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  1. Compact Equipment Magazine
  2. Mini Excavators

Mini Excavators

These Popular Mini Diggers Are Also Awesome Tool Carriers

The mini or compact excavator segment stands as one of the hottest machine markets in U.S. construction equipment. Its popularity stems from its versatility and size. Operators can easily transport mini excavators, and these machines handle a variety of onsite applications. These include digging basements, burying downspouts, compacting soil, trenching service lines or grappling obscenely big, decorative rocks. Manufacturers define these units as excavators under 8 metric tons. Designers equip them with an undercarriage and tracks, a long digging arm, and a cab or ROPS enclosure. With dig depths ranging between 5 and 15 ft+ and operating weights between 2,000 and 20,000 lbs, compact excavators maneuver into cramped worksites while delivering impressive digging power.

The 3.5- to 4-metric-ton class continues to drive growth in the compact hydraulic excavator market, especially in rental, while the 5- to 6-metric-ton size class gains momentum. Conventional-style compact excavators share the spotlight with minimum and zero tail swing designs. Zero tail swing (ZTS), which ensures the cab stays within the width of the tracks, remains a popular choice. Beyond their many features — such as enclosed cabs, backfill blades, extendable sticks and retractable undercarriages — mini excavators can equip a wide range of attachments to tackle tasks beyond digging, including hydraulic thumbs, breakers, specialty buckets, augers, grapples and mowers. Recent trends in the category include commercially available electric and hybrid variants as well as machine control systems for grading and digging. Examples of mini excavators include:

Takeuchi’s TB Mini Excavators | Caterpillar’s Next Gen Mini Excavators | Kubota’s K, KX and U Compact Excavators

Kubota Introduces Technology-Forward Next Gen Compact Excavators
CE Staff
January 27, 2021
Read Article
Mini Excavators
KOBELCO USA Introduces Next Generation ED160BR-7 Blade Runner
January 19, 2021
Attachments
Break It Down: Three Industry Experts Share Breaker Attachment Tips for Mini Excavators
January 18, 2021
Skid Steers
New Year, New Machine? Check Out These How-to-Buy Articles
January 7, 2021
Mini Excavators
Innovative Iron Awards 2020: Yanmar’s SV40 Compact Excavator
December 30, 2020
Mini Excavators
Innovative Iron Awards 2020: Takeuchi’s TB370 Compact Excavator

We Honor the Top Equipment of 2020 Even when the world shut down this year, construction equipment continued to roll. Since the beginning of...

December 28, 2020
Mini Excavators
Need Some Winter Break Reading? Check Out Our Top Five Mini Excavator Articles of 2020

Have some free time on your hands? Need a break from the holiday hustle? We’re always here to help. Grab a hot cocoa, kick back and en...

December 21, 2020
Mini Excavators
Mecalac Speed Control System Optimizes Speed Control for Numerous Applications

Mecalac, a leading global designer, manufacturer and distributor of compact construction equipment for urban environments, offers its innova...

December 7, 2020
Telehandlers
Leading the Charge: We Deep Dive into JCB’s Impressive New Electric Telehandler and Electric Mini Ex with...

Euro off-highway equipment brands continue to invest in machines that plug in to power up. Last year, I barely survived the world’s la...

December 2, 2020
Mini Excavators
Electric Ex: Bobcat Turns to Green Machine to Help Build then Sell Alt-Propulsion Excavators

Bobcat Co. had a busy 2020. The famous compact equipment brand has been aggressively revamping product lines (from Next-Generation R-Series ...

November 24, 2020
Compact Track Loaders
Machine Heads Ep. 4: Innovative Iron Awards Go to Deere’s SmartGrade 333G, ASV’s MAX-Series and Mecalac’s MCR...

Fellow Machine Heads, welcome back to the fourth episode of my new video series. This is once again Keith Gribbins, publisher and resident g...

November 19, 2020
Features
Five Reasons to Consider Compact Wheeled Excavators

By Matthew McLean, Product Manager, Excavators, Volvo Construction Equipment Wheeled excavators have been staples in construction fleets thr...

November 18, 2020
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