Excavators, as essential machinery, play a vital role in construction, mining, road construction, and other fields. Excavators vary depending on the operating environment and needs. This article will explain the characteristics, applicable scenarios, and selection recommendations of different excavator types to help you make an informed purchasing decision.
1.1 Features
Mini excavators, also known as small excavators, generally refer to small equipment with an operating weight between 1.5 and 6 tons. These excavators can be as narrow as 1.5 meters wide, equipped with a 0.04-0.26 m³ bucket and a digging depth of 3-4 meters. Their compact size and maneuverability make them suitable for working in confined spaces.
The tailless swing design reduces the risk of collision, and the hydraulic system often uses load-sensing technology to reduce fuel consumption by 15%-20%.
1.2 Applicable Scenarios
Urban Construction: Due to their small size, mini excavators are suitable for working in narrow urban streets and alleyways, easily navigating crowded environments.
Landscaping: In landscaping, they can quickly complete small-scale tasks such as earthmoving and digging pits.
Residential and Small Construction: Mini excavators can efficiently perform excavation and handling tasks in small-scale civil engineering projects.
Municipal Engineering: Pipeline laying in narrow alleyways and sidewalk renovations.
Indoor Work: Basement excavation and elevator shaft construction (requires a machine height of less than 2.5 meters).
Detailed Work: Landscaping and trench excavation for fruit tree planting.
1.3 Purchasing Recommendations
Mini excavators are suitable for users with limited budgets who need to operate in space-constrained locations.
If you have limited space in your work environment and need an efficient and flexible excavator, a mini excavator is undoubtedly the best choice.
Prefer models with a dozer blade (such as the Model 40 crawler excavator) for enhanced stability. Also, pay attention to the engine cooling system; water-cooled models are more suitable for continuous operation in high-temperature environments. Keep the average daily rental cost between 800 and 1200 RMB to avoid overinvestment.
2.1 Features
Wheeled excavators are equipped with a wheeled chassis, providing greater maneuverability and flexibility. Compared to crawler excavators, wheeled excavators travel faster on flat surfaces and are suitable for long-distance transport.
Wheeled excavators utilize tires for their travel mechanism, enabling highway speeds of 30-50 km/h and eliminating the need for a flatbed truck for relocation. Their ground pressure is 30% higher than crawler excavators, making them suitable for hard surfaces but prone to sinking in soft soil.
2.2 Application Scenarios
Urban Road Construction: Wheeled excavators travel faster on urban roads and flat construction sites, enabling efficient operation over larger construction areas. They are also suitable for municipal emergency repairs and short-term, multi-site projects.
Railway and highway construction: Suitable for projects requiring long-distance movement, they can quickly complete tasks such as earthmoving and pipeline excavation.
Flat-site operations: Parking lot construction and warehouse and logistics site leveling.
Demolition operations: Wheeled excavators efficiently remove construction waste and are particularly suitable for demolition and site leveling.
2.3 Purchasing Recommendations
Wheeled excavators are suitable for operations requiring long travel distances and high efficiency. If you need to perform excavation and handling tasks on flat ground and require high speed, a wheeled excavator is the ideal choice.
Choose a four-wheel drive model for improved breakout capability, verify the hydraulic system's rated pressure (≥22 MPa) to ensure adequate digging force, and configure it with quick-change couplings for easy switching between multi-purpose attachments such as buckets and hydraulic hammers.
3.1 Features
Medium and large excavators typically have an operating weight of over 20 tons, with some models exceeding 50 tons. Standard bucket capacity is 0.8-1.5m³, digging depth is 6-7 meters, and daily earthmoving capacity can reach 500-800m³. Equipped with a supercharged engine with a power range of 110-200kW, this excavator supports high-intensity, continuous operation.
This type of excavator offers greater power and higher operating capacity, making it suitable for large-scale construction and mining operations.
3.2 Applicable Scenarios
Large Earthmoving Projects: Projects requiring powerful excavation capabilities, such as highway construction and large-scale building construction.
Building Foundation Construction: Excavation of high-rise building foundation pits and pile foundations.
Mining: Large excavators are widely used in high-load environments such as mines and quarries, and for surface stripping in small and medium-sized open-pit mines (requires optional mining attachments). They are capable of deep excavation and large-scale operations.
Port Operations: Medium and large excavators can perform earthmoving and dredging tasks in complex environments such as port yards or channel reconstruction.
Water Conservancy Projects: River dredging and dam reinforcement (optional extended boom is recommended).
3.3 Purchasing Recommendations
If your project requires large-scale earthmoving operations or involves high-intensity operations such as mining, a mid-to-large-sized excavator is an essential choice. Its powerful digging capacity and high efficiency can significantly accelerate project progress, making it suitable for large enterprises and high-intensity work environments.
4.1 Features
Crawler excavators utilize a crawler chassis with a ground pressure of less than 40 kPa and a gradeability of up to 35°, making them suitable for complex terrain such as muddy and mountainous terrain. While maintenance costs are 30% higher than wheeled excavators, they offer a service life of over 15,000 hours. They maintain excellent stability on uneven surfaces and are highly adaptable, capable of operating on muddy and soft surfaces, making them suitable for working in relatively harsh environments.
4.2 Application Scenarios
Mining Operations: Crawler excavators are particularly common on mining sites and are capable of handling complex terrain and harsh environments.
Earthwork: Crawler excavators excel in complex terrain, such as mountainous and hilly areas, for example, highway subgrade construction and deep-pit mining in open-pit mines.
Emergency Rescue and Emergency Operations: Due to their strong adaptability to the terrain, crawler excavators are often used in rescue and emergency operations, efficiently handling a variety of complex environments.
Specialty: Operations in extremely cold regions (requires the optional low-temperature start-up package).
4.3 Purchasing Recommendations
Crawler excavators are ideal for operations on complex and uneven terrain.
For swampy terrain, choose models with widened track shoes (width ≥ 500mm). Focus on the X-shaped frame structure for increased torsional strength. A dual-pump combined hydraulic system is preferred for smoother compound movements.
If your construction environment is unsuitable for a wheeled excavator or requires heavy-duty work, a crawler excavator is undoubtedly the best choice.
When choosing the right excavator, consider the following:
5.1 Working Environment
If the construction site is small and flat, a mini excavator or wheeled excavator is recommended. For complex terrain or muddy conditions, a crawler excavator is more suitable. Narrow spaces → Mini; Multiple sites → Wheeled; Complex terrain → Crawler.
5.2 Working Intensity
For high-intensity work such as large earthmoving projects and mining operations, a medium- to large-sized excavator is recommended. For smaller, low-load operations, a mini excavator is recommended. For daily operations of less than 200 m³, choose a small excavator; for operations over 500 m³, choose a large excavator.
5.3 Budget
Prices vary significantly between different excavator types, so choosing the right one depends on your budget. Mini and wheeled excavators are relatively inexpensive, while medium and large excavators require a higher investment.
This analysis of different excavator types hopes to help you make your choice. Choosing the right excavator based on your specific work requirements, working environment, and budget will improve efficiency and ensure smooth project execution. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us. We will provide you with the most suitable equipment recommendations based on your needs, and we can also undertake customized business for various types of excavators.
