Small and Mighty, Demand for Mini and Midi Excavators Grows

Relevance of Mini & Midi Excavators Increases in Modern Projects Causing Manufacturers to Race among each Other to Capture Demand

Despite the fact that these machines are small in size, the mini/ midi excavator have risen to become the fastest growing equipment segments due to a variety of reasons that start from more power, enhanced technological features, low to zero emissions, low noise and of course the compact size. 

Andy Brown of construction magazine cited that leading construction equipment manufacturers do have an extensive range of products mainly due to the fact that the more they have to offer, the more they are able to sell, but that is not the only reason, according to him, it is also the practicality and necessity for certain machines or specific design or sizes as the construction sphere is broad and it needs a range of different types of equipment to get things done. 

The mini excavator revolves around excavators that are below 6 tonnes whereas the midi segment involves excavators that are between 6 and 10 tonnes and as project site space decrease due to urbanisation, these machines are becoming more relevant by the day. In fact the first versions of mini excavators were manufactured in Japan more than 5 decades ago due to the rising need for such machines as cities such as Tokyo became more congested and dense with building says Chris Sleight who is among the head management of Off-Highway Research. 

Japan started exporting these miniature excavators to places such as Europe and Australia by the 80s and by the late 90s Europe had become the world’s primary mini excavator market with North America following close behind. Currently, the mini excavator is considered essential for projects across the Middle East, Asia and Australia where mini excavators for hire are available at just about any company that is involved in construction equipment rentals. 

Statistical data indicate that the total sale of mini excavators (excluding midi excavators) for 2007 was approximately 185,000 units worldwide and in 2021 this number reached more than 325,000 mini excavators sold across the globe. 

Two driving factors behind this growth is attributed to the multi-tasking ability of these machines allowing the compact excavator to take the place of conventional machine such as tractors, forklifts, dozers and backhoe loader among others in places such as Australia, Europe and North America. Apart from that, these machines also leave smaller carbon footprints, are able to manage complete 360-degree slewing and cost lower for purchase or rentals compared to conventional machines. Currently, the mini excavator is considered essential for projects across the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The lower cost, the enhanced versatility, the availability, lower maintenance, easier transportation are the primary drivers behind the high volume of sales of these machines that are selling more and more each passing year. China alone accounted for 100,000 mini excavators in the year 2020 according to Timur Abied, who is the product manager of Volvo CE. Furthermore, the fact that mini excavators are being designed to run on batteries for longer periods of time make them more relevant than ever in the near future.