.75 liters. It is a four-stroke, four-cylinder powerplant producing 77 kW or 107 horsepower. It is equipped with a water cooling system and a direct fuel mixture supply system. The rotation speed is 2200 revolutions per minute of operation. Diesel fuel is used, the unit is started using an electric starter. Engine auxiliary components are manufactured in Germany. Modifications can be equipped with a Perkins engine, model 1104C-44TA, with a power of 123 horsepower.

The cylinders of the domestic engine with a diameter of 110 mm are arranged in a row, vertically. The main components of the engine are connecting rods, pistons, cylinder block, cylinder head, flywheel, crankshaft. All of them are serviceable. To improve the performance of the power plant, turbocharging is used, which ensures an increase in torque to a maximum value (386 Nm) and throttle response. The boost force is adjusted by the operator.

To start the engine in cold weather, a pre-start heater made in Germany “Hydronic 10” is provided.

EK-18 fuel consumption is 236 g/kW per hour of operation

, the diesel fuel tank holds 255 liters.

The single-bucket excavator EK-18 is a multi-purpose earthmoving machine designed for developing pits, trenches, quarries in soils of categories I-IV, loading and unloading bulk materials, loosened rocks and frozen soils (with pieces no more than 200 mm in size), as well as other work in the conditions of industrial, urban, rural, transport and reclamation construction.

Replaceable types of working equipment:

1. Replaceable handles L=2200, 2800, 3400 mm and with buckets, respectively V= 0.77 m 3,0.65 m 3; 2. Hydraulic hammer MG-300, designed for destruction of concrete and reinforced concrete road surfaces, brick structures, unreinforced concrete and other similar works, including loosening frozen soil and compacting loose soil; 3. Hydraulic shears NG-1624; 4. Ripper 225-00-40.17.400; 5. Log grabber 313-00-40.12.000 with a lifting capacity of 3 tons for loading and unloading operations and stacking logs and other lumber. The log grabber can be equipped with a full-rotation rotator; 6. Digging grab and grab for bulk materials.

There is an option with two pairs of outriggers.

Various modifications of the EK-18 excavator:

Excavator EK-18-20

Provides high productivity due to a 1 cubic meter bucket. The reinforced metal structure of the working equipment ensures high reliability and durability. For the EK-18-20 excavator there is a large set of replaceable working equipment. The EK-18-20 excavator is considered the most powerful multifunctional machine.

Excavator EK-18-30

has the same characteristics as the EK-18-20 excavator, but is equipped with imported hydraulics.

Excavator EK-18-40

— pneumatic wheeled hydraulic excavator for loading and unloading operations with a grab grip. A special machine for loading scrap metal and timber is an EK-18-40 excavator with scrap equipment and a hydraulic lifting cabin.

Excavator-reloader EK-18-44

— special pneumatic wheel with scrap equipment, five-jaw grab GP-554 with a volume of 0.65 cubic meters. meters, a full-rotating rotator and a hydraulic lifting cabin for loading scrap metal and timber, for loading/unloading gondola cars.

Excavator EK-18-60

equipped with a Bosch-Rexroth hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor, and a Perkins engine.

Single-bucket full-rotary pneumatic wheeled excavator EK-18:

1 - power plant; 2 - rotating platform; 3 — operator’s cabin; 4 — monoblock boom; 5, 7, 10 — hydraulic cylinders of the handle, bucket and boom; 6 — handle; 8 - ladle; 9 — blade support; 11 – pneumatic wheel running device; 12 — outrigger

In the Tver plant line, the EK-18 model is the flagship with the highest load capacity. The main features of the equipment (reliability and durability) are due to the reinforced structure of the metal structure.

A cubic meter bucket and two boom-lifting cylinders allow the EK-18 to cope with the movement of heavy loads.

This technique is a pneumatic-wheeled hydraulic excavator used for the destruction and dismantling of reinforced concrete, brick and concrete structures of medium strength. The model is also used for the destruction of metal structures, cutting scrap metal, cutting reinforcement and loading and unloading non-friable and loose soils. The technique has also found application in performing various tasks of dismantling objects made of concrete and other structures made of similar materials.

EK-18 is designed to work with mounted grabs with different levels of functionality. The most popular are mobile modifications with a wheeled chassis, but there are also heavy tracked versions.

The EK-18 is a truly multi-purpose earthmoving machine. Using it, you can dig quarries, trenches and pits in soils belonging to categories I-IV, as well as load frozen soils and loosened rocks with a piece size of less than 200 mm.

Excavator cabin and hood

The EK-18 excavator is equipped with an all-metal noise and heat-proof cabin. The upper windshield with frame can be removed under the cab roof and fixed in this position. The door is equipped with a lock. There is a lock on the left outer wall of the cab to hold the door in the open position. There is a special vibration-isolating mat on the floor. The cabin has a sprung seat whose backrest can be adjusted. The position of the chair itself is adjustable in depth and height. The excavator hood is made of removable blocks that have hinged doors and panels for easy access to units and mechanisms on the turntable for maintenance and repairs.

Description and features

This manufacturer has produced a large number of different models, but the flagship is the EK-18. Its main features are the high reliability of all elements and durability, which is due to additional reinforcement of the entire structure. It is worth noting that in terms of strength, this excavator has significantly surpassed its predecessors.

As in the previous ones, two hydraulic boom lift cylinders were used in this machine, which, together with a cubic meter digging bucket, provides a fairly high lifting capacity and productivity of the equipment. If necessary, the standard bucket can be replaced with other attachments, which can significantly expand the scope of application. Thus, the following additional units are available for the EK-18 excavator:

1. A mounted ripper with the index 225-00-40.17.400, which allows the excavator to perform such types of work as loosening solid soil masses and rocks and removing various elements from the soil.
2. Hydraulic breaker with index MG-300, which is used when performing dismantling work of concrete, brick and wooden structures. In addition, this equipment is also often used to perform work such as loosening hard soil and rocks, as well as compacting loose soils.
3. Hydraulic shears with index IG-821, intended exclusively for dismantling work. The equipment is equipped with a special rotator that allows you to change the angle of rotation by 360 degrees, which improves the accuracy of work.
4. Hydraulic shears with the index IG-811, which, like the previous equipment, are designed to perform dismantling work. Equipped with a special rotator.
5. Hydraulic log grabber with index MG-300, used for unloading, loading and stacking logs. Such equipment has a load capacity of 3000 kilograms. Optionally, a special rotator can be installed that makes a full rotation.
6. Grab buckets with index GK-221, which are used for operations related to loading and unloading of any cargo. In addition, this unit is also used to clean the area from industrial waste.

The EK-18 wheeled excavator has a fairly large number of features and advantages that set the equipment apart in its class. The machine has the following:

1. Increased stability.
2. Powerful power plant.
3. A comfortable cabin with an increased level of safety.
4. Huge operational resource and long service life.
5. High performance.
6. Ease and simplicity, both in terms of maintenance and operation.
7. Multifunctionality.
8. Thoughtful and convenient arrangement of all instruments and indicators on the control panel.

The excavator cabin deserves special attention. This element has excellent visibility of the work area, which is explained by the large glass area, increased comfort and high level of safety. It is worth noting that everything in the cabin has been thought out as much as possible, making the equipment even easier to operate compared to previous models. Only the control levers for the working bodies, which are made in the form of joysticks, remain the same.

There is a heating system inside, and the manufacturer offers air conditioning as an additional option. The steering rack is quite compact and adjustable, which, when paired with an adjustable seat, allows you to optimally configure the workplace for an operator of any size. In order to increase the level of comfort, high-quality materials were used to help absorb extraneous noise and vibrations that occur when performing any work.

Excellent visibility in the cabin is ensured not only by the glazing, but also by the location itself. The cabin was slightly offset, which significantly expanded the range of vision. According to this indicator, Tver equipment can easily compete with advanced foreign analogues. At the same time, in terms of quality and price, it surpasses many of them.

This equipment has proven itself in agriculture, utilities, industrial sectors and construction due to its reliability and reliability. All components and assemblies of this excavator remain fully operational even in the most severe conditions. The machine is able to operate properly at temperatures from minus 40 degrees to plus 40 degrees. Thanks to this indicator, this model can be used not only in Russia, but also in many other countries.

The EK-18 wheeled excavator uses a four-cylinder diesel power plant with the index D-245. This engine is equipped with a liquid cooling system and direct fuel injection. Starting the unit is quite simple using an electric starter. Especially for winter operation, the manufacturer has supplemented the installation with a pre-start liquid heater of the “Hydronic 10” model, which significantly facilitates the starting process at sub-zero ambient temperatures. It is worth noting that some additional engine components are manufactured in Germany. This engine is installed on almost all versions, with the exception of a few modified ones.

According to the standard for such equipment, all cylinders in the engine are arranged vertically in a row. The main assemblies of the power plant are the crankshaft, cylinder block, flywheel, pistons, connecting rods, and the cylinder head. A key feature of the unit is the presence of a turbocharging system, the pressure of which can be separately adjusted. This allows you to significantly increase the rated power and maximum torque, which only has a positive effect on the performance of the excavator.

The turntable is equipped with a turntable brake. The rotation of the superstructure is carried out by means of hydraulic system drives, pumps and a planetary gearbox. In the basic configuration, the excavator is equipped with a domestic hydraulic system PSM (), but an imported Bosch-Rexroth system is offered as an option, which is installed initially in some modifications.

Due to the fact that the equipment is produced by a domestic manufacturer, the cost of a new machine is quite affordable. Also, thanks to this, there will be no particular difficulties in finding the necessary spare parts, which, by the way, also have a very affordable price.

All the numerous advantages and features of the model allowed the EK-18 to become a fairly strong competitor to foreign cars in its class.

Reviews of EK-18 excavators

In general, owners speak positively about the experience of using equipment of this model. This is a reliable, durable, unpretentious and productive machine. Works accurately and smoothly. There are no serious complaints about its operation. From the comments: the pump is not efficient enough, as a result of which the excavator is rather slow in operation (but this is only for experienced aces; for novice operators such smoothness is more of a plus than a minus). The hydraulics get hot and overheat quite quickly (a larger radiator would be nice). Some operators criticize the EK-18's cabin as not being comfortable enough for today's technology.

Device

One of the main features of the EK-18 is the unique design of the cabin, which has been redesigned to the maximum for convenient and safe operation of the equipment. The Tver Excavator engineers have significantly transformed this element in terms of control. Otherwise (individual controls, levers) there have been no fundamental changes.

The cockpit layout of the EK-18 has also been revised. It now provides the operator with maximum visibility. According to this indicator, Tver equipment can easily compete with advanced foreign analogues. At the same time, in terms of quality and price, it surpasses many of them.