Did you know that the excavator market has a value of over $44 billion? Experts also predict that it will grow and reach over $63 billion by 2025.
The main factor increasing the demand for these machines is the rising development of roads and urban infrastructure. It’s also due to the number of companies venturing into the mining industry.
When planning to buy or hire these machines, you may wonder about the most suitable one for your needs. Learning about different types of excavators will help you understand their functions. It also makes it easier to select the best machine to prevent wasting resources.
Here, we discuss some of the excavator types you’ll find in the market today. We’ll also cover their key features and aspects that make them ideal for particular uses.
Crawler Excavators
Crawler excavators are the most common type, mainly recognized for their use in the mining industry and landscape grading. These machines rederive their name from the two rotating tracks used for movement instead of wheels.
Crawler excavators consist of a chassis, central swivel joints, and rotor support. They also have a panel and a cab where the driver sits when operating the machine.
The most common use of crawler excavators is digging holes, trenches, and foundations in construction projects. Still, some models come with attachments to adapt the equipment for other purposes. Such include cutting, crushing, lifting, and ripping.
Skid Steer Excavators
Skid steer excavators are small engine-powered machines that consist of a multi-purpose lift arm. Here, you can attach different tools like:
- Brooms
- Drill bit augers
- Grapple buckets
- Landscape tillers
Skid steer excavators have four wheels with locked synchronization. This implies that you can drive the left or right-side wheels independently depending on an area’s terrain and turn the machine 360 degrees without traveling back and forth.
The primary use of these excavators is digging large size areas from the inner part of the site. They are also helpful in removing debris and clearing pool construction sites.
Skid steer excavators are the best option if you have a project that requires shallow digging in a narrow area. However, avoid using them in uneven, snowy, or sandy terrain since the wheels are less stable than tracks.
Long Reach Excavators
If your project is in an area whose terrain is risky for an operator, you may wonder how to choose an excavator. A long-reach model is the most suitable equipment for working in hazardous areas and those that are hard to reach. Such locations include near lakes, across rivers, trenches, and deep holes.
Long-reach excavators have arms extending anywhere from 40 to 100 feet, depending on the type you choose. This feature makes them perfect for construction zones within this horizontal range.
Consider this type for the best results when renting an excavator for a demolition project. Still, it’s advisable to support the machine with electronic cut-off devices.
This measure will ensure that the excavator maintains stability when working on a site with a wide radius. It also prevents damaging nearby properties during the demolition.
Vacuum or Suction Excavators
Vacuum excavators produce a high suction force through a wide pipe. The diameter of the attached hose is usually one foot but can differ depending on the manufacturer.
Such excavators use high-pressure or water jets to clear soil and debris from an area. Besides, they come with two handles an operator can use to rotate the collar and uncover suction release openings. Another key feature is that they may have teeth at the front part of the hose to cut up the excavation surface.
Due to their structural composition, vacuum excavators are perfect for underground projects. Their powerful hose allows them to draw dirt and other substances without damaging the surrounding areas. Consider this type when looking for digging trucks to help you achieve precise excavations.
Mini Excavator
Compact or mini excavators are small versions of the crawler model. Such often have similar features as the large excavators but are narrower and come with a relatively shorter arm.
Compact excavators are ideal for job sites with few obstacles but rough terrains. They are also suitable for narrow construction sites where a typical crawler excavator wouldn’t fit.
Dragline Excavators
Dragline excavator types are large machines used in underwater, road construction, and pile driving projects. They have a hoist and dragline system to raise and lower the bucket when gathering material during use.
The main benefit of these excavators is that they can dig up to 213 feet deep. Some models can also go up to 280 feet, making them perfect for surface mining and harbor construction projects.
Despite their powerful operating mechanism, dragline excavators are less flexible than other types. This feature makes them unsuitable for some jobs like demolishing high story buildings.
Backhoe Excavator
A backhoe or rear actor is an excavating machine comprising a two-part articulated arm. It also has a bucket at the far end for scrapping, digging, and gathering material.
One unique feature of the backhoe excavator is that it comes with a 360 degrees swivel seat. This one allows an operator to face the side they are working on at a specific time.
Backhoes resemble tractors since they have small wheels at the front and large ones at the back. Further, they are more mobile than other excavator sizes and types. This aspect makes it possible to drive them up to 25 miles an hour on a good road.
One significant benefit of backhoe excavators is that they are suitable for construction projects that require a lot of equipment movement. Apart from that, they can function as digging equipment since most models allow you to change the attachment on the arm based on the desired use.
Learn More About the Different Types of Excavators
Educating yourself about different machines used in the construction industry is the best way to answer the question ‘What is an excavator?’ You can also understand the uses of such equipment and their applicability in different projects.
Are you interested in learning more about different types of excavators in the market? Browse this page now to read other articles about machinery and the construction industry in general.
