Mini excavators are often used in a range of landscaping jobs. They can dig holes, compact soil and lift heavy objects. If you need to move large amounts of soil from one spot to another, a mini excavator makes light work of this task. And, if you need to break up concrete paving, you can do the job quickly with the right attachment added to the machine.
If you’re a landscaper researching the range of mini excavators available on the market, you may be wondering how to go about picking the right one for your landscaping project. A Kubota mini excavator for sale may catch your eye and if it matches the key features discussed below, you’ve got a winner.
Picking the best mini excavator for landscaping jobs requires looking out for key features that allow you to perform all the necessary tasks efficiently and professionally. Read on to find out what these key features are so you can make the right decision when buying a mini excavator.
What to Look Out for in a Mini Excavator for Landscaping Jobs
While there’s a wide range of excavators available, a mini excavator is often your best choice for performing various landscaping tasks. This piece of heavy machinery is compact, strong and robust enough to perform most heavy work when you’re reshaping or redesigning a garden.
However, you want to make sure that the mini excavator you pick is able to do the work without you having to bring in other heavy machinery. Use this checklist to ensure you buy the right mini excavator for your gardening project.
Check the Power
Excavators are designed to perform a range of heavy-duty tasks. When picking a mini excavator, you don’t want to compromise on power. While landscaping jobs may not be as heavy work as tasks performed on construction sites, you still want to have enough power to carry out all work required for remodelling a garden.
Check the power system of your mini-excavator and note what work can be done. You also want to know if the power is sufficient for a full day’s work. Make a list of all the types of landscaping jobs your mini excavator will need to perform and check that it’s powerful enough to fulfil all the tasks without impacting productivity.
2. Conditional Swing vs. Zero Tail Swing
Consider the type of environment your mini excavator will need to work in. If you’re working in a confined space, then pick a zero tail-swing mini excavator. This type of configuration allows the operator to work in close, confined spaces that contain obstacles such as walls and buildings.
A zero tail-swing excavator moves easily in narrow passages and the operator won’t have to worry about accidentally bumping into nearby structures. The compact excavator becomes a nimble piece of machinery for tight spaces.
3. Weight
The benefit of a mini excavator is that it’s lighter than the standard excavators. However, always check the weight of the mini excavator you want to buy and make sure it’s not too heavy for the site you’re working on. Mini excavators can weigh anything up to 10 tonnes.
When calculating the weight, factor in the operator and the loads to ensure the total mass won’t damage the site. You’ll need to consider any attachments and their weights as well when your machine is performing different tasks.
4. Match to the Type of Jobs to be Done
When looking at a mini excavator make sure it can perform all the jobs you want it to do on your landscaping project. Ask yourself if the mini excavator is able to perform the following tasks efficiently and easily:
- Digging trenches
- Excavation and compaction of soil
- Demolition of concrete structures such as sidewalks or patios
- Drilling of holes in awkwardly shaped places
The purpose of using a mini excavator is to minimise the use of manual labour. This piece of heavy machinery also allows you to reach areas that are otherwise difficult to get to. Ensure that a range of different attachments can be used on your mini excavator to perform the above-mentioned tasks.
Final Thoughts
There are many advantages to getting a mini or compact excavator for landscaping jobs. They have a smaller footprint, less impact on the site and are easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces. Mini excavators weigh a lot less than the standard excavator which means you can load them onto a trailer or truck bed for easy transportation to other sites.
Landscaping jobs we can do faster with a compact excavator compared to using manual labour. Instead of hiring a large team of workers to perform the various tasks on-site, all you need is an operator for the excavator and a smaller team of workers. Make life easy on yourself! Get the right equipment!
By using this checklist of key features, picking your perfect mini excavator for landscaping jobs should be a breeze. By adding the right machine to your landscaping inventory, you can have peace of mind your investment will do all the work you expect from a mini excavator.
