Introduction of Mini excavators

Many times you need a smaller excavator to handle more delicate jobs. These smaller excavators are also called "Compact Excavators" or "Mini excavators". Weighing in at two to six tons, there is little that's mini about "mini excavators", known as "compact excavators", these machines are becoming popular for a wide range of applications from utility work to demolition to landscaping. Mini excavators bring many advantages to a wide range of construction jobsites. Mini excavators are maneuverable and easy to operate. About the same size as a skid steer loader, compact excavators mount one heavy-duty arm on a set of bulldozer like tracks to tackle digging applications in smaller environments.

Mini Excavator Basics

A mini excavator consists of a cab, engine, dual bulldozer-like tracks or treads, a boom arm, and an attachment.

1- The cab, where the operator sits, can pivot 360° on top of the tracks.
2- The diesel engine provides propulsion power for the tracks and powers the hydraulic systems that do the digging.
3- The steel or rubber tracks move the machine around the work site, even on loose or muddy ground.
4- The boom, the arm that holds the attachment, provides the digging power.
5- The attachment does the actual work. Most excavators come with a standard bucket - a toothed scoop for digging into dirt or gravel; but can support many other types of attachments.

Mini Excavator Features

Mini excavator means mini range excavator. Mini excavators offer virtually identical features and options to their larger cousins: the only real difference between mini and full-size excavators is scale. Here are some of the features you should evaluate :

Tracks -

Both steel and rubber tracks are popular on mini excavators. Steel tracks are more durable and provide good traction on loose dirt. However, on pavement or landscaped areas, rubber tracks do a much better job at reducing surface damage: a rubber-tracked mini excavator can drive right over a curb without crushing it.

Bolt-on rubber pads -

Bolt-on rubber pads that operators can affix to steel treads offer a reasonable compromise. This gives you the strength of steel tracks but lets you switch to the less-damaging rubber pads when needed.

Attachments -

Attachments Switching between multiple attachments lets you get much more use out of your mini excavator. Different sizes and styles of buckets are used for different types of digging. Other common attachments include augers (for boring holes), thumbs (for pinching or gripping) and hydraulic hammers Some mini excavators even use the same "quick attach" couplers as skid steer loaders, allowing you to share attachments between the two.

Boom offset or Swing boom -

Many compact excavators offer boom offset or swing booms. This popular feature moves the entire digging arm left or right of center. This allows the excavator to dig a trench parallel to its own tracks, and to do so in tight quarters next to existing walls or structures.

Zero tail swing or Compact radius -

Compact excavators with zero tail swing (sometimes called "compact radius" excavators) can rotate their cabs completely within the width of their tracks, preventing the operator from ever bumping anything with the "tail" or back part of the cab.

Backfill blade or Bulldozer blade -

Many come standard with a backfill or bulldozer blade that attaches below the boom, making it easy to refill and level after you're done digging without having to change attachments.

Enclosed cabs -

As with skid steer loaders, enclosed cabs that shelter operators from the elements are becoming much more popular on mini excavators than they used to be. These often include heat and air conditioning, and can go a long way towards keeping operators comfortable and working at their best.

Anti-vandalism features -

If you'll be leaving your excavator at job sites overnight, look for compact excavators that allow you to lock up the controls to prevent troublemakers from damaging the machine or your work.

Unlike some other types of compact equipment, mini excavators are almost exclusively available with diesel engines. (Electric mini excavators do exist, but they're very rare). A single tank of diesel fuel should give you a day to a day and a half's use.

Mini excavator pricing

New mini excavators are not cheap. They can range from $19,000 at the low end to $90,000 for the largest models. However, when you compare this to a full size excavator's costs - $130,000 to $500,000 - the compact models look like a better bargain. A typical $20,000 model will provide dig depths of four to five feet and dump heights of five to six feet. It will weigh around 1,500 to 2,000 lbs and have about a 10 horsepower (HP) engine.

The most common models can cost between $30,000 and $40,000 new. These weigh around 8,000 lbs, have dig depths of 10 feet, and put out around 25 HP. At the high end, an $80,000 model will reach and dump over 12', weigh 12,000 lbs, and boast a 40 or 50 HP engine.

You'll usually get one bucket with the excavator. The new buckets in additional sizes can cost between $700 and $1,000. Powered attachments like thumbs and hydraulic hammers can cost $5,000 to $10,000.

Summery

Mini excavators are most often found at work at construction sites in densely populated urban areas. However, mini excavators can just as easily be spotted in modern suburbia on a new home construction or remodel site. Another place to spot these versatile pieces of equipment is on the farm.

The compact hydraulic excavator has many advantages over the traditional center-mount backhoe. Most compact hydraulic excavators have three distinct assemblies: house, undercarriage and workgroup. Compact excavators offer many attachments to make any job easier. Remember, to optimize power and performance it’s important to match the attachments to type and size of compact excavators to prevent overloading.