1-352-358-5200

The Ultimate Guide to Excavators

Excavators are an essential tool for any construction project. Learn everything you need to know about excavators and contact us today for excavator rental services in the United States. We also offer a variety of other rental services for your construction job, including skid steer rentals, forklift rentals, scissor lift rentals, electric manlift rentals, straight manlift rentals, articulating manlift rentals, and telescopic telehandler rentals.

What You Need to Know About Excavators:

What is an Excavator?

Excavation can mean several things to different parties. If you are in the archaeological domain, you uncover the earth, check the material, and document what you find. You will have elements of excavation in the oil and gas industry and certainly in the construction sector. The main element that several domains share when it comes to excavation is the idea of digging into the earth.

The excavation process will necessitate customized techniques and tools that help each project do what they need to do. Industry leaders across the board must make sure to conduct excavations more rigidly after they complete their due diligence on the site and general terrain.

In an excavation, you modify the site through substantial labor to mold it to meet your needs. Essentially, excavation is shifting the earth and the materials on the ground by using small to large machinery with other tools. It is an extensive process and requires, in many cases, such as trenching and even tunneling to meet project goals.

The concept deals with exploration, drilling, and general industrial applications. We will see excavation take place on a large scale in the construction industry. For instance, excavation occurs to implement new high rises, commercial buildings, multi-family homes, and other aspects such as city fountains, and even the roads that we all drive on.

The excavation process is not always the same for each project, as each project may require different techniques to reach specific goals. Remember that excavation will also require due diligence and preservation throughout the process. Site managers must conduct prep work before the excavation occurs to ensure everything is in line with standards and regulations. Then, they must make sure to stay in line with these policies during and after the build.

Site managers will account for the extent of the excavation and note boundary lines for the project before beginning the project.

An in-depth overview of excavation looks like this:

State boundaries and implement benchmarks
Make note and assess the overall area through a survey
Excavate to the planned depth
Address the non-firm soil and then implement the necessary trenches
Address the boundaries of the area
Integrate other components

As you can see, excavation requires proper planning, patience, and due diligence through all work phases.

What is Excavation?

Site managers will account for the extent of the excavation and note boundary lines for the project before beginning the project.

How Much Does a Excavator Cost?

Excavator costs will vary based on the age, size, model, and brand of the excavator. They can be quite expensive as they range from $100,000 to over $480,000.

They carry a hefty price tag because they have substantial components such as booms, buckets, dippers, and other elements that enable workers to move the earth and dig trenches or holes, and even grade the site.

Project managers also appreciate that these versatile machines enable brush removal, snow removal, and its use in demolitions.

It is essential to understand what you want when you search for excavators. For instance, your job may require an excavator with minimal power requirements and lower tonnage and fixture sizes. These basics enable you to move specific amounts of the earth or other material based on the situation.

Those who seek minimal power will need cost-effective options such as smaller excavators. But remember that smaller excavators will not act as a powerhouse and conduct significant tasks. They move small objects and cost less.

Then you must ask yourself if you need a more extended boom and if you need a customized arm. Remember to think about the excavator and your specific needs to gauge the total price you must pay.

New Excavators

For instance, new excavators can cost from $100,000 to more than $500,000. The new excavators’ price variance will depend on the brand’s quality, the necessary strength, and the additional components that you will need. Small excavators can range from $80,000 and cap out in price around $160,000. Mid-sized and larger models can range from $100,000 to $600,000 and come in 20 ton to 40-ton models.

Older Excavators

Yes, you can rely on older excavators to get the job done right. They have longevity and can last over 9,500 hours. The used excavator market will enable you to choose from small to large machines and utilize them for your project. Of course, used excavators are still just that, used. As such, you will want to conduct proper due diligence and purchase one that is efficient and effective. You don’t want to take on additional liability for no reason.

Interested parties can expect to save around 25% or more based on the used excavator they purchase. Experts always implore interested parties to go with parties who have a vested interest in sticking around for the long term as they will provide the best service regularly. Remember to seek the services of reputable companies when buying or renting excavators.

How to Operate an Excavator

Here’s how you will operate an excavator.

Get in the driver compartment and familiarize yourself with your unit.
You will notice controls, and you will use these to control the machine.
Do not forget to implement your safety belt.
Move the dozer blade by operating the controls accordingly. Usually, you will move it to the far right.
If you pull back, the blade or bucket will move up. If you push it forward, the blade or bucket will go down. Make sure to place the blade down and gain a blade hold before moving it up again to be effective.
You will use the left joystick to move the container to the left. If you move it to the right, the bucket will also move to the right.
The right joystick will enable you to push the bucket forward and bring it back to you.
As you practice, you will understand how the controls work and how you can excavate the site.

Yes, it can seem complicated at first, but you will understand how it works after an initial practice session.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Mini Excavator?

Mini excavators are crucial components of the construction and general heavy-duty project domains. These tools are useful on many build sites and help many tasks such as digging holes, grading, and even smoothing out the ground for future work.

But many project managers find that they don’t require the use of a mini excavator for the long-term. You probably also know that excavators are expensive and can be a considerable outlay in the near term. As such, renting serves as the most feasible solution for you in many situations.

You may not need a mini excavator permanently, though, in which case renting is the perfect solution. Here are some of the reasons why you would use a mini excavator in your project.

Why You Would Use a Mini Excavator

Project managers will utilize a mini excavator for:

Demolition
Constrained work area
Smoothing out the landscape
Eliminating obstacles as such as stumps
A slew of other uses

The Proper Use of a Mini Excavator

It would help if you made certain that the right people are operating a mini excavator. It is not difficult to learn, but it is a powerful machine that professionals should handle with care. Many individuals look at these machines and may let their guard down because it is a mini excavator, but they could not be any more misguided. These tools will pack a powerful punch and harm the general vicinity structures and the people present within the area.

That is why manufacturers will make sure to include instructions and warnings when deploying the machine. You will also receive these instructions when you rent these mini excavators. Remember that each mini excavator will have different instructions and materials that you should know as they may have unique properties.

Always make it a habit to keep all guidelines in mind as you manage or operate these mini excavator machines.

Many experts suggest that you conduct an inspection and a thorough test of the machine before approving it for use within your task site. You would do best by testing in a spacious testing site to understand how it works and ensure that it will meet your many construction needs.

Every single excavator model will necessitate the driver to be seated in the cab and control the joysticks present within to control the machine. A few of these cabs will have unique features, and you should get familiar with these features before taking the machine on your task site.

You will find that many of these mini excavators are tracked, but you can opt for wheels if necessary.

The Costs of a Mini Excavator

When renting a mini excavator, make sure to think about the type of make you want. You will also want to think about the model and if you want a small, medium, or large piece of equipment.

Further, you might need to add on a few materials as well. Of course, this can add to the price of the rental. These components might be necessary for your specific project, and so you will opt for those additional materials to meet your objectives. But other factors affect the price of the rental.

You must also think about how long you will rent the product and make sure that you use a trustworthy dealer that will charge you a reasonable price.

Here is what you can expect to pay when renting a mini excavator for your business.

A simple fact is that mini excavators can range from $200 to $2,000 per day. The average price for mini excavators will fall between $200 and $600, and more intense machinery will cost a larger portion. If you seek higher-quality models, it will cost around $500 to $1300 per day.

Experts usually suggest project managers rent weekly instead of a daily basis to control costs. You can expect to save over 20% if you choose to go with weekly or monthly rentals.

Additional costs will include an outsourced mini excavator operator, which will come with an expense of $20 per hour. A few rental companies may provide someone to help with the overall package price, but you must double-check to see what offers are available.

The next component is to think about the delivery fee and other fixtures you might need to run your rental.

Other Costs

You will also need to think about the other costs involved in the process. These costs include additional components, storage space for your mini-excavator and general materials, energy, and insurance.

How Much Does a Mini Excavator Weigh?

A mini excavator will weigh over 1.8 to 5 or more metric tons. That is why even if these are mini diggers, they will still deliver high performance for the right type of job.

You can see variances in these models, with some having climate-controlled cabs and other differences. Remember that different models will have quick-couplers and may require extra attachments for your specific project.

You want to enhance productivity within your projects, and you can do that by finding the mini excavator that is perfect for your particular job.

What are the Dangers of Excavations

Here are a few of the risks that you would want to account for within your excavation project.

You might hit utility lines and underground essentials resulting in explosions or other severe situations
You may accidentally create an incidence of flooding
You may accidentally excavate in a manner where you disrupt the foundation of structures within your vicinity, creating unintended destruction
Laborers may accidentally fall into the excavation and injure themselves
The excavation caves in due to lack of structural support resulting in injuries

As you can see, many risks can occur on the site and your people. It is best to take the utmost precautions when conducting these excavation projects.

Do I Need a License to Operate an Excavator?

The simple answer to “do I need a license to operate an excavator” is that it depends. It will depend upon your state or country. But in an increasing number of areas, regulators are easing rules and enabling people to operate excavators without an excavator license.

At the same time, it is necessary for those who seek to operate an excavator to show that they can control the excavator without harming themselves or others.

Operators can easily show competence by presenting a certificate.

But this is where it gets more complicated. As you may know, excavation can get complicated. That is why you must understand which class of high-risk excavator work you are taking part in for your project. The riskier the project, the more stringent the requirements become.

But recall that many excavator projects will require extensive experience and skills to bring on the right professionals for the job.

If you find that you are taking on small jobs, like working on your home with a small scale excavator, you should be fine. Yet, even when working on your home, it is best to check with the local authorities to make sure you are clear to work with your very mini excavator.

How Deep Can a Excavator Dig?

You can find excavator dig depth specifications by asking your supplier and checking the information on the mini digger’s product page. Manufacturers and suppliers realize that digging depth is an essential component for projects and optimizes digging depth.

The digging depth can range from 15 feet to further depth, depending on your make, model, and price point.

How do Excavator Hydraulic System Works?

Compact excavators well because they have substantial power. But where does the energy come from? It comes through the hydraulic systems present within these systems. If you didn’t have these hydraulic systems, you would notice a startling decline in seamless activity and a more time consuming, clunky experience. Hydraulic systems enable you to use joysticks to move your machine without taking on strenuous labor.

These hydraulic systems have over 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid, with more gallons present in a state of suspension. This serves as the base of power for mini excavators and works via pressurization. It is a fascinating concept as it has been around for more than a few centuries now. The simple idea that drives these machines is that you can not compress liquids. Currently, pumps within the system will tightly move fluids through the hydraulic system pressure moves through the system.

You now have a mechanical force that gives you leverage and increases your performance. As such, you will see that the power will engage pistons and other system parts to act. Finally, pumps are integral to the system and work a great deal in making the system move.

How to Clear Trees with an Excavator?

Clearing trees with an excavator will require a few steps:

Survey your land
Formulate a plan to remove the trees
Source machines such as excavators to remove trees
Push down trees
Eliminate tree stumps
Eliminate debris
Excavate the ground
Then resurface the soil
Dispose of the waste

The excavator in this process comes in most cases toward the latter half of the procedure, enabling you to excavate the soil. It will help you to remove the debris and the earth. You will dig deep, depending on what you plan to do in the future.

Where to Rent an Excavator: Types of Rentals

You can rent excavators from stores near you that offer these pieces of equipment to the general public or those that specialize in a more heavy-duty excavation. These rental units can be more to your needs if you obtain it from places such as RentNation that cater to those who seek more professional equipment.

The types of rentals will vary by size, equipment, attachments, and power.

You can obtain the use of mini excavators, large excavators, and even backhoe rentals at a variety of spaces. But make sure to reach out to those who can take care of all aspects of the job for the best service.

Mini Excavator Rental

These mini excavator rentals can last more than 9,000 hours if it is in the best of shape. High-quality mini excavators are known for their sturdiness and overall durability. Regarding pricing, you can rent by the day, by the week, or by the month in many cases, and you must always ensure the rental policies are in line with your project.

You can carry out a wide variety of tasks with an excavator, and it is in your best interest to conduct these tasks efficiently with an excavator. Modern excavators help many site managers to save time, money, and resources on operating the job.

Browse our mini excavators for rental in a variety of sizes, including:

If you have questions about mini excavator rentals at RentNation, reach out to us today.

4x4 Backhoe Rental

Backhoe equipment is an essential tool that is in use in many different industries. You can see that it is present in construction projects, excavation, and other work-related aspects such as demolition tasks. Companies appreciate these versatile tools for their short or midterm projects and turn to firms such as RentNation to meet their backhoe needs.

If you seek superior backhoes for your excavation project, reach out to our team of experts and us to guide you in the right direction. We will be pleased to understand your backhoe requirements and find one appropriate for your project today.

Rent Affordable Excavators for Your Next Project Today!

Reach out to RentNation today for your mini excavation, backhoe, and general construction and demolition equipment needs today. We are here to help you get to work and move on to the next projects you have in your pipeline.