Heavy equipment is important to many industrial operations, from construction to demolition. There are many reasons to familiarize yourself with these types of equipment, especially if you plan to enter an industrial field one day. Even if you plan to design a custom home, it’s helpful to be able to identify the working equipment. Here are some of the common types of heavy equipment and their applications you should study.
Excavators
Hydraulic excavators are pieces of heavy equipment that feature a long arm known as a dipper or stick. This arm usually features a bucket that helps construction workers, builders, and other industrial workers dig or demolish materials. The excavator’s undercarriage parts support the weight of the cab, arm, bucket, and its contents, so these machines require regular undercarriage maintenance. Some common applications for excavators include earthmoving, demolition, forestry, and excavation, as their name implies.
Backhoe Loaders
Backhoe loaders are unique pieces of heavy equipment that combines the abilities of a backhoe, a tractor, and a loader. The backhoe mechanics are on the back of the equipment, and the loading mechanism faces the machine’s front. This type of equipment is ideal for construction teams that handle many different tasks on-site because they can utilize one machine for a variety of needs. Some common applications of backhoe loaders are excavation, construction, digging, and transporting.
Dump Trucks
Dump trucks, or dumping trailers, feature a base frame and mounted bed. The back of the truck’s bed works on a hinge so that operators can dump materials from the front end. Transport is the main application for dump trucks. In fact, these trucks haul all kinds of materials to construction and industrial sites, such as soil, gravel, lumber, scrap metal, sand, and more. Dump trucks are sturdy and versatile to transport a variety of materials across difficult terrains.
Skid Steer
While the previous heavy equipment examples are all quite large, skid steers are on the smaller end of the machinery size scale. These smaller pieces of equipment pack a lot of power. The primary feature of the skid steer is digging, as they feature a bucket attached to the front that is sometimes even larger than the cabin. These machines typically have limited steering mechanisms and require the operator to skid by turning the right and left wheels at different intervals.
Now you have a better idea of some of the most common types of heavy equipment and their uses. Whether you’re planning to start a construction business or build a custom home, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the equipment you’ll work with.
