Monday, February 23, 2009

Compact Backhoe Loader

Compact backhoe loader is a popular excavation and engineering machinery vehicle consisting of a tractor, bucket, rear end backhoe and front shovel. These type of loaders, despite being small and versatile, are utilized in small time excavation and construction work and projects.

If the compact backhoe loader has backhoes and loaders as attachment, it must not be referred to as tractor because it does not possess a PTO and utilized for towing purposes.


On the other hand, when a backhoe serves as an attachment, the compact backhoe loader possesses a seat which swivels toward the back in order to reach the controls of the backhoe. Any detachable backhoe attachment normally has a seat that is separate from the backhoe attachment itself.

Backhoe loaders are actually equipment which are commonly utilized for various heavy tasks such as power building, light transportation, construction, excavation, trenching and paving streets and roads and breaking of aspalt.

Actually the backhoe bucket can be replaced with other tool attachments like breakers for smashing and breaking rocks and concrete. There are other various loader bucket attachments that offer bottoms which can retract, enabling it to be able to do emptying tasks quicker and more efficiently.

Compact backhoe loader equipments are available in various popular and established brands, albeit you can have a used or refurbished loader that is still excellent quality or at least in good condition at a much lesser price.
Image credit: light sketch

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Compact Excavators and Trenchers - Differences Between Them

Both compact excavator equipment and trencher are popular, affordable and product. They can also do the heavy work load, however, there are differences as far as some aspects especially when performance, productivity and utility installations are concerned.


The average depth measurement for installations in residential application is somewhere between 40 and 50 inches. The ordinary trench equipment digging such depth boasts of 20-25 horsepower engine which costs 40,000 US dollars.

The compact excavator on the other hand is 2 metric ton size and utilizes a 30 horsepower engine at around the same cost. The glaring difference between these two is seen when there is a need to dig much deeper. The compact excavator easily digs deeper to 8 more feet and over, while with a trencher, an engine of 100 HP is need and will cost US$90,000.


Trenchers are between than compact excavator when it comes to straight trenching at average depths. On normal conditions, a trencher works up to four times faster than a compact excavator. Trenchers are also excellent in wooded locations, where logs and roots can cause buckets to perform slow digging.

However, when it comes to overall versatility, the compact excavator equipment can perform better than the trencher, especially with all the attachments on it. On the other hand, an excellent quality trencher digs much faster than the compact excavator.
Image credit: mini excavator by mwboechmann, trencher by straykat

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Komatsu Excavators - World's Most Popular Excavator Equipment

Komatsu Engineering Company in the 1990s launched a new line of Komatsu excavators that eliminated the usual counterweight design. And so the tight tail swing excavator equipment was products. These machineries are now used extensively in the US and all over the world.


As in any other brand of excavating equipment, Komatsu excavators are engineering and construction vehicles that consist of a bucket and arm as well as a mounted cab on an undercarriage possessing wheels or tracks. The design of excavators is actually a progression from the typical steam shovel.

Albeit many construction and engineering equipment and vehicle companies manufacture Hydraulic excavators, Komatsu is now the top manufacturer of excavating machines today. For every excavator of another brand model, there exist three Komatsu Excavators. What is great about the Komatsu brand is its wide variety of model designs and sizes. Of course, the much smaller machines, known as mini excavators, are also available from this company.

Komatsu excavators are utilized together with bulldozers and loaders. The wheeled versions as well as the compact excavators possess small backfill blades, which are horizontal and bulldozer like and are attached to undercarriages. Such blades are useful in pushing and placing back excavated materials back to the created hole.
Image credit: mwboeckmann

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Case Skid Steer Loader


A heavy machinery with a rigid frame, the case skid steer loader is mainly powered by an engine. It has lift arms that can are utilized to attach various labor saving devices and tools. Skid loaders are actually four wheel drive machinery possessing drive wheels on the left side, which are independent of right drive wheel. With left side not dependent on the right, and vice versa, the rotation direction and the speed of wheel determine the direction on which the loaders turn.

What is great about case skid steer loader is that it has the ability to turn on its tracks. Because of this capability, it is very maneuverable. Skid loaders are in fact one of the most valuable heavy machinery. If you need a machine that can do work that would need an agile, compact loader, the case skid steer loader is best for this job.

Case skid steer loader heavy equipment of today now has a cab that is fully enclosed, this aside from the many safety features that are mean to provide protection to the operator. And just the same as other types of front loaders, the case skid steer can actually scrape debris and other construction materials from one area to another, carry the scrape of any material into a bucket, or simply load such material on a trailer or track.
Image credit: Elliot P

Monday, February 2, 2009

Compact Excavator - Mini Hydraulic Type

The compact excavator is either a wheeled or tracked vehicle that has an operating weight of around 13,000 pounds. The vehicle likewise has the standard back fill blade and also a boom swing. Compact hydraulic excavator is popularly called mini excavator. Among the world brand of compact excavating equipment, the Komatsu excavators are the most popular and widely used.


A compact excavator differs from other kind of heavy construction or excavating equipment or machinery as all functions and movement are done via hydraulic fluid transfer. Its blade and work group are made active by hydraulic fluid, which acts upon its hydraulic cylinders. Function involving travel and rotation are also performed with the help of hydraulic motors, which are also powered by hydraulic fluids.

Almost all models of compact excavator possess three assemblies – undercarriage, house and work group.

The undercarriage of a compact excavator is composed of steel or rubber tracks, rollers, drive sprockets, associated structures and components and idlers. Undercarriage acts as home to work group and house structure.

One can find in the house structure the hydraulic pump, operator and engine compartments and distribution components. The undercarriage top of a compact excavator is attached to the house via the swing bearing.

The work group is composed of the arm or dipper, the attachment and the boom. The work is connected to the house structure front thru a swinging frame, allowing the work group to pivot hydraulically.

You can find a compact excavator commonly used in residential buildings. These compact hydraulic excavators are usually utilized in digging telephone lines. They are so small that they can go anywhere, even between residential homes.
Image credit: timtak

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Excavating Equipment - CAT Bulldozers, Excavators and Loaders


One of the largest construction and excavating equipment manufacturer – the Caterpillar Incorporated or CAT is a US company based in Illinois. Illinois. It is known all over the world as the biggest producer of equipment for construction and mining.

The CAT Company is famous for its wide variety of construction and excavating equipment which are colored yellow. It produces widely utilized heavy equipments meant to do heavy jobs such as excavators and compact backhoe loader equipment. One of the more popular CAT equipment of today is the Caterpillar D11 bulldozer.

The CAT history starts in the late part of the 19th century when the Best and Holt families pioneered in the creation of tractors for farms as well as engines that are powered by gasoline.

After World War 2, Holt and Best merged and continued inventing and producing equipment. The growth of their company was very fast, and years after, CAT excavating equipment as well as construction equipments were being produced. In the year 1950, it saw the start of the development of CAT Company into a huge company.

CAT equipment ranges from track type tractors to hydraulic excavating equipment, motor graders, backhoes, compact excavator, wheel loaders, off road truck, turbines, gas and diesel engines and tractors.

Indeed, the Caterpillar Company is considered a leader in the production of construction and excavating equipment. Their products are to be found and utilized in various sectors such as mining, constructing, energy, building, excavating to just name a few.
Image credit: thejesse