Wheeled and tracked excavators are both very popular excavation equipment in construction projects. Below, we will provide a detailed introduction to the advantages and disadvantages of both, helping machine owners choose the most suitable equipment according to the working conditions, and achieving twice the result with half the effort in their engineering operations.
1, Wheel excavator
The walking mechanism of wheeled excavators is composed of tires. Generally, standard configuration vacuum rubber tires are sufficient. However, in high-temperature environments, solid tires have better performance and can cope with harsh working conditions.
Wheel excavator
Advantages: Flexible maneuverability, easy transition, low cost, low fuel consumption, fast walking speed, minimal damage to the ground, rubber tires also have shock absorption and buffering functions;
Disadvantages: Poor performance, poor load-bearing capacity, and poor stability (but can be equipped with octagonal legs to improve stability);
Applicable working conditions: hard road surfaces such as cement floors, highways, and lawns.
2, Crawler excavator
caterpillar excavator
The walking mechanism of a tracked excavator is a track, and there are also two types of chassis: rubber and steel tracks. The rubber tracked chassis can carry a body weight of 10 tons, with low noise and minimal damage to the ground. The steel tracked chassis can carry a greater weight, and large tracked excavators are generally equipped with steel tracked chassis.
Advantages: Strong off-road capability, strong passability, strong load-bearing capacity, strong climbing ability, good stability, and durability;
Disadvantages: relatively bulky, difficult to handle, slow walking speed, high cost, high fuel consumption, fast wear of parts, and significant damage to the ground surface;
Applicable working conditions: Soft and damp ground, such as mud, mud, and swamp.
3, Comprehensive comparison
After the above analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of wheeled excavators and crawler excavators, the important parameter comparison shown in the following figure can be obtained. Owners can comprehensively consider their own working conditions and select the most suitable equipment.
