Mid excavators

Mid-size excavators are the general-purpose tracked excavators seen on most road, site development and utility projects. They dig trenches and basements, load trucks, handle pipe, shape slopes and run attachments such as hammers, thumbs and compactors. The class sits between the compact machines that fit on a small trailer and the large excavators used for mass excavation and quarry work.

Useful comparison points are operating weight, transport dimensions (length, width and height) for hauling, track gauge and shoe width, and the digging envelope: maximum digging depth, reach at ground level and dump height. Engine power, pump flow, bucket capacity and arm options all change what the machine can do, so compare models in similar configurations where possible.

Across the 84 models listed here, operating weight ranges from about 13,000 to 29,300 kg (28,660 to 64,595 lb). Brands covered: Bobcat, Case, Caterpillar, Develon, HD Hyundai, Hitachi, John Deere, Kobelco, Komatsu, Liebherr, Link-Belt, Takeuchi, Volvo.