The Many Sizes and Choices for Excavator Machinery

If you have decided to use an excavator for your next digging project but are not sure about the right size, it is crucial to select the right size of excavator with the right functionality for the project. The size of your machine will not only affect your productivity but also impact your pace of work.

Choosing a large excavator may push you over budget plus it may not be fit for purpose. How to select the right size for your needs:

Sizes of Excavators

Generally, there are four main types of excavators depending on the size of the machine i.e. mini, midi, standard, and large.

Mini or Compact Excavator

A mini or compact excavator is the smallest of all excavator classes. In a typical configuration, their size is less than 6 tons and is best for small spaces or indoor work. They can easily slip through small or confined spaces. Due to easy transportability and enhanced maneuverability, it is loved by contractors working on small or medium jobs. They can easily transport a mini-excavator using Class 1 or 2 trucks and you can easily put it to work in multiple locations. Experts recommend a mini excavator for indoor small digging jobs like a swimming pool, landscaping, sewer line repair, or water line installation projects. Compact excavator hire is very common in the industry and is often preferred over ownership for companies that require their use on a part time basis.

Midi Excavator

A medium-size excavator class includes machines with sizes between 6 to 10 tons. They combine the benefits of a mini excavator with more power and performance. Just like the mini-excavator, they can also fit in confined areas and urban sites but due to heavy engines, they offer increased power. You can use a midi-excavator for more standard construction works.

Experts recommend a midi-excavator where you need more reach and power but need to work in confined spaces. Works like building construction and extensive landscaping are some of the best fits for a medium-sized excavator. Hiring these machines is possible, however normally excavators on the smaller end of the scale such as a 5.5 tonne excavator hire can be delivered by a small or medium rigid truck and is hence the most affordable.

Standard Excavator

A standard excavator also termed a full-sized excavator has a size between 10 to 45 tons. In a typical standard excavator, a crawler undercarriage is provided that allows you to operate it on rough or uneven terrain. They are the most popular piece of excavators for large-scale or commercial construction projects like roads, highways, bridges, culverts, buildings, and dam construction.

Due to powerful engines, they can dig through hundreds of cubic meters in a few buckets. A range of tool attachments can be used with a standard excavator.

Large Excavator

Large excavators are a class of machines with a size of more than 45 tons. They are used for massive construction or extensive demolition projects. Their extended size allows you unsurpassed power and hydraulic performance. These machines require a large workspace and oversized trucks or trailers to move them. Storage of such a giant piece of machinery is also a consideration and getting such a large space is not always easy in urban areas.