5 of the world’s biggest excavators and front shovels

Jason KellerNovember 14, 2022 · 2 min read

Along with dozers and dump trucks, hydraulic excavators – and their cousin, the front shovel – are one of the core workhorses of any construction or mining site where rock and dirt need to be dug out. The familiar “A” shape of these machines’ booms and sticks are a common sight around the world, regardless of whether it’s mini excavator or a massive long-reach machine.

Some of most common manufacturers of large excavators include Caterpillar, Hitachi, Komatsu, Liebherr and Terex. Here’s a look at 5 of the world’s biggest excavators:

Liebherr R9800

Weighing in at a colossal 800 tons, the Liebherr R9800 front shovel’s tracks alone are almost 11ft high, it’s 34ft to the top of the cab, and the bucket can hold 54.9yd³ of material.

Hitachi EX8000-7

With its more “traditional” rear-facing bucket, the massive Hitachi EX8000-7 excavator’s backhoe bucket has a 56.2yd³ capacity and can dig more than 8ft deep in one pass.

O&K RH400

Weighing 1,078 tons, standing 33.4 ft (10.2 m) with a bucket capacity of 58.9yd³The O&K RH400 was built by the German engineering company Orenstein & Koppel (O&K). The O&K mining assets passed to Terex, then to Bucyrus, which is now part of Caterpillar.

Komatsu PC8000-11

Another 800-ton monster, the Komatsu PC8000-11 needs 3,679 US gal for a full tank of fuel, and is powered by two Komatsu SDA16V160E-3 capable of producing 2,010 HP each.

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Hyundai R1200-9

Hyundai’s R1200-9 excavator stands more than 13ft high, has a maximum digging reach of just over 45ft and a maximum digging depth of 26ft!

Interested in excavators for sale at Ritchie Bros.? Check out our current excavator inventory.

See also

How to start a land clearing business: equipment, costs, and income potential