#MINI EXCAVATOR BUCKET SIZE DRIVERS#
#MINI EXCAVATOR BUCKET SIZE DRIVER#

It’s an invaluable tool for lifting and placing materials. Lifting capacity: An excavator doubles as a material handler on many jobsites today and often performs the work of numerous machines. This is particularly helpful in demolition and material handling applications where conventional excavators may not provide the reach.

Long reach: Many excavators are available in a long reach boom configuration.

Keep in mind that you may have a choice of a longer arm or even a long reach excavator so if the breakout forces and lift capacities meet your needs, you don’t always need to go up in size to get the depth. Go into the buying process with a complete understanding of your common jobsites and the depths you’ll need to reach. Digging depth: It’s the primary purpose of every excavator: Digging.Consider where you want your business to go in the next 5-10 years and how you may get there. … but don’t go too small: the excavator may be the right size for today’s work – but where do you plan to go tomorrow? Don’t sell yourself short and buy an excavator that’s too small – you may find yourself needing to rent or buy additional equipment in the future.

#MINI EXCAVATOR BUCKET SIZE DRIVERS#

Consider transportation and access: It may be tempting to buy a high-horsepower, large-capacity excavator – but what kind of trailer(s) does your company currently have? Do your drivers have the proper certifications to haul heavier machines? Are your jobsites regularly on weight-limited roads, or require you to cross weight-limited bridges? Right-size the excavator to your application and geography – because there are ancillary transportation and owning/operating costs that go with the purchase of the excavator.The highest volume of machines sold into the industry range from 19 – 24 metric tons (41,887 – 52,910 pounds), and 33-40 metric tons (72,752 – 88,184 pounds). It includes a few zero and near-zero/minimum swing radius machines in the lower weight classes, but the majority of these machines are full-sized, full-featured excavators.

This category represents the widest spectrum of excavators available on the market today. Standard/Full-Size Crawler Excavators (10 – 90 metric tons or 22,046 – 198,416 pounds): Machines in this size class provide digging and lifting capabilities more in line with their full-sized counterparts, but are still compact enough that they provide advantages in transportation and jobsite access. Some models are zero or near-zero/minimum swing radius machines, while others feature a more conventional tail design. Midi, or mid-sized excavators, sell a large percentage of their total industry volume into building construction, utilities, roads and bridges and landscaping. These models are extremely versatile, performing in-building work, tight subdivision sewer repairs, water line installs and foundational repair that may not require the size of a conventional excavator, but save countless hours of labor compared to doing the work by hand. Within the realm of compact excavators, those ranging from 3-4 metric tons (6,613 – 8,818 pounds) are the most popular – selling thousands of units across building construction, utility and landscape trades.

#MINI EXCAVATOR BUCKET SIZE DRIVER#

A benefit to this category is that certain Class 1 and Class 2 trucks can haul compact excavators (and other comparably sized construction equipment) without requiring the driver to have a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) (always check with your local DMV). Regardless of what a manufacturer calls them, these are the small excavators that get into the tight places. Mini or Compact (0 – 6 metric tons or <13,227 pounds):Ĭompacts. A fifth category, rubber-tired excavators, will not be covered.Ī note on weights: in keeping with AEM, we’re using metric tons as a benchmark – but we’ll also list the conversion to pounds for those who prefer it. There is a fourth category dedicated to heavy crawler excavators (90 metric tons and greater), but that range sells a very limited number of units annually into the commercial construction industry. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) lumps crawler excavators into three general size categories: mini or compact, midi and standard/full-sized. Also, we’ll provide a few tips for sizing your next excavator. Our goal here is to break through the clutter and add definition to excavator size classes. Naming and size classification is not one of them.Įach OEM has a different nomenclature and way of categorizing equipment. There are many standards for construction equipment manufacturers. Plus: Tips for properly sizing your excavator.

Mini excavator bucket size