What is the smallest mini digger?

According to Patrick Baker, Kubota product manager For construction equipment, “the ultra-compact market remained robust during 2020 due to a strong rental market and a landscaping and residential push due to the pandemic.” “In comparison to previous years, more people are finishing hardscape, landscaping, and residential projects.”

These small mini diggers are ideal for beginning DIYers who want to replace the manual effort of a shovel and wheelbarrow with a speedier, less back-breaking alternative. First, because of their compact size, they are easy to move and fit into yards.


These machines are simple to transport and can be placed into a trailer and pulled behind a full-sized pickup vehicle, making them perfect for homeowners. Because of their small size, they can fit through regular doorways, gates, and other restricted areas.

The retractable undercarriage and blade with removable end bits are perfect because they allow the operator to work in tight spaces while also allowing them to be extended once in place and ready to work.


When performing street or utility work, these ultra compact diggers have a smaller footprint, causing less ground disturbance in yards and causing less concrete and asphalt damage. They are also less likely to collide with any barriers, such as adjacent landscapes or structures, because to their diminutive size.


“Smaller excavators really shine wherever they fit,” says Justin Steger, site development and subsurface solutions marketing manager for John Deere. “Take, for instance, a landscaper working in a residential subdivision where the lot lines appear to be getting closer and closer. As a result, fenced-in property lines have tiny gates. A smaller excavator may fit through the gate and get to work sooner, rather than bidding gate removal and replacement, or worse, gate repair due to damage into the job. Because you cause less damage and inconvenience to their property while on the job, you'll usually have a happier customer.”

Miniature Models
Do you want to buy or rent one of these miniature machines? Let's take a look at some of the tiniest excavators available from various manufacturers.

E10 Bobcat
Bobcat's E10 has a retractable track width of 28 inches, allowing it to readily travel through compact spaces and operate in tighter settings. This equipment is a zero tail swing compact excavator, which allows for the most slewing and depositing freedom while also giving protection from construction impediments.

The E10, like the rest of Bobcat's excavators, comes with increased performance, uptime protection, comfort, and serviceability features, according to Jason Boerger, Bobcat's marketing manager for excavators. “Selectable control pattern, two-speed travel, and retractable blade and undercarriage are among the performance characteristics. Operators may simply switch between ‘excavator' and ‘backhoe' with the configurable control pattern, and two-speed travel helps them to navigate faster on the jobsite.”

The hydraulically activated retractable undercarriage on both the E10 and Bobcat's E20 allows operators to access tight gates and entrances while preserving the excavation machine's power. Both types have a retractable blade that enables for more manoeuvrability in tight spaces.


The K008-3 excavator from Kubota is the company's smallest model. This ultra-compact excavator has two-speed travel, foldable ROPS for simpler excavator entry into tiny workspaces — notably doorways and elevators to complete work indoors — and a quick operating control pattern conversion, offering either ISO or SAE. The K008-3 also incorporates a width-adjustable track frame and blade, allowing the excavator's width to be reduced to an ultra-small 28 in. with the push of a single lever. A dependable Kubota E-TVCS engine and easily accessible repair areas are two more significant aspects of the K008-3.

According to Baker, “Maintenance on the K008-3 is basic and uncomplicated for the owner and/or operator.” “During operation, the bucket hoses are shielded from damage and debris. Kubota increased hose and boom cylinder protection on the K008-3 by incorporating hydraulic lines inside the boom and dipper arm. Daily checkups and inspections are quick and uncomplicated thanks to the fully opening hood and redesigned engine layout.”

The 17G from John Deere is up next. The tiny, robust 17G, unlike other models in the company's G-Series, has a variable-width undercarriage and foldable blade, making it perfect for tackling large work in limited places.

“The 17G undercarriage, as well as foldable wings, can be hydraulically retracted to narrow the backfill blade,” explains Steger. “This reduces the whole machine width to a minimum of 39 inches, allowing it to cross narrow routes and tight quarters. Once on the other side of that gate or beyond the obstruction, it can be readily relocated and enlarged for firm stability. This characteristic enables our 17G to work in areas where other machines are unable to.”

TB210R by Takeuchi
Takeuchi's TB210R has a 2,535-pound operating weight, a dig depth of 5 feet, 9.1 inches, and a maximum reach of 10 feet, 9.4 inches. This ultra-compact model has a retractable undercarriage that extends from 40.2 inches to 29.5 inches, allowing it to fit into even the tiniest of areas.

“The unit is a short tail swing type with its track extended,” says Takeuchi product manager David Caldwell. “There's also a backfill blade with extensions, pilot controls, a pattern change valve, and two-speed travel,” says the manufacturer. Its foldable ROPS let it to enter low-clearance regions, and its serviceability is enhanced by its conveniently accessible design.”

The SV08-1D is Yanmar's smallest mini excavator, weighing only 2,348 pounds. The SV08-1D features a maximum width of 2 ft. 9 in., a folding ROPS, and an ultra-tight tail swing for working in compact spaces, especially inside.

“The SV08-1D was designed with indoor refurbishment in mind. Users may easily pass through a typical internal doorway thanks to the foldable ROPS and adjustable track width,” says Yanmar product specialist Erik Coyle. “It's also great for landscaping, irrigation, and plumbing jobs that require little ground pressure. The environmentally friendly, ultra-low-noise engine is perfect for household use. In the proper applications, it's a fantastic machine.”


The SV08-1D includes auxiliary hydraulics with a maximum flow of 5.2 gpm at 2,625 psi as standard. The machine also comes with a 2,360 lbf breakout force, 1,550 lbf tractive force, and a four-year/4,000-hour warranty.

Volvo Construction Equipment's smallest model, the 1.8-ton ECR18E, has an ultra-short tail radius that allows it to fit into areas as tiny as 39 inches. The flexible undercarriage on the ECR18E can be adjusted from 39 to 53 inches. Customers impacted the design of the ECR18E, which includes a big cab with well-placed handrails, metal panels all the way around for ease of maintenance and repair, and side-by-side coolers that allow even cooling for the hydraulics, according to the business.

Excavator Volvo
Because of its small size, light weight, and four tie-down points, it's also easy to transport, according to John Comrie, Volvo's product manager for compact excavators and compact loaders. “Place it on a tiny trailer with three buckets and a hydraulic breaker, and you're ready to go.” The ECR18E also features a unique high-profile counterweight, a four-pillar canopy that is ROPS/TOPS/FOPS approved, and a simple, uncluttered operator environment, all of which contribute to our focus on safety. We improved service accessibility and made maintenance stations more accessible.”

The 2-ton 19C-1E is JCB's most small model and the company's first fully electric micro excavator. The 19C-1E is powered by a four-battery pack with a capacity of 417 Ah (20 kWh) and can work for a whole day on a single charge.

According to Chris Lucas, JCB's excavator product manager, "the 19C-1E is perfectly suited to construction and excavation activities within enclosed or urban jobsites, or noise- and emissions-sensitive settings such as hospitals and schools." “It has the same power as JCB's diesel-powered 19C excavator, but emits a quarter of the noise and produces zero exhaust emissions.”

A Bosch Rexroth load-sensing hydraulic system for superior digging performance to a maximum dig depth of 8 ft, 5 in., a fully glass cab, and a retractable undercarriage to easily handle confined passages and entrances are among the other characteristics of the 19C-1E.

What are the most common uses for excavators (diggers)?

Excavators are construction vehicles that are used to dig up or move huge things. Excavators are made up of two main components: a driving base and a powerful boom arm with an excavation attachment. The arm is controlled by the operator, who sits in a small cab connected to the base.
The excavator's mechanical arm is controlled by a hydraulic force generated by the excavator's hydraulic system. It is also propelled by a chain wheel mechanism.

Excavators are employed in both large and minor construction projects. They've been used to excavate, move construction material, and remove construction waste on smaller housing projects, in road construction, in marine structures to place armors and large rocks, and in larger sites to excavate, move construction material, and remove construction waste, among other things..... Excavators are divided into numerous categories based on their use, brand, and purpose.

Excavator is a machine that is used in construction.

Excavator Use in Construction

In the construction industry, the excavator is perhaps the most often utilised machine.

An excavator can be used for a variety of tasks.

Trenches, pits, and foundations are dug.
Handling Demolition Materials
Landscaping and general grading
Hydraulic attachments for brush cutting
Forestry labour includes pipe lifting and placement.
Open-pit mining, in particular, but not exclusively, is a form of mining.
Dredging of rivers