Moving earth isn’t just shovels and sweat. You need the right excavator machine for every construction or landscaping job. Because the wrong one can cost you time, money, and a lot of headaches.
Your digging machine should match to the terrain, job type, and space you’ve got to work with. And you must have knowledge of every type out there to choose the suitable one.
Don’t know anything about them? Don’t worry.
Worldwide Construction Machinery (WCM) is in your corner since 1982.
With over 40 years in the world of excavating equipment and heaps of real-world insights. We know the machinery inside out and can prepare you in minutes. So, lean back and let us explain the important types of construction excavation equipment.
10 Types of Excavators and Their Uses in Construction
Below are some workaholic types that can handle every kind of dirt Australia has to offer. Scroll and find the suitable digger machine for your job.
1. Long Reach Excavators: Safe Distance, Big Reach
Extended booms over 18–22 m let you operate far away from unstable ground or hazardous areas. The counterweight stays put while the boom swings, and the ground impact is minimised.
Applications
- River or shoreline dredging: Reach from banks without getting wet.
- Industrial demolition: Tear down tall structures while staying out of fall zones.
- Bridge or highway maintenance: Long arms can excavate under live traffic.
They’re slower to move and require wide space to operate. Plus, you need to keep the outriggers well deployed for boom stability.
2. Skid Steer Excavators: Compact But Fierce Track Loaders
They are compact loaders fitted with mini booms and buckets. With zero-radius turning, they move around while staying pivot from the centre. Their nimble frames go where others can’t.
Use Cases
- Landscaping and small site prep: Trenching near houses or patios.
- Interior and garage setups: Fit through doors & handle dirt cleanup.
- Multitask jobs: Attach hammers, augers, graders in minutes.
Keep their attachments well-maintained for a smoot operation and time saving.
3. Crawler Excavators: Rugged Terrain Dominators
Crawler excavators have spider-like legs instead of wheels that can operate independently. It gives them excellent traction, even in tough terrains like steep hills, mud or thick snow. Other features include heavy-duty hydraulic systems, massive booms, dipper arms, and high-capacity buckets.
Use Cases
- Earthmoving & trenching: When you need to shift tons of soil.
- Forestry and site prep: Gets through roots and mud without slipping.
- Mining/quarrying: Handles abrasive rock and heavy loads.
Best Site Fit
Uneven sites, muddy fields, slopes. If the ground’s tricky, crawlers perform like champs.
4. Wheeled Excavators: Agile and Urban-Friendly
These machines look similar to crawlers but ride on stronger rubber tyres. They’re fast, manoeuvrable, and easy to transport between street-side jobs. They also have stabilisers to prevent slipping during the digging.
Use Cases
- City roadworks: It can move between multiple road or utility sites.
- Pipe laying & maintenance: Quick repositioning for digging service trenches.
- Loading and stockpiling: Efficient without destroying pavement.
If you operate on sealed surfaces or need to relocate frequently without a trailer, wheeled excavator is the suitable choice.
5. Dragline Excavators: Deep-Dig Heavyweights
These giants use a suspended bucket pulled by cables from a boom. No hydraulics, just powerful winch systems. Their bucket sizes is massive, ranging into cubic meters.
Applications
- Large civil engineering: Building dams, deep foundations.
- Surface mining: Overburden removal on huge scales.
- Dredging & wet sites: Reaching into water or deep in trenches.
If you’re digging more than 10 meters deep or moving materials over huge distances on unstable ground, draglines lower your cost per tonne.
6. Suction Excavators: Precision and Safety in One
Powered by vacuum systems, these units suck debris into onboard collection tanks. They couple a small positional arm with hydro-based or pneumatic suction. That carries away soil and debris up to 200 miles per hour.
Top Features
- Utility and cable exposure: Delicate work around buried lines.
- Hazardous site cleanup: Asbestos or chemical spills are cleaned up carefully.
- Fitted cameras or sensors at the nozzle: They ‘see’ pipes to avoid cutting them.
Hence, they are suitable for confined urban sites with their quiet operation and minimal disruption.
7. Mini Excavators: Small Frame, Big Impact
They are a smaller and lighter version of the standard excavators ranging from 1 to 6-tonnes. Small tracks or tyres allow them to minimise ground damage and fit through narrow sites. Their low tail swing is suitable for tighter turns and obstacles.
Applications
- Pool and garden digging: Manoeuvrability makes tight jobs easier.
- Urban plans: Minimal footprint and less damage to lawns or paving.
- Utility repairs: Up-size to city jobs inside driveways or houses.
Zero tail-swing models are ideal in congested zones. They’re surprisingly strong with dig depths over 4 m depending on class.
8. Hydraulic Shovels: Heavy-Hit Loaders
These are powerhouse machines with giant dipper arms and four- to five-cubic-meter buckets. They are made for heavy loading, and use hydraulics for eight-figure output. Their boom/stick/bucket assembly can also be fitted at the back for heavy digging.
Applications
- Open-pit mining: They can load buckets full of ore or waste rock.
- Large earthworks public works: Large canal or dam projects.
- Bulk material handling: Palletised loading onto trucks or conveyors.
Built to last and serviceable on-site. You can think of them as industrial-grade loaders with powerhouse finesse.
9. Short Swing Radius Excavators: Safe Spins & Tight Turns
It is another variation of standard excavators with machines short counterweights. Their swing radius superstructure lets them swivel in confined areas without hitting obstacles. That too with the same level of performance as any other model.
Applications
- Street works near traffic: Less risk to passersby.
- Industrial yards: where space is prime.
- Residential builds: Operate close to walls or buildings.
Deploy stabilisers carefully, as short swing radius reduces but doesn’t eliminate the risk zone.
10. Backhoe Excavators: Range-Ready All-Rounders
Front loader bucket & rear excavator arm, means best of both worlds. The bucket loads the soil while arm is used to push surfaces. On wheels, they’re mobile and perfect for a jack-of-all-trades. No need for separate loader and excavator, so cost & crew is reduced.
Applications
- Trenching and pipe-laying: Dig and haul in one go.
- Site cleanup: Lift debris, load trucks, finish grades.
- Mining operations: Digging & loading at the same time.
- Roadside repairs: Rapid deployment and on-route use with trailers.
Only limitation is its 205-degree rotation, as other models offer up to 360.
Comparing Excavators at a Glance
Let’s summarise everything we’ve learned about these land digger machines.
|
Excavator Truck |
Terrain |
Dig Depth |
Best Application |
Mobility |
|
Crawler |
Mud, slopes |
5–10 m+ |
Heavy earthwork/mining |
Low |
|
Wheeled |
Roadside, pavements |
~6–8 m |
City works and utilities |
High |
|
Dragline |
Open pits |
10–30 m+ |
Deep-swamp dredge/mining |
Very Low |
|
Suction |
Urban, underground |
<3 m |
Precision clean-ups |
Medium |
|
Skid Steer |
Tight, small urban |
~3 m |
Bite-size heavy duty |
High |
|
Long Reach |
Water edges, bridges |
15–22 m |
High-risk/distance work |
Low |
|
Mini |
Backyards, driveways |
2–4 m |
Small digs, niche tasks |
High |
|
Hydraulic Shovel |
Mining pits |
<6 m |
Heavy lift, bulk handling |
Low–Medium |
|
SSR |
Confined spaces |
4–6 m |
Urban construction sites |
Medium |
|
Backhoe |
General terrain |
5–7 m |
Plug-and-play excavation |
High |
So, have you found one you were looking for? Get some additional tips too.
Tips for Choosing the Right Excavator
- Assess your dig site and check for soil type, slope, space constraints.
- Find the depth & reach you need & then pick between mini, standard, or long arm.
- Consider your work site & mobility needs, do you haul between cities or stay on-site?
- Decide your required functionality. For bulk loading, hydraulics or shovels win. For narrow channels, mini and SSR excavator is enough.
Read More at: The Ultimate Excavators Buying Guide for Every Contractor
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