Differences Between Compact, Medium & Large Crawler Excavators
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, arm, bucket, and cab on a rotating superstructure atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. These machines are used mainly for digging purposes as well as various lifting and carrying tasks in various applications. Together with special tools such as hydraulic breakers, cutters, shears, grapples, couplers, etc. at the end of the various boom and arm configurations, excavators can complete a wider range of jobs. They vary in size depending on what you’re using them for and what you’re aiming for, such as productivity, fuel efficiency, and multi-functional purposes.
Crawler Excavators also known as general-purpose excavators. It has a bucket, boom, and arm to the front of the machine. This kind comes in a variety of sizes. It’s an all-around excavator which means it can be used to dig sites, demolish structures and surfaces, carry out trenching, and lift heavy objects.

Compact Crawler Excavator
Also known as mini excavators, compact excavators are typically used for projects in tight or small areas. These machines can move around in small spaces and perfect for landscaping projects such as digging holes for trees. They have little to no tail swing, which makes this machine easy to manoeuver around buildings or structures. Compact excavators are good for precise digging.
- Mini excavators – Weighing less than five metric tons, they are much easier to transport, requiring less fuel for the truck or trailer, and since they are lighter and smaller in size, they can be used in softer terrain without tearing the ground or damaging pavements. These may not be as powerful as standard excavators, but they are much more convenient for smaller projects that require a small amount of lifting or hauling, and greater precision.
- Midi excavators – These usually weigh between five and ten metric tons. The difference between mini and midi excavators is the power and capacity. A midi excavator tends to have a little bit more of both compared to a mini excavator.

Medium Crawler Excavator
This is the most common size of an excavator. Most medium excavators are suitable for any task, and they usually support any type of attachment tool. They are powerful machines, more than enough to lift or haul large materials for any project.
Weighing between five and twenty-five metric tons, they are still easy to manoeuver but could damage the soft ground or already finished projects. Depending on the size, some general-purpose excavators may also have problems when used in confined areas because of their tail swing. TMedium excavators are typically used on most construction sites.

Large Crawler Excavator
Large excavators are heavy-duty machines fit for projects that require a lot of power and a larger hauling capacity. They are often used on commercial construction sites and large demolition projects such as shopping malls and large-scale buildings.
Weighing more than twenty-five metric tons, large excavators can be difficult to deal with when it comes to transporting and storing, but if you usually have large projects that need heavy lifting or have big demolition projects, then this is the most appropriate size for you to use.
These are the things you need to consider before purchasing an excavator. Each size and type of excavator has its individual purpose, as well as the attachment tools. Whether in landscaping, hauling, or construction projects, this complete guide will help you identify what kind of excavator you need for your upcoming projects.
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Article source: volvoce.com