XFIX EX30 vs Topcon 3D-MC: one is a machine control platform that can run the hydraulics and ties into MAGNET from the office to the bucket, sold by dealer quote; the other is 3D excavator guidance with a published hardware price of $14,499 CAD, fitted to any excavator by us. If you want automatics, or your office already lives in MAGNET, Topcon’s system is the right call and we say so. If you want one operator digging to a 3D design on the machine you already own, with the base in the box and nothing to subscribe to, the EX30 is what we sell and what we run on our own jobs.
Side by side
| Topcon 3D-MC (X-53x family) | XFIX EX30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price in Canada | Dealer quote only. No published price. | $14,499 CAD hardware: EX30 instrument, BS05 bucket unit, EX30B base, AT85 tablet. Installation quoted for your machine before you pay. |
| What it does | 3D indicate and automatic grade control, aftermarket and OEM | 3D guidance: the screen shows the bucket tip against the design; the operator works the levers |
| Fits | Supported machines, per dealer | Any excavator brand, aftermarket, magnetic mounts, no drilling for the bucket unit |
| Bucket tip accuracy, published | See Topcon’s current documentation | Under 3 cm; instrument RTK ±(8 mm + 1 ppm); bucket unit ±0.2° inclination, ±1° heading |
| Corrections | Per configuration | EX30B base included, radio to about 5 km; or a network over the tablet’s 4G/5G |
| Design files | .tp3 project and .tn3 surface files from MAGNET or Pocket 3D | Built and loaded by us from your DWG, Civil 3D or PDF plans; see what we work with |
| In-cab display | Topcon GX-55 or GX-60, per dealer | AT85: 10.1-inch, 750 cd/m², IP65, −30 °C to +70 °C, Android 11 |
| Office link | MAGNET family | None; files load by USB or by us |
| Software subscription | Per dealer | None |
| Installation | Dealer | Fitted and calibrated on your machine by us, in Ontario, operator trained before we leave |
| Rental | Per dealer | By the week, priced to your job, fitting and removal in the quote |
| Warranty | Per dealer | 12 months hardware, 90 days on our installation work |
Indicate against automatic
Topcon’s own word for what the EX30 does is “indicate”: the operator sees cut and fill and digs to it. 3D-MC adds automatics, where the system holds the bucket to grade. Automatics earn their money on long, simple grade with a less experienced operator; on changing grades and real sites, an operator reading a clear screen is already at design. Read 2D vs 3D machine control for where each kind of system pays.
What you give up leaving 3D-MC
- Automatics. 3D-MC can drive hydraulics on supported machines. The EX30 guides the operator; it does not take the controls.
- MAGNET. One software family from the office to the cab. The EX30 has no office link; we are the office link.
- Dealer coverage. Brandt and the other Topcon channels have branches across Ontario. We are one company in North York that travels.
What you do not give up
- 3D in the cab, on any excavator brand, with a base included and no subscription.
- Your drawings, built into surfaces and linework and tested before install. See machine control data prep.
- A price you can see, with the install quoted before you pay.
- Someone to call. Three months of online training and emergency calls answered 24 hours a day. See hands-on support.
Switching from 3D-MC
MAGNET Office exports LandXML surfaces and DXF linework, and those are what we build EX30 designs from. Site calibration is redone from your control points. The operator learns the XFIX screen in an afternoon. If you keep a Topcon base, tell us the model and we will confirm the correction path before you buy.
See the XFIX EX30 page for the kit, the install and the rental, the Topcon alternative page for the HiPer side, or tell us the machine and the job and we will say honestly whether 3D-MC is the better buy for you.
Sources, checked November 6, 2026: Topcon Pocket 3D, surface to TN3; XFIX EX30, EX30B, BS05 and AT85 product information. Stratus Positioning & Automation is not an authorized Topcon dealer. Topcon, MAGNET and 3D-MC are trademarks of Topcon Corporation, used here to compare equipment and describe compatibility.