Link-Belt Unveils Smallest X4S Excavator with Improved Engine, Hydraulics

Link-Belt expanded its X4S excavator lineup at this year’s Utility Expo with its smallest model, the new 145 X4S, offering more tech options, increased power efficiency and an improved hydraulic system.

Link-Belt Excavators Associate Product Manager Wyatt Skaggs says the 145 X4S fits particularly well for contractors who need to move a lot of material in tight spaces. The 145 X4S’s minimal swing rotations make it ideal for working in alleys or on small highway jobsites, says Skaggs.

The X4S’s Isuzu turbocharged diesel engine delivers 102 horsepower at 2,000 rpm and maximum torque of 257 pound-feet at 1,800 rpm. Operators can reach a max travel speed of 3.5 mph and traverse grades up to 70%.

Launched at Conexpo 2023, the original Link-Belt X4S lineup started with the 120-horsepower 170 X4S. Link-Belt excavators are manufactured overseas by its parent company, Japan-based Sumitomo Construction Machinery Company.

Hydraulic Upgrades

Equipment WorldA key new feature can be found in the 145 X4S’s hydraulic system, where Link-Belt has paired an electronically controlled pump with its spool stroke control system, resulting in better efficiency and control.

The pilot pump offers a max flow of 5.3 gallons per minute using a 20-gallon hydraulic tank. Operators will get 4,970 psi (5,260 psi with Power Boost) on the boom arm, 4,050 psi on the swing circuit and 4,970 psi on the travel circuit. Tail swing is 5 feet at a speed of 12.5 rpm, and swing torque is 27,400 pound-feet.

New Tech Options, Cab Comfort

Three new tech options can be added to the 145 X4S:

• Digital Level: a real-time display of the machine’s attachment height, roll, and pitch
• Height and Depth Alarm: operator-customized audible warnings and on-screen notifications
• Payload Management: see bucket volume in real-time, track loading history, and store up to six individual truck capacities and 10 bucket dimensions

Equipment World

For using these new options, operators will find a high-definition, anti-glare, 10-inch LCD monitor, which can be customized to display different data including custom hydraulic work tool names. 

Comfort has been improved with a high-back, tilting and heated seat. Standard tech includes the 145 X4S’s wide angle visual enhancement system, featuring a 230-degree view around the machine.

More Engine Efficiency, Better Fuel Economy

Operators can choose from four power modes – SP, Power, Eco and Lift – to refine the 145 X4S’s performance to the task. A new 500-hour fuel-filter service interval allows for longer time between changes, and the 145 X4S does not require a diesel particulate filter.

The 145 X4S’s DEF tank has a consumption rate of only 2%-3% compared to diesel fuel, and the engine delivers 6% better fuel economy than its predecessor, the X4, the company says. The service points are all accessible from ground level.

For moving dirt, operators will be working with 13,900 pound-feet of digging force on the standard 8-foot 2-inch boom arm (14,800 pound-feet with Auto Power Boost) and 12,600 pound-feet on the 9-foot 11-inch arm (13,500 pound-feet with Auto Power Boost). The 145 X4S comes standard with HD buckets and booms.

Its 20,200 pound-feet of bucket digging force reaches 21,400 pound-feet with Auto Power Boost.

Maximum horizontal reach is 27 feet 2 inches with the standard arm (28 feet 8 inches with the expanded arm). Maximum dig height is 30 feet 8 inches (31 feet 10 inches), and maximum digging depth is 17 feet, 4 inches (19 feet 2 inches).

The X4S can reach a max operating weight of 33,900 pounds with a 7,500-pound standard counterweight and 8-foot 6-inch dozer blade. It comes in in at 8 feet 6 inches wide; 9 feet 4 inches tall at the cab, and 30 feet 8 inches tall at the bucket at maximum dig height. When traveling, the X4S measures 24 feet 1 inch from the rear shoe to the tip of the boom arm joint.