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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

Machine Heads Volvo electric excavators video thumbnail Machine Heads Video: An Electric Compact Excavator Deep Dive with Volvo’s Darren Ashton
Wayne Grayson
March 5, 2024
Read Article
Electric Equipment electric compact-excavators Machine Heads
Machine Heads Video: Is It Finally Time to Buy or Rent an Electric Compact Excavator?
February 19, 2024
Mini Excavators Kubota's new KX080-5
Kubota Introduces the New KX080 to Its Excavator Lineup
January 23, 2024
Mini Excavators Hitachi_ZX50U-5N
Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas ZAXIS-5N Compact Excavators Add Capability and Comfort
January 23, 2024
Mini Excavators Volvo-ECR40
Volvo Construction Equipment Adds Two New Compact Excavators in Popular Size Class
January 16, 2024
Industry Events Bobcat booth at CES 2024 Rogue X2 concept vehicle
Editor at Large: The Best Construction and Ag Equipment Launched at CES 2024

Technology continues to rapidly transform almost every sector on the planet. That was on full display last week at the 2024 CES tradeshow in...

January 16, 2024
Mini Excavators Develon’s DX62R-7 and DX63-7 Mini Excavators
Innovative Iron Award Winner: Develon’s DX62R-7 and DX63-7 Mini Excavators

The Top Construction Landscape and Rental Equipment Launched in 2023 The world of off-highway machinery is evolving — battery-powered ...

December 19, 2023
Mini Excavators Yanmar CE ViO17 mini excavator
Video: Yanmar Celebrates 30 Years of Zero Tail Swing ViO Excavators (Big Congrats)

With the launch of the ViO series in 1993 Yanmar Compact Equipment popularized the zero tail swing excavator concept, revolutionizing the ab...

December 14, 2023
Mini Excavators Takeuchi’s Battery-Powered TB20e Mini Excavator
Innovative Iron Award Winner: Takeuchi’s Battery-Powered TB20e Mini Excavator

The Top Construction, Landscape and Rental Equipment Launched in 2023 The world of off-highway machinery is evolving — battery-powered...

December 6, 2023
Industry Events Develon DK42 compact excavator
Develon Will Feature Three Excavators at World of Concrete, Including the DX42-7 Mini

DEVELON will showcase three excavators at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, January 23-25, 2024.  DEVELON will be in booth C7226 in the C...

November 29, 2023
Attachments Cat 305 excavator
The Most Popular Compact Excavator Attachments

Most construction worker brains are wired such that when they see a previously unencountered problem, they automatically think: “I won...

November 27, 2023
Mini Excavators
Yanmar Introduces ViO80-7 and SV100-7 Mini Excavators

Yanmar Compact Equipment just introduced its new generation ViO80 and SV100 mini excavators. The ViO80-7 and SV100-7 feature significant imp...

October 11, 2023
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