Excavators are essential heavy construction equipment for digging and material handling in many applications. Different excavator types have unique purposes and strengths. This article explains the main excavator types and their typical uses.
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Excavator Types
Crawler Excavators
Also termed general-purpose excavators, they have a bucket, boom and arm at the front. This type comes in various sizes. It is an all-rounder for digging sites, demolishing structures, trenching and heavy lifting.
Wheeled Excavators
Image from Volvo
Wheeled excavators are also general-purpose. The key difference is wheeled types run on tires rather than tracks. A benefit is wheeled excavators can drive between sites even on roads, unlike tracked ones needing trailer transport. This saves time and cost.
Short Swing radius Excavators
Image from Cat
Radius Excavators Another general-purpose variant, with identical performance but a short swing radius upper, offering advantages in confined urban areas. Both crawler and wheeled versions available.
Long Reach Excavators
Image from Salix
The last general-purpose type in this series. Long reach models have extended boom and arm for greater working radius, enabling difficult reach jobs like underwater digging and deep trenching.
Backhoe Loaders
Image from Cat
Backhoe loaders are another common construction machine, also used in landscaping and mining. A bucket or blade attaches in front, and boom, arm and bucket at the back. The front attachment levels or pushes material like soil. The rear boom/arm has similar purposes to general-purpose excavators, but with 205 degree rotation.
Excavator Attachment Tools
Image from Cat
Before identifying excavator sizes, we should understand the different attachment tools.
Attachments are used with excavators to maximize productivity for the required task.
Bucket
The most common excavator tool. Bucket types have different purposes - slender ones typically for digging, wide or smooth buckets for scooping and carrying.
Thumb
This attachment enhances bucket capacity, strengthening grip when handling larger objects.
Augers
Commonly used in construction and landscaping, augers have hydraulic spiral drills enabling quick and convenient hole digging.
Breaker
Hydraulic breaker attachments, also called hammers, are used for breaking and demolishing structures, pavement and other hard surfaces, speeding up removal.
Related post: What is Hydraulic Breaker?
Shears
Ideal for demolishing buildings, steel structures and scrap/recycling tasks like cutting metal beams, sheets and wires.
Quick Coupler
Hydraulic quick couplers improve efficiency by allowing excavators to switch attachments without manual assistance.
Ripper
Similar to breakers, rippers accelerate structure demolition by tearing through robust materials. They work in all conditions, even frozen ground.
Tilt Rotator
Traditionally used in Nordic regions, tilt rotators are now gaining global popularity. They enable 360 degree rotation and 45 degree tilt for greater flexibility to handle diverse jobs.
Excavator Size Classifications
Compact Excavators - Mini and Midi Sizes
Also called mini excavators, compact types are typically used in tight spaces, ideal for landscaping projects like tree planting thanks to minimal tail swing and easy maneuverability around structures. Compact models excel at precision digging.
Mini Excavators:
Weighing under 5 metric tons, mini types are highly transportable and can operate on soft ground without excessive damage. They suit small projects needing modest lifting/hauling capacities but greater precision.
Midi Excavators:
Weighing between 5-10 metric tons, midi models pack more power and capacity than mini types.
Medium General Purpose Excavators
The most common size class. Medium general purpose excavators handle a wide range of tasks and attachment tools. Weighing 5-25 tons, their substantial power can lift/haul large materials but may damage soft ground. Some medium sized models can struggle in confined areas.
Large General Purpose Excavators
Heavy duty large excavators have tremendous power and capacity for major construction and demolition projects. But weighing over 25 tons, transportation and storage can be challenging. Their size makes them less suited for confined spaces.