Compact and Mini Excavator Guide

Mini excavators are wheeled or tracked excavators with an operating weight rating of up to 6 metric tons. They usually include a standard backfill blade with an independent boom swing and are easy to operate and are highly maneuverable. They are extremely versatile so you can do just about any type of construction work with them from digging holes for landscape work to using a hammer to break up concrete, from tree harvesting to excavating swimming pools.

The mini excavator was developed in Japan in the 1970's and arrived in America in the early 80's. They weren't particularly popular at first but demand for them has been steadily rising as increasing numbers of contractors and home owners have come to appreciate the flexibility and functionality that these mini diggers offer. There are around twenty three mini excavator suppliers in North America, with Bobcat being the only North American manufacturer (at the time of writing in 2007).

The mini hydraulic excavator which can also be referred to as a compact excavator is different from other construction equipment in that all the movement and actions of the vehicle are achieved with a system of hydraulics. Most have three distinct parts: the house, the undercarriage and the workgroup.

The house on a mini excavator contains the operator's cab, the engine compartment, the hydraulic pump and the distribution components. It is attached to the top of the undercarriage with a swing bearing and, along with the workgroup, is able to rotate or "slew" through 360 degrees. In this way the mini excavator differs from many large excavators which can only rotate the house and workgroup through 180 degrees. Being able to rotate in a full circle reduces the need for the vehicle to be repositioned when working in tight spaces and offers superior visibility. It also allows other equipment, such as a dump truck, to be positioned wherever necessary so the excavator can spin around and deposit the load exactly where it needs to be.

The undercarriage consists of steel or rubber tracks, rollers, drive sprockets, idlers and associated components and structures. It supports the house structure and the workgroup. As with standard excavators, a tracked undercarriage is better suited to muddy and soft conditions when compared with a wheeled machine.

The workgroup of a compact consists of the boom, arm or dipper and mini excavator attachments (for example, auger, mini excavator bucket breaker, mini excavator thumb, compactor, clamp etc.). These hydraulically powered attachments have increased the capabilities of the mini excavator way beyond standard excavation jobs and the mini excavators quick coupler, which makes the attachment process very simple, has dramatically expanded the use of these machines both on construction sites and for home improvement and remodeling projects.

The backfill blade is used for stabilizing the machine when digging, leveling, grading, backfilling and dozer work in general. The blade can be used to raise the height of the machine when loading and to increase the digging depth depending on its position in relation to the excavator's backhoe.

The mini excavator's boom is attached to the front of the housing structure and can swing independently of the cab. This allows the workgroup to be hydraulically pivoted right or left, which enables offset digging around obstacles (such as buried utility cables) or along foundations, walls or forms without the need to reposition the equipment. It also enables the digging of square holes and trenching running parallel to the tracks. The independent boom swing is one of the major advantages of the mini excavator over other excavation equipment. Also, the operator offset means the operator can position himself to the side of the boom which allows him an unobstructed view of any attachments.

A mini excavator can act as an alternatives to rear loaders, skid-steers, tractor-backhoes, or trenching equipment. However, when used in conjunction with other compact equipment such as a skid steer mini loader, the two machines can sometimes work out to be more economical than a larger backhoe. Since they can work on two different tasks at the same time hourly costs can be kept down. Also, because mini excavators use less fuel than their larger counterparts and can be hauled with lighter, more fuel-efficient trucks hourly costs are reduced through greater fuel efficiency.

Given all of this it's not surprising that mini excavators have become so popular. They are versatile, have a relatively low cost, have a minimal learning curve as well as all the benefits mentioned above. Add to that the fact they are also low maintenance when compared with other construction equipment (having a design life of 8,000 to 10,000 hours) and it is clear that there is very good reason why mini excavator sales are on the increase globally. The low maintenance also means that there are some good used compact excavators deals to be had. However, if you're still not convinced that this is the best machine for your job then why not give mini excavators hire a go and try before you buy.

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