Excavators For Sale in Canada

About Excavators

Whenever you need to dig a trench, dredge a pond, tear down a multi-story building, or move scrap metal around a recycling facility, you might need an excavator (aka a “digger”) or a specialized machine based on one. Equipped with a boom and a bucket, an excavator can scoop up a load of dirt, rock, or rubble, swing (rotate or slew) the bucket to either side, and dump its contents into a trailer, pile, or dump truck.

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2023 Caterpillar 320 Crawler Excavator

Excavators give operators the ability to swap their bucket attachments for other tools, giving them incredible versatility and making them one of the most-used machines on any jobsite. Options include a grapple for material handling, a hammer/breaker or shear for demolition, an auger for drilling post holes, a ripper or rake for clearing vegetation and stumps from a building site, and others.

Excavators' history dates back to 1836 when American William Otis developed and patented a steam-powered shovel that moved from site to site via train rails.

Excavator Types & Weights

Excavators range from the smallest mini models of less than 0.9 tonnes (1 U.S. ton) to massive mining and quarrying models that can weigh more than 907 t (1,000 U.S. t). The scope of the job will determine the most efficient excavator size for your needs.

Excavators are available for sale on MarketBook.ca in these subcategories:

• Crawler Excavators
• Mini Excavators
• Wheel Excavators

When To Choose Crawler Excavators

Excavators with tracked undercarriages, also known as “crawlers” or “trackhoes,” are the best choice on loose soil due to their high traction and low ground pressure. The reason for the latter is that the (usually metal) tracks spread out the weight of the excavator over a much larger area than the tires on a wheeled model. Track excavators also provide more stability when operating on slopes. However, crawlers shouldn’t be driven long on paved surfaces, which can cause premature wear of their tracks and damage to streets and parking lots.

The Caterpillar 320 is an example of a medium crawler excavator with a 22.6-t (25-U.S.-t) operating weight and a maximum digging depth of 6.72 metres (22 feet). The Cat 320’s diesel engine produces excellent digging power as it complies with Tier 4 Final and EU Stage V emissions standards.

When To Choose Mini Excavators

Mini excavators have tracks like crawler models, but they are smaller and have an operating weight of 5,443 kilograms (12,000 pounds) or less. Compact minis like the Kubota U35 can maneuver in tight spaces in urban settings and residential backyards. They’re popular rental items and can be transported with a bumper-pull utility trailer. Although few construction machines leave lawns unscathed, the low ground pressure of mini excavators’ rubber tracks minimizes the risk of leaving deep ruts behind.

When To Choose Wheel Excavators

The vast majority of excavators for sale are crawlers or tracked mini excavators, but models with wheels, like the Hyundai Robex 210, typically provide greater mobility and maneuverability. Best used on hard surfaces, wheel excavators can be driven on paved streets without damage and can move quickly around the jobsite. That said, they don’t offer as much stability on uneven ground or as much traction on slippery terrain as a trackhoe.

Specialty Excavator Designs & Use Cases

Some excavators, like the compact Bobcat E20, have a zero-tail swing design, in which the rear of the machine’s rotating upper structure doesn’t protrude beyond the undercarriage when the operator rotates the boom left or right. Zero-tail swing models are increasingly popular with buyers and renters of smaller machines because the operator doesn’t have to worry about the rear of the cab swinging into any walls, posts, or people next to the machine while digging.

Special-application excavators, meanwhile, include long-reach dredgers, large dragline models with a bucket suspended by cables from the boom, and scrap handlers with elevating cabs that provide better visibility as the operator moves material with a grapple. Demolition crawler machines such as the Cat 340 UHD may come with high-reach arms, protective debris guards, shielded cabs, and filtered ventilation systems for the operator.

Most excavators have a diesel engine, but some manufacturers such as Bobcat, Case, and JCB make electric excavators that are emission-free and thus can work indoors. Electric diggers are also quiet enough to work in noise-sensitive sites such as hospitals. The Volvo ECR25 Electric mini excavator offers a working time of up to four hours per battery charge.

Where To Buy & Finance Excavators

Explore MarketBook.ca to find new and used excavators for sale, including huge selections of models from such leading brands as Caterpillar, Deere, Doosan, Hitachi, Hyundai, Komatsu, Sany, and Volvo. Deere and other manufacturers offer advanced, 3D grading technology that makes it easy for even new operators to dig accurately and swiftly.

If you need new or used excavator financing in Canada, Currency Canada can find the most competitive rate and terms for you.