Yellowhouse Machinery brought contractors together in the Tulsa, Okla., area on Sept. 10, 2026, for a hands-on demonstration of John Deere's latest P-Tier excavators, giving attendees an opportunity to operate the machines and explore new technology in working conditions.
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The event featured the John Deere 210, 230 and 260 P-Tier excavators — three models that are now being delivered to Yellowhouse Machinery locations.
Jay Muniz, excavator specialist of Yellowhouse Machinery, walked attendees through the machines and demonstrated features including 2D and 3D grade control, virtual fencing, damage avoidance and SmartWeigh.
One of the most noticeable changes is inside the redesigned cab, which provides additional space and features the new 12.8-in. G5+ touchscreen. Operators also can independently adjust the joystick armrests and select different performance settings based on the application.
Much of the demonstration focused on technology designed to simplify grading and give operators greater control from inside the cab.
Yellowhouse demonstrated the excavators' 2D grade control by establishing a reference point with the bucket and programming a desired elevation into the machine. Once the reference was established, the excavator automatically coordinated movement of the boom, arm and bucket to maintain the selected grade as the operator pulled the joystick.
“You could have a brand-new operator sit in one of these machines, and they can set up a 2D slope,” Muniz said.
An operator digging a trench, for example, can establish the existing ground elevation and enter the desired depth and slope. The system then assists the operator in maintaining that grade throughout the excavation.
For contractors working from a complete site model, 3D grade control allows a digital model of the project to be loaded into the excavator. Operators can then view planned elevations and job site information from the monitor.
“As you're moving around the job site, you know exactly what elevation that you're on and what that site is supposed to look like,” Muniz said.
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Yellowhouse also demonstrated virtual fencing, which allows operators to establish limits for the excavator's ceiling, reach, floor and swing.
Muniz used working around power lines as an example. An operator can position the boom at the maximum desired height and establish that point as the virtual ceiling. The machine will then slow and stop the boom as it approaches the established limit.
Similar boundaries can be used when working beside a roadway or structure or when an operator needs to avoid digging below a predetermined depth.
Damage avoidance provides additional protection by allowing limits to be established based on the attachment being used. The system can help prevent a bucket, hammer or other attachment from contacting the cab or boom.
SmartWeigh also was demonstrated during the event, allowing operators to calculate the weight of material in the bucket and track material being loaded into trucks.
Operators can select different materials and trucks within the system. As the excavator moves through the loading cycle, it calculates the bucket weight and adds it to the selected truck's running total.
For contractors involved in aggregate, excavation and site work, the system provides a way to monitor quantities and material movement from the excavator.
The hands-on format allowed contractors to operate the machines and ask questions based on situations they encounter in the field.
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During one demonstration, a contractor involved in mass excavation and underground utility work asked how the 2D system maintains grade after an excavator is repositioned on uneven ground. Yellowhouse representatives demonstrated how the operator can establish a new reference after moving the machine and how a rotating laser can be used to automatically establish another reference.
The machines can be configured with different levels of technology depending on the contractor's needs, with additional capabilities including 3D grade control and expanded camera visibility.
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“Everybody's different,” Muniz said. “Everybody's going to have a different application that they're using it for.”
The demo day gave contractors an opportunity to move beyond specifications and experience the technology from the operator's seat, while discussing how the features could be applied to their own jobs.
