Crawler Excavators
You must have seen an excavator like this before. They have long arms and a big bucket to dig and move earth.
These excavators are also called ‘crawlers’ because they run on tracks, not wheels.
Crawler Excavators are used to:
- flatten the ground
- dig holes and trenches
- move heavy earth and rubble
- demolish buildings
Backhoe Loaders
You have probably seen a Backhoe Loader before too. They are different from crawlers because they have wheels.
They sometimes drive on the road!
Backhoes can move heavy things. They can load trucks and move materials around.
Backhoe Loaders are used to:
- clear ground
- install pipe underground
- load earth or rubble
- lifting and digging
Mini Excavators
Mini excavators are smaller than other diggers. They are not as strong but they are very useful.
Imagine a giant crawler in your back yard. It would make a huge mess.
But a mini excavator can work in your back yard, no problem.
Mini Excavators are used to:
- dig small holes
- clear ground
- get into tricky areas
Long Reach Excavators
Long Reach excavators can do jobs that are hard to get to.
What if you need to dig on the other side of a dangerous river? You will need a Long Reach Excavator to reach over the river.
Some have arms that can reach a 100 feet!
A long reach excavator can also use its long arm to dig very deep holes.
Long Reach Excavators are used to:
- dig deep holes
- reach over things
- reach high places
Skid Steers
A skid steer excavator is used for digging and loading.
It is small like the Mini Excavator. It can fit in small places too.
Some Skid Steers have tracks like a crawler. Some have wheels like the one in the picture.
Look – this guy is moving snow!
Skid Steers are used to:
- dig
- move earth, rocks, and snow
- load small things
