Excavator Buyer’s Guide

 

Excavator Buyer’s Guide: A Comprehensive Overview

 

The hydraulic excavator, a powerful and versatile piece of equipment, has come a long way since its origins as a variation of the steam shovel. Evolving from early models that used water as hydraulic fluid and were powered by steam, modern excavators utilize oil for hydraulic pressure and are electronically sophisticated machines with widespread applications across various industries. Caterpillar, for instance, only introduced its first excavator in the 1970s, highlighting the relatively recent surge in their advanced development.

This guide provides crucial considerations for anyone looking to buy, rent, or lease a mid-size or large-sized excavator, along with tips for inspecting used models and an overview of popular brands and attachments.

 

If You’re Buying a Mid-Size or Large-Sized Excavator

 

When purchasing an excavator, the primary objective should be to match the machine to your specific operational needs.

1. Digging, Demolishing, or Denuding?
   • Application-Specific Use: While primarily used for excavation, excavators are also employed for loading aggregate, demolishing structures, clearing brush, and lifting materials.
   • Power and Hydraulic Flow: Select a model with sufficient horsepower and hydraulic flow to handle the most demanding tasks without being excessively oversized for other jobs.
2. Features and Configuration:
   • Boom and Stick Variations: Options include extra-long booms/sticks, telescoping booms, and elevated operator cabs.
   • Mobility: Consider whether you need a crawler excavator (hauled on a flatbed) or a rubber-tired excavator (drivable on paved surfaces). The versatility of types contributes to their popularity.
3. Brands and Dealerships:
   • Manufacturer Reputation: Iconic manufacturers have established reputations. For newer brands or market entrants, conduct thorough due diligence.
   • Dealer Support: Research customer satisfaction with dealers. Strong dealer support is crucial for machine longevity and operational efficiency.
4. Size Matters (Even within Midi/Large):
   • Dimensions for Confined Sites: For confined worksites, a short-tail swing model or a lower-profile (telescopic boom) excavator might be more suitable.
   • Access Restrictions: Wheeled excavators are sometimes narrower than crawler equivalents, potentially enabling access to restricted job sites.
5. Transport Considerations:
   • Hauling Capacity: Ensure your flatbed can accommodate the machine and its attachments.
   • Regulations: Transporting heavy equipment involves securing permits, ensuring appropriate weight for roads, arranging escorts, planning suitable routes, and properly securing the machine. Regulations vary by jurisdiction. Larger excavators demand more rigorous transport planning.

 

If You’re Renting/Leasing

 

Renting an excavator is an excellent way to evaluate a model’s suitability before committing to a purchase.

1. Prioritize Fit Over Deal:
   • Performance Over Price: For extended projects, don’t prioritize a low rental rate over machine performance. A poorly matched machine, even if cheaper, will lead to frustration and inefficiency.
   • Match to Project Needs: Select the model that precisely fits your project site, task requirements, and production timetable.
2. Look Beyond Immediate Use:
   • Attachment Versatility: Consider how the excavator, when fitted with various attachments, can perform multiple tasks beyond digging, such as demolition, trenching, or land clearing, to maximize utilization.

 

Tips on Inspecting a Used Hydraulic Excavator

 

Thorough inspection is crucial when considering a used excavator, focusing on both visual checks and mechanical tests.

1. Examine Hydraulic Components First:
   • Power and Responsiveness: The hydraulic system is central to an excavator’s power. Look for consistent leaks from pumps, hoses, lines, or cylinders, which indicate poor condition and maintenance.
2. Undercarriage Inspection:
   • Slewing Ring: The slewing ring connects the upper structure to the undercarriage and undergoes immense stress. Look for metal particles in lubricant or excessive play. Operate the machine to detect wobbly movement or grating sounds, as a failing ring can be a costly repair.
3. Signs of Wear and Abuse:
   • Cracks and Damage: Be highly cautious of cracks in metal structures and welds, especially on the boom or stick connecting points, as these compromise structural integrity. Compounded damage like denting or twisting of the framework should lead to reconsideration.
4. Attachments (Secondary Focus):
   • Base Machine First: Prioritize the condition of the excavator itself.
   • Attachment Condition: Still, inspect any accompanying attachments. Look for worn bucket edges, hydraulic leaks on breakers, or denting/rattling in rotary cutters, as these indicate poor condition.

 

What You Can Expect to Pay

 

Prices for hydraulic excavators vary widely based on whether they are new, used, or rented, and are influenced by factors like brand, power, capacity, features, and market demand.

New Models:

• Mid-size crawler hydraulic excavators (100-275 hp): $180,000 – $300,000
• Larger crawler excavators (300-500 hp): $350,000 – $850,000

Used Models (Conventional, 2,500-4,000 operating hours):

• Mid-size crawler excavators (good condition): $100,000 – $175,000
• Full-size crawler excavators (generally well-maintained): $175,000 – $250,000

Rental (Mid-size crawler excavator estimates):

• Daily: $800 – $1,500
• Weekly: $1,800 – $3,100
• Monthly: $5,200 – $7,000
  • Rates vary by location (coastal areas often higher) and competition. Corporate/fleet customers may receive lower rates. Rental sources include independent/national rental houses and equipment dealerships.

 

Some Financing Options

 

Buying heavy equipment often involves financing. Leasing with an option to buy can lower upfront costs for eventual ownership. Various companies offer structured programs for outright ownership.

 

Specs and Features to Consider

 

1. Weight and Horsepower:
   • Range: Midi-to-full size excavators range from 6 to nearly 100 tons, with engines from 50 hp to 530 hp.
   • Matching to Function: For excavation, prioritize power and base weight for breakout force, reach, and digging depth. For lifting, calculate lifting capacity and height.
2. Hydraulic Flow/Pressure:
   • Attachment Compatibility: Hydraulic capacity is critical for attachments. Ensure sufficient fluid flow and pressure for optimal attachment performance (e.g., a 60-inch brush cutter may need 30 gpm; low PSI can reduce shearing force).
3. Strength and Reach (Boom and Stick):
   • Boom Assemblies: Available in heavy-duty, extra-heavy-duty, or extra-long configurations for digging, heavy attachments, or extreme reach.
   • Sticks: Sized for specific functions. Buyers must prioritize breakout force versus reach and consider the weight of preferred attachments and bucket size in conjunction with boom/stick sturdiness.
4. Tracks or Tires?
   • Crawler Excavators (Tracks): Most common. Excel in soft/wet ground, offer stable ground contact, and smoother ride on rough terrain.
   • Wheeled Excavators (Tires): Can be driven on pavement without damage, are easily maneuvered in tight spots, and use outriggers for working stability. Contractors should consider them for appropriate applications.

 

Excavator Attachments

 

Excavators’ versatility is greatly enhanced by specialized attachments, many of which require specific hydraulic capacities or third-function hydraulic circuits.

• Popular Attaching Tools:
  • Auger: For drilling holes in hard-to-reach spots.
  • Breaker-Hammer: For pounding through hard materials.
  • Bucket and Thumb: The primary digging tool, with a thumb for grasping oversized materials.
  • Vibratory Compactor: For firming loose soil or aggregate.
  • Coupler: Connects excavator to tools; hydraulic quick-couplers offer hands-free changes. Tilt-rotating couplers add dexterity.
  • Crusher-Screener: Buckets that also process aggregate and debris.
  • Demolition Tools: Specialized jaws and shears for dismantling structures and processing scrap.
  • Drum Cutter: For grinding through rock or concrete.
  • Forestry Tools: Shears, saws, wood splitters, stump grinders/extractors for timber operations.
  • Grapple: Two-jawed tool for clamping and moving material in various applications.
  • Magnet: For moving irregularly shaped steel materials, common in scrap yards.
  • Mulcher: Shreds vegetation, even large trees, quickly.
  • Pile Driver: Sinks and extracts piles, girders, and casings using high-speed vibrations.
  • Rock Saw: Slices through asphalt, concrete, and granite.

 

Some Excavator Brands

 

The market features a wide array of reputable excavator manufacturers:

• American: Bobcat (compact equipment, growing excavator line), Case (diverse full-size crawlers, intelligent hydraulics), Caterpillar (iconic, wide range of mid-size, full-size, and wheeled excavators), John Deere (mid-size and full-size, operational efficiency systems), Link-Belt (full-size, forestry, material handling).
• South Korean: Doosan (crawler and wheeled models), Hyundai (wheeled and crawler mid-size, various engines, high speed).
• British: JCB (finely engineered, high-reach demolition, long-reach, mass excavation, extra heavy duty).
• German: Gradall (innovative telescoping rigid boom, various models with Volvo engines), Liebherr (wheeled, crawler, pontoon, new 8th-generation series).
• Japanese: Hitachi (mid-size and large mining excavators), Kubota (compact excavators, strong engines, expanding line), Komatsu (compact to mining, intelligent automated controls), Kobelco (full range of crawlers, specialty models), Takeuchi (pioneered compact excavator, growing mid-size line).
• Chinese: LiuGong (recent entrant, growing mid-to-full-size crawler offerings), SANY (largest excavator in China, mid-size and large in U.S.).
• Swedish: Volvo (large crawler, mid-size, and wheeled excavators).

 

Brief Summary

 

The hydraulic excavator’s global popularity stems from its unique combination of variable reach, hydraulically powered digging and lifting capacity, and swiveling base. These engineering features enable efficient operations across excavation, construction, material handling, demolition, and logging. With a diverse range of specialty models and a vast array of attachments, the excavator’s versatility extends across numerous markets. To simply call them “excavators” is indeed a misnomer; they are truly “everything-ors,” capable of transforming job sites across industries.