An Introduction to Excavators in the Construction Industry

With their powerful hydraulic systems, rugged structures, and articulated booms, excavators are a staple in the construction industry. They support construction projects, assisting with tasks ranging from breaking ground and digging to lifting and removing debris.

However, excavators are far from a one-size-fits-all solution. There are a variety of excavator designs to suit a variety of tasks and a variety of project conditions. Excavator models vary from small or compact excavators for tight spaces and precision work to large excavators for earthmoving operations.

Wheeled excavators are known for their maneuverability and compatibility with hard surfaces. Often seen as an alternative to traditional crawler excavators, wheeled excavators are growing in popularity rapidly.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the basics of wheeled excavators in the construction industry. By familiarizing yourself with the pros, cons, and maintenance needs of these popular machines, you can determine if a wheeled excavator could make a meaningful addition to your fleet.

Wheeled Excavator Overview
A wheeled excavator consists of a wheeled base, a rotating cab, an articulated arm or boom, a hydraulic cylinder, an excavating bucket, and a counterweight.

The main advantage of a wheeled excavator is its wheels, which allow it to perform better than a crawler excavator in certain situations. For example, a wheeled excavator can travel at faster speeds than a crawler excavator and can travel on hard surfaces such as asphalt without any problems.

The steering of a wheeled excavator is mainly controlled by the front two tires, while the rear set of tires provides additional support. This gives the excavator excellent maneuverability and a small turning radius even on paved or hard surfaces.

The stability of a wheeled excavator is maintained by hydraulic outriggers or stabilizing legs, which can be extended to evenly distribute the weight when stationary.

Wheeled excavators are used in a wide range of applications. They are often used in urban construction projects, especially works that require a lot of movement around the construction site or where the work involves operating on road surfaces. Compared with crawler excavators, they have the obvious advantage of causing minimal damage to these surfaces and can transition smoothly between various sites.

Their compact design, coupled with versatile attachments, makes them the machines of choice for digging trenches, laying pipes or installing cables.

Landscaping tasks, such as grading, paving or building drainage ditches, is another common application for wheeled excavators. They excel in tasks that require strong earthmoving capabilities and delicate handling.

Comparison with crawler excavators
Both wheeled and crawler excavators have distinct advantages because they have specific designs for different tasks. The core of this difference lies in the difference in chassis design.

Wheeled excavators rely on a wheel system, which gives them excellent maneuverability on flat, hard surfaces and steep slopes. Their steering mechanism is similar to that of conventional vehicles, which allows good maneuverability, a larger turning radius, and the ability to reposition quickly.

It is much simpler and more efficient to use a wheeled excavator to travel between work sites, especially when it is necessary to pass through roads. Due to their faster travel speed, their speed exceeds that of crawler excavators, thereby increasing productivity.

On the other hand, crawler excavators ensure stability and traction on uneven or loose terrain such as mud or sand due to their large contact area. They evenly distribute weight on the crawler tracks, which reduces ground pressure and minimizes sinking and slipping. However, their linear movement tends to make repositioning and turning slower and more cumbersome, affecting operational efficiency and speed.

While wheeled excavators excel on hard, stable terrain like concrete and asphalt and handle slopes better, crawler excavators perform better on softer terrain. The constant contact of a wheeled excavator’s rubber with the ground makes it prone to slipping on muddy or loose surfaces.

From a fuel efficiency standpoint, wheeled excavators are generally a better choice. They require less energy to move around a job site than crawler excavators, resulting in lower fuel consumption.

Specific Benefits of Wheeled Excavators
The main benefit of wheeled excavators stems from their wheeled design, which allows them to have certain capabilities that crawler excavators do not have.

For example, wheeled excavators are incredibly fast. They can reach higher travel speeds than crawler excavators, making them ideal for projects that require frequent movement between job sites.

In addition, wheeled excavators do not damage hard surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, or pavement like crawler excavators do. Their wheeled design allows them to be used on a wider variety of projects with minimal damage to the surface.

Finally, from a long-term operational perspective, wheeled excavators are impressively fuel efficient. Their reduced energy requirements when moving on site means lower fuel consumption, resulting in significant cost savings over the life of the excavator.

Ideal Use Cases
Due to their specific design advantages, wheeled excavators are most efficient in certain tasks.

Urban Construction
Wheeled excavators are ideal for urban construction projects. Their high maneuverability makes them ideal for traversing city streets and tight spaces. In addition, their low impact on the road surface minimizes the possibility of road surface damage during operation.

Roadworks and Highways

Projects involving roads and highways require machinery that can move quickly between different work sites. The high-speed capabilities of wheeled excavators allow them to quickly transition between work sites, speeding up the overall project.

Utility Work

Whether it is laying pipes or installing cables, utility work is challenging due to the precision required and limited work areas. Wheeled excavators, with their compact design and a wide range of attachments, can complete these tasks with high precision and efficiency. In addition, their lightweight tracks ensure that existing utilities are not damaged during movement or operation.

Landscaping
The compatible attachments of wheeled excavators, coupled with their flexibility and precise control, make them very effective in landscaping projects. Their ability to cause minimal disturbance to the ground also becomes critical when working in landscaped areas with existing structures.

Bridge Construction
With their excellent stability and lifting capacity, wheeled excavators are often used in bridge construction, especially when multiple moves are required without compromising load-bearing capacity.

Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance for wheeled excavators is similar to maintaining other heavy equipment of similar size.

First, tire care is key. Regularly checking tire pressure, cuts, bulges, or signs of excessive wear can help avoid blowouts or loss of traction during operation.

Second, wheel hub bearings and axles should be regularly inspected and lubricated to ensure proper wheel rotation and balance. It is also important to inspect the brake system, steering linkage, and suspension components for any signs of damage or wear that could affect the machine.

In addition to these maintenance tasks, standard tasks should be performed regularly, such as regularly checking oils and fluids, changing filters, inspecting mechanical components, and checking hydraulic systems. Proper, regular maintenance can save you from many large, expensive repairs.

Other Considerations
Besides maneuverability and compatibility with various terrain types, there are other considerations that may influence your decision to choose a wheeled excavator over a crawler excavator.

For example, wheeled excavators have reduced ground contact resistance, which reduces the energy consumption for movement, resulting in significant fuel savings in the long run. In terms of comfort, the smooth movement of wheeled machines tends to provide a more comfortable ride for operators compared to crawler machines, resulting in less fatigue.

In addition, wheeled excavators tend to be simpler to maintain as they do not have many of the complex parts of a crawler machine's undercarriage.

Historically, the industry has been dominated by crawler excavators, but the trend of adopting wheeled excavators is on the rise, especially in urban areas. This is driven by their versatility, lower environmental impact, speed, and overall efficiency.

While both wheeled and crawler excavators have their own advantages, wheeled excavators have unique characteristics that make them particularly popular in certain situations. They offer unmatched flexibility, speed, minimal surface impact, fuel efficiency and adaptability to a variety of project requirements.

Kyotechs Machinery Shop offers a comprehensive range of OEM and aftermarket parts for excavators of varying sizes. Whether it's a small replacement part or a critical component, Kyotechs Machinery Shop can help ensure your wheeled excavator remains in top condition. Don't see the specific part you're looking for? Contact one of our dedicated parts experts and receive personalized assistance.