7 Top Mini Excavator Brands

A mini excavator is a great choice for contractors working in tight spaces since it is smaller than a standard digger that is often unable to operate in narrow sites.

Mini excavators are ideal for small tasks such as landscaping, swimming pool installations, fixing sewer lines, and hot tub installations among others.

If you are looking for a great and reliable mini excavator, here are the seven most popular mini excavator brands to consider for your next project. 

1. Caterpillar

Naturally, Caterpillar leads our list of most popular mini excavator brands thanks to its legacy of producing high-quality and reliable construction equipment.

The US-based firm boasts an extensive range of mini hydraulic excavators from one to 10 metric tons, which allows the execution of indoor demolition work.

The Cat® 300.9D Mini Excavator is the smallest Cat excavator weighing 935 kg. With an overall width of only 2 ft 5 in, it can easily drive through narrow spaces.

This makes the Cat® 300.9D an excellent machine for indoor demolition work.

The machine’s Yanmar engine puts out a net 13HP.

On the other hand, the largest of Cat mini excavators is Cat 310 – which weighs 10,182 kg (9,601 kg with no counterweight or bucket).

The digger’s Cat C3.3B engine delivers a net 70.3HP.

2. Komatsu

Like Caterpillar, Japanese heavy equipment maker Komatsu is a highly respected brand when it comes to creating high-quality and reliable excavators.

Komatsu offers six mini excavator models with size classes of up to eight metric tons. These diggers are known for versatility and standard excavator features.

The PC30MR-5 Mini Excavator is Komatsu smallest mini excavator.

Tiny but powerful, the PC30MR-5 hydraulic excavator is built like a standard Komatsu digger with a high strength x-frame among other features.

With an operating weight of 6,812 – 7,143 lbs, PC30MR-5 delivers a net 24.4HP.

RELATED: Cat’s New Hydraulic Excavators Provide Muscle for Big Jobs

On the other hand, the largest of Komatsu mini excavators is PC88MR-11 with an operating weight of 18,739 – 19,224 lbs and a bucket capacity of 0.12 – 0.26 yd3.

Easily transportable, the mini excavator delivers high attachment flow with in-cab programmable flow rates for a wide range of attachments.

The PC88MR-11’s Komatsu SAA3D95E-1* engine delivers a net 68HP.

3. Kubota

Osaka-based Japanese multinational Kubota offers an extensive range of construction equipment including mini excavators.

Kubota offers a wide selection of mini excavators with size classes of up to 18.7 metric tons. These excavators are known for flexibility and performance.

The K008-3 Mini Excavator is Kubota’s smallest mini excavator weighing 998 kg.

Small but powerful, the K008-3 has a maximum digging depth of 2 m and a maximum reach along ground of 3 m.

The digger’s Kubota D722-EBH engine delivers a net 7.5HP.

On the other hand, the KX080-4S series are Kubota’s largest mini excavator models weighing 18.7 tons and having an overall reach of 24 feet.

4. Deere & Company

Trading as John Deere, Deere & Company is an American company that manufactures agricultural, forestry, and construction machinery.

While popular for its agricultural machines, John Deere is also one of the top mini excavator brands producing excavators with size classes of 1.7 to 6 metric tonnes.

The 17G Mini Excavator is Deere’s smallest mini excavator weighing 1,720 kg.

It offers a variable-width undercarriage and foldable blade for passing through tight doorways – which makes it an ideal machine for indoor demolition work.

On the other hand, 60G is Deere’s largest mini excavator. Weighing 6,180 kg, it offers a maximum digging depth of 3.77 m and a max digging reach of 6.23 m.

5. Bobcat

As the name suggests, Bobcat (a cat species native to North America) is a renowned maker of compact equipment, including highly versatile mini excavators.

Bobcat, a member of the Doosan Group, offers a great line up of powerful mini excavators with size classes of 2.5 to 10 metric tonnes.

The E10 Compact Excavator is Bobcat’s smallest mini excavator.

With a retracted track width of 28 inches, the E10 allows its users to easily navigate through narrow doorways and operate in tighter conditions.

6. Yanmar

Japanese heavy machinery maker Yanmar Co., Ltd. is an industry leader in compact construction equipment including mini excavators.

Yanmar offers a wide range of mini excavators with size classes of up to 8 metric tons. These diggers are known for compactness, stability and high performances.

The ViO Series, which range from 1,225 kg – 5,505 kg operating weights, are Yanmar’s smallest mini excavators.

They all come equipped with Smart Assist to enable tracking location, work hours and engine codes.

SV40, which was released in May 2020, is Yanmar’s largest mini excavator.

7. Takeuchi

Takeuchi Mfg. Co., Ltd. is Japanese heavy-machinery maker specializing in the production of crawler loaders, hydraulic excavators, and mini excavators.

Founded in 1963, Takeuchi is a world leader in the compact construction industry. The company is credited for producing the world’s first mini excavator in 1971.

After stunning the world with the first 360 degree slew excavator, Takeuchi continues to transform the market by introducing the first compact track loader.

RELATED: Top 10 Excavator Companies

What do mini excavators do?

Mini excavators are designed to perform light digging tasks such as landscaping, swimming pool installations, fixing sewer lines, and hot tub fittings among others.

What size mini excavator should I get?

The ideal size mini excavator depends on the scope of your project. If you are working in a tight space you will want to choose a small excavator. On the other hand, a bigger mini excavator is the best choice if you plan to lift heavy loads.

What brand of excavator is best?

Caterpillar is easily the best brand of excavator – for both mini and standard excavator – thanks to its legacy of producing high-quality construction equipment.

Who is the largest manufacturer of excavators?

Caterpillar is the largest manufacturer of excavators with 90+ types of diggers including mini excavators, small excavators, medium excavators, large excavators, wheel excavators, long-reach excavators, and ultra-high demolition excavators.

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