How To Choose The Right Excavator

July 22nd 2022

How To Choose The Right Excavator

There is arguably no more serious consideration on an Australian job site than choosing an excavator that best suits your job requirements. An excavator is a powerful tool, and selecting the right one makes a difference. A fuel-efficient excavator means fewer tedious breaks to refuel and a more cost-effective option for you or your business. Having to work later to make up for lost time means not only potentially missing deadlines but also tired staff and clients dissatisfied with their service. That’s why taking the time to research before choosing an excavator is a must. 

How to choose the right excavator

In this guide, we will talk you through how to choose the right excavator to suit the needs of your project. While you might have some tasks that fall outside the everyday requirements of your excavator, buying an excavator that gives you some wiggle room to perform all sorts of tasks is your best bet. 

The key features to look for in an excavator are:

• Size, weight class and tail swing

Size is the first and foremost thing to consider when choosing an excavator model. To get the most out of your machine, you should ask yourself what the most desirable size would be to reach the required dig depth or the height needed to dump the matter. The proportions of the excavator are essential to access all areas of your job site, no matter how narrow. Particularly for commercial or residential properties, you must be able to reach all areas of the site to accommodate your client’s needs.

If you anticipate your everyday work will involve travelling through narrow property lines or gates, a conventional tail-swing excavator is better suited to fit those tight spaces. At SANY, you have a range of excavator sizes to choose from, from mini excavators to 80 tonnes. 

• Arm configurations

The arm configurations of an excavator provide the ability to lift and improve digging performance. For an improved reach and dig depth, a mini excavator with a long-arm option is a great choice. The extra reach and higher dump height mean you can work more, minus the time it takes to reposition the machine constantly. At SANY, our 1.7-tonne excavator can easily navigate narrow spaces — ideal for busy construction sites that need access across all areas. Its short tail swing is optimum for confined spaces.

• Power and performance

Consider the tasks that you would need your excavator to perform on-site, whether it’s a compact or larger size. Smaller excavators offer precision and power to more confined areas but less digging force and lower lift capacity than more mid-sized excavators. At SANY, however, our mini excavators are small enough to use on sites with narrow travel spaces but powerful enough for large-scale excavations, providing a durable solution for all Australian excavation needs. 

Larger models are optimum for demanding tasks, with powerful hydraulics and higher horsepower to get the job done. If you’re on the fence about choosing the right excavator, we recommend comparing equipment specifications, like horsepower, rated lift capacity, digging force and depth. At SANY, each of our excavators comes with a handy brochure online containing their specifications so that you can make an informed decision.

• Comfort features and technologies

When we think of excavators, the first thing that comes to mind is their capacity to dig and lift. We often forget about the worker that’s operating the excavator. Construction workers spend countless hours working laborious tasks on job sites. What better way to show your staff you value their time and energy than to invest in an excavator with an ergonomic driver’s compartment for their needs. SANY’s comfortable operating equipment makes an exceptional choice for infrastructure construction.

• Transportation considerations

The weight and size of an excavator also affect how you transport the machine to and from job sites. We recommend checking the weight limits of any machine you use so you can plan how to haul your excavator before choosing the size of your machine. A larger excavator will require a more significant truck-and-trailer combination than a mini excavator.

You should also take into account any weight limitations on roads or bridges you’ll be operating, if there are any local, state or federal weight limits and whether a transportation permit is required or not.

• Budget

While a larger excavator might cost you more, choosing an excavator that’s too small for the job at hand will be costly for time and efficiency since you won’t be able to complete your digs in a timely fashion. You should purchase an excavator that’s in line with your everyday requirements and provides leg room for occasional tasks you might need to complete.

• Health and safety considerations

By choosing an excavator from a reputable company for their safety and performance, you will have peace of mind that you’ve invested in a machine that’s safe and abides by the latest legislation and standards to keep your team safe. At SANY, we have all the features to look for in our excavators. They are loaded with the latest cost-reducing technology to boost efficiency and performance and give you a five-year warranty for any required services and support you could need.

Choose the right excavator today from SANY

At SANY, our variety of excavators come in every possible size to suit the needs of your project. With our growing international presence in manufacturing facilities in the US, Brazil, India, Germany and now, Australia, SANY’s powerful machines are driving construction projects worldwide. We are constantly searching for ways to build more intelligent machines to reduce our environmental impact, so our valued customers can work and live with peace of mind.

Choose your excavator at your local Australian dealer today. Contact us if you need any further information on our products.