The global trend in construction sites is that they are becoming smaller. As urban areas get more build-up we are seeing a trend towards urban densification. We need to optimize smaller spaces which means that smaller equipment needs to be utilized. There are three machines that can be used on these smaller sites: mini excavators, TLBs, and skid steers. If you want to see my blog where a put the mini and the TLB up against each other, click on this link: https://www.vikfin.co.za/post/tlb-vs-excavator-which-machine-is-best-for-your-project.
In this blog, we are going to throw the mini and the skid steer into the ring to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both.
We will start by looking at the skid steer. It is a lightweight machine used to dig, but it can also push, pull, and lift materials. The skid steer stands out for numerous reasons. The first and most commonly noticeable is that it can turn 360 degrees without having to travel in the process either forward or backward. This makes the machine especially well-suited for service in close quarters with relatively little room. As far as flexibility is concerned, the skid steer can be relied upon simply because of the number of attachments available for it to do a greater variety of jobs. There are well over 1000 different styles of skid steering attachments, each suited to working on a different kind of job. This makes the skid steer exceptionally versatile. You could argue that it is a jack of all trades, and master of none. It is great for landscaping and tighter earthmoving space activities, and as well as close-to-ground operations such as stump mulching and auger drilling, skid steers provide lower ground pressure and less noise than most other construction machines, and faster travel speeds to optimize performance.
A mini-excavator is a tracked or wheeled vehicle with a slew of applications. It can weigh up to 10 tonnes, which is the cut-off point for a mini-excavator in my opinion although there is no hard and fast rule on this.
An excavator’s main feature is its boom, or which works at the end using a bucket or attachment. The boom leads to the cab, which swivels itself on its parallel tracks to provide 360-degree operation without maneuvering the entire machine. This swivel action combined with extended reach makes it extremely useful for applications such as digging, trenching, dumping, and mulching (such as tree branches). Excavators exchange maneuverability for far greater on-the-job capacity. You wouldn’t need such a tool to move a pallet, but it is invaluable for big jobs in construction, demolition, and landscaping.
Here are a few of the tasks that we think are best done by mini excavators:
Trenching
Large-scale backfilling
Rock-breaking
Installing concrete soaks
Installing concrete grease arrestors
Demolition
Digging pools
Rock-breaking
Tree removal
Which one is better?
Generally speaking, skid steers are mostly used for residential and smaller-scale projects. The maneuverability of the skid steer makes it particularly ideal for jobs where the material is to be stacked up or spread out, or requiring tricky turns. But the mini excavator would be more useful on a worksite where earthmoving is a bigger priority. Although maintenance costs are usually slightly higher than those of a skid steer, if you need to dig down into the ground or move loads with extended reach, a mini excavator is the best option.
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