John Deere Rolls out New-Gen P-Tier Midsize Excavators, to Showcase at ConExpo ’26

John Deere is expanding its excavator push with what it calls the New Generation P-Tier midsize lineup, launching first in the 20-metric-ton class with the 210, 230 and 260 P-Tier models. The company says the machines were redesigned and validated through extensive customer and operator involvement, with more than 165,000 operating hours logged during testing.

The announcement lands ahead of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 (March 3–7, 2026, Las Vegas), where Deere has already signaled it will showcase its “new generation of excavation” under its “All In” excavator campaign.

Why this launch matters

For Deere, “all-Deere” excavators are not just a product refresh. It is also part of a longer transition away from the historic Deere-Hitachi excavator joint venture in the Americas, which ended on February 28, 2022.  Since then, Deere has been steadily building out its own excavator foundation and portfolio, a strategy it has discussed publicly for several years.

Hydraulics, modes, and operator-tunable response

Deere’s core pitch for the new midsize P-Tier machines is more refined hydraulics and stronger “real work” capability. The company points to increased dig force and lift capacity, plus hydraulic tuning aimed at faster, smoother cycle times across trenching, grading, craning and truck loading.

Operators get selectable performance modes (Dig, Lift, Eco) to balance power and fuel use, and Deere says response can be tailored with speed and control modes to match operator preference or application demands.

To put at least one hard spec on the page: Deere lists the 210 P-Tier at 119 kW (159 hp) net power and 23,560 kg operating weight, with a maximum digging depth of 6.67 m.

Cab redesign: room, controls, and  display

The new 210/230/260 P-Tier machines are positioned as a cab-forward update as much as a performance update.

Deere says the cab offers more than 27 inches of legroom, added storage, ten points of seat adjustability, and tool-free armrest and joystick adjustments. A 12.8-inch “G5 Plus” touchscreen display is cited as the primary interface for machine monitoring, attachment management, and camera viewing in full or split screen.

Deere also describes an updated control layout that groups the sealed switch module with other key controls, with configuration options tied to its CommandARM setup.

Connectivity: Remote Display Access and Remote Display Control

Remote support is one of the more tangible ownership features Deere is leaning on.

Remote Display Access (RDA): Deere says this enables remote viewing for faster troubleshooting and support, and the press material states it is available “without a subscription.” 
Remote Display Control (RDC): Deere says this allows a customer, dealer (if approved), or third party to remotely navigate the in-cab monitor and adjust settings as if seated in the machine, aimed at streamlining troubleshooting, training and setup.

On the mechanics of how Deere generally provisions Remote Display Access/Control, Deere’s own RDA documentation describes required display families and connectivity hardware (for example, G5/Gen4 displays with a JDLink modem and ethernet connection).

Safety and jobsite-awareness features: cameras, “virtual fences,” and optional detection

Deere is bundling multiple visibility and avoidance tools into the message for the new machines.

The launch material highlights “machine damage avoidance” and “virtual fences” that define jobsite limits above, below, and around the excavator. Optional advanced vision and object detection are positioned as add-ons for better awareness, alongside integrated camera options with surround-view style displays.

Tech for grade and underground work: EZ Control, attachment profiles, SmartWeigh, and laser catch

On the technology side, Deere’s announcement stacks several familiar themes in the current excavator market: grade support, attachment automation, and payload measurement.

Key items called out:

EZ Control: positioned as a feature to simplify coordinated boom, arm and bucket control for underground work, and to make lifting and craning smoother for operators.
Attachment Manager: now claimed to be available on 20-metric-ton models, with storage and tracking for up to 20 attachments, plus calibration and per-attachment settings to support features like grade control and avoidance tools.
SmartWeigh: described as dynamic weighing with simplified calibration using onboard sensors and software rather than relying on a known reference weight.
2D Grade Control with upgrade path: Deere says all P-Tier midsize excavators offer 2D Grade Control, upgradeable to 3D SmartGrade with either Topcon or Leica.
Auto laser catch: described as part of Deere’s 2D Grade Control workflow, intended to help maintain vertical reference when the machine’s laser catcher intersects the plane of a rotating laser, reducing stop-and-confirm steps.

Dealer support and parts ordering: Operations Center + online Shop

Deere is also connecting the machine story to its broader digital service ecosystem. The company points to its dealer network and to an easier parts workflow tied to John Deere Operations Center, including integration with Shop.Deere.com for parts purchasing.

That integration has been covered separately in industry media, framed as a way to move from machine health and maintenance planning into ordering the right parts through a connected account experience.

John Deere Rolls out New-Gen P-Tier Midsize Excavators, to Showcase at ConExpo ’26 published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.