Mini Excavators

By Eric Michaels

Mini excavators, also known as compact excavators, weigh 2 to 6 tons and perform equally well on light landscaping duties as they do on heavy demolition work. They're powerful and small, able to assist in a variety of construction jobs in tight spaces. Are you prepared to buy an excavator? If you decide it's time, there are three crucial areas of concern to square away before making a purchase.

1. Rubber vs. steel tracks

Should you opt for steel or rubber tracks? Steel is the choice for durability, as well as viability on projects where the earth is fine or loose. However, rubber tracks give you the opportunity to move around on lawns and fragile work environments without tearing up the ground beneath you.

If you are working on sidewalks or other hard surfaces, steel tracks can do major damage. Rubber tracks cross any type of terrain without punishing it, have better grip on the asphalt than steel tracks, and also have much better float-ability too.

Though they are reportedly more versatile overall, rubber tracks are typically less powerful in soft dirt than steel tracks and are susceptible to catching on re-bar or stray metal which can tear the track and lead to a costly replacement.

2. Attachments

How many attachments will you need? And how will they fit in with your skid steer loader, if at all? Some attachments can be used on both machines, giving you flexibility on the work site and one less factor to think about before making a purchase. Modern attachments also represent a considerable savings in time and money by preventing you from having to rent or purchase multiple machines. So get together with your skid steer operators to decide if any of the following attachments can be used to save money as you move forward:

• Pallet forks: Lift, move, and load pallets of material
• Thumb: Securely grab wood, brush, or rocks and other large items while moving them from one place to another
• Auger: Dig holes for foundations, trenches, or fence post-holes
• Blade: Level and grade large sections of terrain
• Cement mixer: Mix, haul, and dump large batches of concrete wherever needed
• Stump grinder: Clear land of remaining stumps in preparation for construction or development with sharp teeth and cutting wheel that chew into and grind a stump
• Snow blade: Clear roads, parking lots, and driveways

3. Cab protection

There are numerous safety concerns when operating a mini excavator. Sheltered cabins protect operators from falling debris and intense weather, making your workers more efficient and better able to withstand poor conditions. The investment in an enclosed cab will pay off handsomely in the long run, but you'll have to decide whether the expense is viable when you bring your budget to the equipment table. Protecting the machine itself is another element of safety. Since these excavators are left on job sites, anti-theft equipment is important.

Now that hybrid options from many excavator brands are coming onto the market, a fourth concern might revolve around fuel economy and emissions. Are you ready for a compact excavator that conserves hydraulic energy and reintroduces it to the engine to extend fuel economy? It's a final matter for buyers to consider.

No matter what choice you make, your activity on the job will become far more efficient when a mini excavator is at your disposal. Going into a purchase with your homework complete will make your investment smarter in the long run.