Bulldozer vs. Excavator: Which One Do I Need?

Bulldozer vs. Excavator

Are you looking to level the land or dig it up? Or, do you want to do both? If yes, then you will need a bulldozer and an excavator. In this blog, we’ll help you explore the difference between these two heavy machineries.

What is an excavator?

As the word suggests, an excavator is a heavy machine used for digging, scooping, and moving materials from one point to another. This machine has a large bucket attached to it, designed to be forcefully propelled towards the ground.

It is used to:

  • Dig trenches or holes
  • Mine underground areas
  • Demolish structures on the ground
  • Transport materials

The excavator comes in six types:

     1. The Crawler Excavator: It is used for mining, landscape grading, and trench digging, suited for rough and uneven terrain.
     2. The Dragline Excavator: This excavator uses a hoist rope and dragline system to get rid of soil and dirt in underwater projects, road excavations, and pile driving.
     3. The Suction Excavator: It uses water jets with a high-pressure vacuum to clear soil, debris, and dirt.
     4. The Long-Reach Excavators: It extends up to 100 feet with attachments meant for heavy-duty digging and industrial projects. This machine can reach further points compared to other excavators.
     5. The Mini Excavator: It is used for narrow job sites with delicate terrain and lots of obstacles.
     6. The Wheeled Excavator: Unlike the other excavators that are fitted with tracks, this one is designed with heavy-duty wheels. They are preferred for finished roads and pavements where they are less likely to cause any damage.

What is a bulldozer?

A bulldozer is used for pushing materials and leveling the land. This machine can be used to dig too, but in contrast to excavators, the bulldozer can dig shallow ditches.

It is also used to:

  • Clear the land of unwanted materials
  • Reshape the land based on pre-planned constructions
  • Achieve grade control for contouring, elevating, or achieving a specific slope

The bulldozer comes in six types:
1. The Crawler Bulldozer:  It is designed with a heavy plate used for loading and pushing heavy objects. Used for irregular land, fields, and plains.
2. The Wheel Bulldozer: It is designed to work on a smaller axis for ease of maneuvering. Used for water parks, stadiums, and grounds.
3. The Shiphold Bulldozer: It has a compact design and is made for use near the ocean, which is why it is designed to be rust-resistant. Used for commercial ports to move raw goods (coal) on and off commercial ships.
4. The Mulcher Bulldozer: It has a mulching attachment used for shredding and grinding large pieces of debris. Used in residential and commercial properties.
5. The Hybrid Bulldozer: It uses traditional internal combustion engine technology combined with electric components. Used in constructions where lesser fuel consumption is necessary like in landfills and mining operations.
6. The Mini Bulldozer: It is small in size which makes it ideal for picking up speed, improved versatility, and handling purposes.

Bulldozer vs. Excavator: Which machine is suitable for your construction requirements?

Let us further explore the merits of these two machineries. While they are simply different from each other, their purposes might confuse the user.

 

Excavators Bulldozers
Larger in size Smaller size compared to an excavator
Can be used on uneven land Can be used on levelled ground
Can transport materials Cannot transport materials
Can dig holes Can level surfaces and clear worksites

So, if you wish to clear land, use a bulldozer as it has more power to move materials easily. It’s also a very useful machine to flatten an area, reshape it, or create slopes as mentioned earlier. 

On the other hand, if you want to move materials, but you need to dig land for this purpose, then you need an excavator. Remember that a bulldozer cannot be used on uneven land but an excavator can do the job for you. The excavator has an element of machinery attached to it called the cab. The cab is an enclosed compartment where the operator can sit and control the machine. This cab can be moved 360 degrees, giving it complete flexibility to manage all work from one spot without moving the machine.

Need to find the right machinery for all your construction requirements? Hexco has a range of Excavators from Hyundai R210, Hyundai R215 to CAT 323D3, CAT 320GC and many more.

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