From Streets to Sites: The Rise of Mini Excavators

In the last few years, compact construction equipment has been more in demand due to their easy to maneuvering and handling capability. Mini excavators have therefore grabbed more attention of higher levels in the market as the powerhouses for construction sites. Since its invention, it has never been down in demand but gained further popularity among professional and new construction contractors. With time, it has transformed a bit more in its design, functionality and performance than contractors brought it from street construction to giant site construction.

A look at the market share

The mini excavator’s demand in the construction industry has remarkably increased since the time of its launch. Some of the professional contractors have marked them as “must-have” equipment at the site.

A report released by the Highway Research industry revealed that more than 365,000 mini excavators were sold in 2018, around the world. This sale margin brought around $12.5 billion in revenue to the global industry.

According to Chris Sleight, a managing director at Off-Highway Research, the average global sales rate of mini excavators has been between 5% to 6% which is pretty high compared to the other equipment. Sleight also marked his word and said that this equipment covers the highest share of the construction equipment market, especially in North America, Europe, and Japan.

The demand for the emerging equipment sales trend is gradually increasing, beating the developed market by 13-14% annually. This change in demand has altered the market’s makeup as new markets now make up for roughly 40% of worldwide revenue, up from 30% in the early 2000s.

Is this growing market put pressure on manufacturers?

When the equipment is massively in demand, the manufacturers are under obvious pressure to meet the demand by producing more units with upgraded versions.

For example, the 26 C-1 small excavator from JCB is a 2.5-ton machine with a Kohler three-cylinder KSD engine that produces 18.4kW (24.6hp) at 2200 rpm. Innovative features include an automated “health check” at startup and hoses routed through the boom for improved visibility are included in this model.

The EC37 and ECR40 compact excavator types are the replacements for three of Volvo Construction Equipment’s (Volvo CE) smaller variants. These new versions, which are personalized from the used track excavator for sale for North American contractors, provide 10% more fuel efficiency, easier maintenance, and improved operator comfort.

HD Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe introduced eight new models to increase the number of small excavators in its lineup. These A-Series models offer zero-tail swing designs for enhanced stability during heavy lifting tasks, and their operational weights range from 1.7 to 5.5 tons.

Growing demand rate (%) and global sales unit of mini excavators in last 10 years.

How long will the mini excavator demand last in the market?

Assuming the continuous adoption of new technology and their growing market penetration, mini excavators are likely to have a lasting future in the construction and equipment market.

Earlier these machines were made to be worked with in confined places or the residential areas where the space is the major issue. Later, this mini excavator was brought onto the complex construction and mining sites due to their high-level precision and performance capabilities.

Over the next five to ten years, automation, artificial intelligence, and connection will be more common in compact equipment, according to Yanmar’s senior product manager, Pascal Duponcheele. Yanmar is concentrating on telematics deployment and the use of the data it produces to enhance machine performance, security, and remote monitoring.

With the continuous inclusion of the latest in these mini excavators, the demand will never go down as it seems from the figures and data coming directly from the market. These machines will continue to be essential to construction in the future as they keep upgrading with new attachments, substitute power trains, and improved digital capabilities.

If you are looking for a compact and efficient excavator, why don’t you check out our inventory? We at MY Equipment offer a range of used excavators and other construction equipment from leading manufacturing brands at great value. Stop by our inventory and find what you need for your next construction project.

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