Small Excavator, Medium, Large or Mini? How To Determine Which Cat® Excavator You Need For Your Job Site.
Having machinery and equipment that’s flexible and built to take on a variety of tasks is key to any successful job site. Working quickly and adjusting on the fly to changing situations helps you increase productivity by reducing downtime and make the most of your machine investment. Of all machines though, one stands above the rest for its versatility and toughness: the Cat hydraulic excavator.
But while excavators help you work faster, it’s important to understand which size you need, as all models are built for different types of applications. Some are perfect for landscaping projects, while some are great for heavy-duty jobs like demolition or building commercial buildings. Not having the right excavator can slow you down, so you’ll want to make sure you get the right one.
The main difference between excavators is their operating weight, tail-swing and dimensions (their length, width and height). Operating weight m how much a machine weighs when it has a full tank of gas and the driver is sitting inside, and tail-swing design refers to where the house sits in relation to the machine’s tracks. Typically, excavators extend beyond the tracks when they’re rotating, but on some smaller sizes they don’t extend at all.
Let’s go through the different sizes of excavators and the applications they’re built to handle so you can make sure to get the one you need.
When To Deploy A Cat Mini Excavator
The Cat mini excavators are designed for jobs that require maneuverability in the tightest situations. For example:
- Indoor jobs
- Sewer line repairs
- Small demo projects
- Snowplowing
- Landscaping
- Hot tub, pool and pond installation
- Material handling
- Stump removal
- Underground excavation
Measuring anywhere between one and ten metric tons, they’re easier to transport, conserve fuel at better rates, and can make more precise digs in sensitive areas (such as n pipes or power lines).
But with a small size comes limited carry capacity and strength, and if you have a job that needs more power, you’ll need to size up.
Check out our complete offering of mini excavators to learn more.
When To Use Cat Small Excavators: Cat 313, Cat 315, Cat 317 and more.
While they’re bigger than a mini, Cat small excavators are still smaller than the industry-standard medium and large sizes (more on those below). Caterpillar classifies anything greater than ten but no greater than 32 metric tons as a small excavator.
Largely used for the same reasons as a mini excavator, small options provide up to 130 horsepower so you can dig, maneuver and travel faster inside tight or These are perfect to use if a mini isn’t strong enough to take on your job inside a limited operating area.
If you think a mini might not give you the power you need, see our inventory of small excavator models and find the one that makes the most sense for your job.
When To Use Medium Cat Excavators: Cat 320, Cat 325, Cat 330, Cat 335 and more.
These are the most versatile excavators offered by Cat. They possess enough power, reach and digging capability while still being easy to m so operators can take on a wide range of applications and tasks.
Ranging from about 22 to around 38 metric tons, they pack enough power to make them for larger job sites ground impact, so you won’t damage your working surface. This comes in handy if you’re working in a residential or commercial area and can’t damage the terrain around your job site.
With the ever-changing nature of construction projects, medium excavators are usually the perfect solution. They work best while doing:
- Utility work
- Trench digging
- Demolition
- Debris removal
- Road and bridge construction
- Building construction
Explore our fleet of medium-sized excavators.
When To Use A Cat Large Excavator: Cat 336, Cat 352, Cat 374, Cat 395 and more.
Cat’s heaviest excavators come in at over 90 metric tons. Because they cause heavy damage to the ground, they’re never used on finished sites or in urban areas; only deploy them for jobs that require heavy lifting and power. Here are a few of the large-scale tasks you can take on with a heavy excavator:
- Large-scale demolition
- Truck loading
- Commercial construction projects
- Digging foundations for commercial buildings
- Large-scale earthmoving
- Mine digging
- Pipeline installation
Check out the different large excavator models available on our website.
Boyd CAT Can Help You Determine Which Excavator Is Right For Your Team
Getting the right excavator is crucial for ensuring your job site runs smoothly and productively. Our team at Boyd CAT can help you find the new or used machine you need and answer any questions you might have. Please reach out if you’d like to purchase an excavator, come in for service and maintenance or learn about the technology options available.