6 Different Excavator Types & Their Uses

Excavators are heavy construction equipment that is made up of dipper (or sticks), booms, cabs, and buckets. The cab is built on a rotation platform called a “house” on-site. Excavators are hydraulic. All the movement and function on an excavator are enabled by hydraulic fluid, hydraulic motor, and hydraulic cylinders. Because of the linear operation of hydraulic cylinders, they operate differently from cable-operated excavators, which have steel ropes and winches to achieve movement.

There are different types of excavators. The most common ones are dragline excavators, crawlers, skid steer, suction excavators, backhoe, and long reach excavators. We shall highlight each excavator and the functions they are known for best. Most of these excavators are carried using lowboy trailers. You can find lowboy trailers for sale at Hales Trailers.

Crawler Excavators

Unlike most large excavators that are on wheels, crawlers move using two large endless tracks. Crawlers are mostly used for heavy-duty construction jobs and mining. They are also called compact excavators. They have a hydraulic power mechanism to lift heavy materials from the ground like soil.

The two-chain wheel system enables them to move downhill and scale them with less risk. Because of this, crawlers are perfect for grading hilly places and landscaping uneven terrain. Although they are slower than other excavators, they have overall greater flexibility, balance, and stability.

Dragline Excavators

This is a large excavator that operates differently. The excavator uses a hoist rope system to attach to the bucket through a hoist coupler. The bucket’s other side is fixated on a dragline that runs to the cab from the bucket. When the hoist rope rises, it lowers the bucket, while the bucket is pulled towards the drive by the dragline. The dragline excavator is very bulky and thus it is assembled on-site.

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