Heavy Equipment

Top 10 Excavators Taking Jobsites by Storm

A look at the advances made by various brands over the past 12 months.

Updated on

January 1, 2026

A HD Hyundai HX800A L excavator. PHOTO | HYUNDAI

Over the past year, hydraulic crawler excavator manufacturers were highly active, with 11 companies introducing new models and several previewing next-generation designs.

JCB unveiled its biggest machine yet, with Link-Belt and Bobcat following suit, as Komatsu, Develon, and Hyundai showcased their next-generation excavators.

Volvo continued the rollout of its most extensive redesign in over 20 years, and new offerings from Hitachi, John Deere, Case, and Caterpillar further expanded the market.

Here’s a look at brands’ advances over the past 12 months.

Bobcat

Bobcat launched its largest excavators yet, the 23-ton E220 and 25-ton E245, which joined the existing 15- and 17-ton models.

The E220 featured a 174-horsepower conventional-tail-swing engine, while the E245 used a 189-horsepower reduced-tail-swing engine.

Neither model required a diesel particulate filter. Both machines offered advanced hydraulics, four selectable power modes, one-touch power boost, and Smart Power Control. Operator comfort remained a priority, with cabs designed for reduced vibration and ergonomic control.

Case CE

Case unveiled the CX380E, replacing the CX350D, and weighing 83,114 pounds.

The 268-horsepower machine offered 56,000 pounds of breakout force for heavy-duty tasks. The cab featured heated air-suspension seats and extra legroom.

This model joined Case’s top-seller, the CX145D SR, and expanded the company’s lineup to 14 large excavators ranging from 28,900 to 159,600 pounds.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar’s 2025 excavators over 30,000 pounds, featured enhanced technology for 2D and 3D grade control, automatic material tracking, and electronic ticketing. Upgraded touchscreens and interfaces streamlined operations and simplified attachment management.

Caterpillar remained the U.S. market leader. The 340 and 336 were the top-financed sellers, and the company offered 23 models, from the 30,400-pound 313 to the 207,400-pound 395.

Develon

Develon offered 17 crawler excavator models, from the 107-horsepower DX140LC-7K to the 628.9-horsepower DX1000LC-7.

Dash-7 features included one-touch power boost, four power modes, fine-swing control, and operator-focused cabs with heating, air conditioning, and optional deluxe air-suspension seats.

Standard rearview cameras came with optional 360-degree monitoring.

Hyundai

Hyundai unveiled its biggest excavators yet, the 82-ton HX800A L and the 100-ton HX1000A L, built for demanding mining and quarrying work.

The HX1000A L has a 620-horsepower engine. It digs 23 feet 10 inches, reaches 40 feet 9 inches, and delivers nearly 99,000 pound-feet of bucket force.

Hyundai’s smaller A-Series models included multiple power modes, touchscreen monitors, and optional 360-degree monitoring.

JCB

JCB launched the 370X, an 87,000-pound excavator powered by a 322-horsepower Cummins engine. It featured an upgraded undercarriage, heavier counterweight, and increased hydraulic pressure.

The excavator came with a 21-foot monoboom and three arm-length options.

Cab amenities included a 10-inch touchscreen, high-definition twin cameras, LED lighting, heated, air-suspension seats, and Bluetooth connectivity.

John Deere

Following its split from Hitachi, John Deere focused on its P-Tier line. The 210 P-Tier, weighing 23.6 metric tons, ranked third among U.S.-financed models.

Deere introduced the 510 P-Tier, delivering 367 horsepower, a variable-width undercarriage, 270-degree camera views, LED surround lighting, and 2D/3D SmartGrade control.

Deere’s lineup included 15 models over 10 metric tons, ranging from 13.4 to 85.6 metric tons.

Link-Belt

Link-Belt’s 370 X4S replaced the 350 X4, offering 268 horsepower, electronically controlled hydraulics, and four power modes. Its cab featured high-back air-suspension seating, a 10-inch LCD monitor, and 270-degree camera coverage.

The model improved fuel efficiency by up to 7 per cent. Link-Belt’s range included 17 machines from 13.2 to 38 metric tons.

Komatsu

Komatsu introduced the PC220LC-12, improving cab space, horsepower, torque, hydraulics, lift capacity, and digging force.

The PC220LCi-12 added iMC 3.0 intelligent machine control. Komatsu’s lineup spanned 16 models over 10 metric tons, from the 13-ton PC130LC-11 to the 207.9-ton PC2000-11.

Hitachi, Liebherr, and Volvo

Hitachi’s range covered the 13.7-ton ZX130 to mining excavators exceeding 85 tons.

Features included TRIAS III hydraulics, auto-idle engines, and cabs with air conditioning, LCD monitors, USB ports, Bluetooth, and 270-degree cameras.

Liebherr launched its Generation 8 machines, from 23 to 47 metric tons, with higher engine power, heavier counterweights, reduced fuel consumption, and advanced cabs.

RELATED: Deere, Hitachi to End 30-Year JV for Excavator Production

Volvo continued its major redesign with models from the 26-ton EC260 to the 116,000-pound EC500, improving fuel efficiency, introducing 10 work modes, Co-Pilot tablets, updated seats, expanded storage, and Smart View with Obstacle Detection.

Hybrid models were also added, and hydraulic service intervals increased.

Over the past year, brands such as KOBELCO, Kato, LiuGong, Mecalac, Sany, Sunward, Takeuchi, Wacker Neuson, and XCMG have also rolled out updates or new models of large excavators.