Equipment and Machinery Articles

Excavation equipment guides: excavator sizes and weights, mini excavators, skid steers, backhoes, attachments, costs, and brand comparisons.
Excavator Undercarriage Wear and Maintenance

October 02, 2026 | Matt

Excavator Undercarriage Wear and Maintenance

A practical guide to excavator undercarriage wear and maintenance: the eight wear points to measure, track tension and sag specs, component replacement thresholds, operating habits that accelerate wear, and how to plan parts swaps before a full track group rebuild.

Excavator Thumb Attachments

September 27, 2026 | Matt

Excavator Thumb Attachments

A practical guide to excavator thumb attachments: the three thumb types, how each mounts to the stick or bucket pin, what to check for machine compatibility, the jobs where a thumb pays for itself, and the safety habits that keep operators out of trouble.

Do You Need a CDL to Haul Heavy Equipment?

September 26, 2026 | Matt

Do You Need a CDL to Haul Heavy Equipment?

A plain-language guide to CDL and hauling rules for heavy equipment: the GVWR and GCWR thresholds that trigger a Class A license, when a USDOT number and medical card apply, trailer brake and hitch limits, and the four-tiedown securement standard.

How to Operate an Excavator

September 25, 2026 | Matt

How to Operate an Excavator

A beginner-to-intermediate guide to running an excavator: ISO and SAE control patterns, the pre-shift walk-around, digging and loading technique, traveling safely, and the OSHA rules that apply.

Skid Steer vs. Compact Track Loader

September 23, 2026 | Matt

Skid Steer vs. Compact Track Loader

Compact track loader or wheeled skid steer? How ground pressure, traction, rated operating capacity ratings, undercarriage costs, and duty cycle decide the right machine.

Tracked vs. Wheeled Excavators

September 21, 2026 | Matt

Tracked vs. Wheeled Excavators

Tracks or tires? A practical comparison of tracked and wheeled excavators covering traction, stability, digging depth, travel speed, transport, and lifetime undercarriage costs.

Buying a Used Excavator: What to Inspect

September 19, 2026 | Matt

Buying a Used Excavator: What to Inspect

A used excavator inspection checklist covering undercarriage wear, hydraulic leaks, engine smoke, structural cracks, oil analysis, and the loaded function test that reveals what the meter hides.

Choosing the Right Compaction Equipment

September 16, 2026 | Matt

Choosing the Right Compaction Equipment

Matching plate compactors, jumping jack rammers, and vibratory rollers to soil type, lift thickness, and site access so fill actually reaches the density the job requires.

How Many Yards Can an Excavator Move Per Hour?

September 05, 2026 | Matt

How Many Yards Can an Excavator Move Per Hour?

Excavator production rates explained: the standard yards-per-hour formula, typical cycle times and bucket fill factors by material, job efficiency and the 50-minute hour, bank vs. loose yards, and worked examples for mini, mid-size, and large excavators.

Renting vs. Owning an Excavator: How to Decide

September 04, 2026 | Matt

Renting vs. Owning an Excavator: How to Decide

How to decide whether to rent or buy an excavator: the utilization threshold, true ownership and rental costs, rental rate math, and the used-machine and rent-to-own middle paths.

Why Heavy Equipment Gets Stuck—and How Contractors Recover It Safely

September 02, 2026 | Matt

Why Heavy Equipment Gets Stuck—and How Contractors Recover It Safely

Every contractor has a stuck-machine story, and almost every one of them starts the same way: "it just sank." But heavy equipment does not get stuck by ac…

Electrifying the Construction Site: Caterpillar's Revolutionary Electric Excavator

January 15, 2024 | Matt

Electrifying the Construction Site: Caterpillar's Revolutionary Electric Excavator

Find out how Caterpillar's electric excavators are revolutionizing the construction industry. They're reducing emissions and lowering costs!