Excavator machine control puts the design in the cab. Sensors on the boom, stick and bucket, a GNSS antenna or two, and a screen that shows the operator exactly how far the bucket tip is above or below the design surface, at the point it is sitting, without a grade checker in the trench. This page is the short version of what it is, what it costs in Canada, and what to read next. We sell one system, the XFIX EX30, and we publish its price; nobody else on this page does.
2D or 3D
A 2D system knows depth and slope relative to a reference you set, usually a laser; it is enough for flat pads, trenches to a grade, and one-person operation on simple work. A 3D system knows where the machine is on the site and carries the whole design surface, so it handles subdivisions, ponds, roads and anything with a changing grade. The EX30 is a 3D system. For a small machine on simple work, read GPS for mini excavators first.
The system we sell
| System | XFIX EX30, 3D excavator guidance, aftermarket, fits any excavator brand |
| Hardware price in Canada | $14,499 CAD: base, bucket sensor, boom GNSS, AT85 in-cab tablet with the XFIX app, no subscription |
| Installation | Quoted for your machine before you pay, fitted and calibrated by us in Ontario, operator trained before we leave |
| Rental | By the week, priced to your job, fitting and removal in the quote |
| Design files | Built from your drawings and loaded by us; see machine control data prep |
| Warranty | 12 months hardware, 90 days on our installation work |
What it costs elsewhere
Trimble Earthworks, Topcon 3D-MC and Leica iCON are all sold by dealer quote in Canada, with no published price. The comparison pages put each beside the EX30 with the makers’ published figures and an honest account of what the big brands offer that a value system does not: automatics that drive the hydraulics, cloud sync, factory integration, a nationwide dealer. The EX30 guides the operator; it does not take the controls.
What you need besides the hardware
- A design surface. The engineer’s drawings become a 3D model the system can measure against. We build it from DWG, Civil 3D or PDF plans. See what we work with.
- Control and a site calibration so the model sits on the ground where it was drawn.
- Corrections. The EX30 kit includes its own base. On a site with network coverage, a subscription can replace it; see RTK corrections cost in Ontario.
- An operator who trusts the screen. Three months of online training are included, and the setup packages add time on your site.
Read next
- GPS for mini excavators: what works on a small machine and what it costs.
- 2D vs 3D machine control and what machine control is, in plain terms.
- Machine control cost in Canada: hardware, installation, files, corrections and rental.
- Model by model: the EX30 beside Trimble Earthworks, Topcon 3D-MC and the Leica iCON iXE3.
- Projects: the EX30 on real excavators in Ontario.
- Hands-on support: what happens when the screen goes blank on a Friday.
Tell us the machine and the job and we will tell you what it needs and what it costs, without a sales call first.