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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

Ditch Witch Enters Air Excavation Market with New FXT Air Series
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March 24, 2016
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Mini Excavators
How Mini Excavator Hydraulic Systems Work
March 22, 2016
Mini Excavators
Editor at Large: Caterpillar creates a new category of compact equipment — the Xtra Tool Carrier (XTC) lineup
March 21, 2016
Compact Track Loaders
Editor at Large: We visit Manitou/Gehl/Mustang’s Next Big Thing dealer event (a photo blog)
March 21, 2016
Mini Excavators
Terex Introduces Four ‘Rental-Ready’ Compact Excavator Models
March 3, 2016
Mini Excavators
Dig This: Volvo CE Debuts New Compact Excavators

The EC35D compact excavator and ECR40D short swing radius compact excavator share the same engineering advancements as their larger-model co...

March 1, 2016
Mini Excavators
JCB Unveils Three New Models of Compact Excavators

Building on the successful introduction of its next generation 6-, 8-, 9- and 10-ton (13,000 to 22,000-lb class) compact excavators in 2015,...

February 23, 2016
Mini Excavators
The Ultimate 2016 Compact Excavator Market Watch

Excavation is only the beginning. Small diggers like compact excavators have an entire playbook of operations. Demolition. Brush cutting. Au...

February 23, 2016
Mini Excavators
JCB 100C-1 Excavator Featured in Unique Dance Experience (Tonight!)

JCB North America and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is hosting two performances of “Exceptional Transport: duet f...

February 18, 2016
Mini Excavators
JCB produces Its 100,000th compact excavator Unit (CE starts slow clap)

JCB recently celebrated the production of its 100,000th compact excavator with the promise of more innovative machines to come. The building...

January 8, 2016
Features
Innovative Iron Award: Kobelco’s New SK25 and Enhanced SK17 Mini Excavators

Exploration is the engine that drives innovation, so let’s go exploring. Let’s search through a year’s worth of creative i...

December 23, 2015
Mini Excavators
Innovative Iron Award: Volvo’s EC60E Compact Excavator

Exploration is the engine that drives innovation, so let’s go exploring. Let’s search through a year’s worth of creative i...

December 14, 2015
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