Crawler skid excavators offer a universal solution for demolition

A mecalac crawler skid excavator

By Peter Bigwood, Mecalac North America General Manager

With any demolition project, crews need reliable, powerful and efficient equipment to not only tear down structures, but also to clean up and organize debris. It’s not uncommon to find compact equipment such as mini excavators and skid steers playing a role on these jobsites due to their compact size, light weight and maneuverability. 

Another compact equipment option is the crawler skid excavator, which is well suited for both large and small demolition jobsites. They harness the speed and agility of a compact track loader and the maneuverability and digging capabilities of a mini excavator.

With the addition of exceptional reach and high flow attachments, they are ideal for demolition jobsites. The keys to their success lie in a variety of benefits. 

For a smaller-scale demolition job, a crawler skid excavator, like a traditional mini-excavator, can fit into a tight area with low clearance and break or perform other functions in any direction without repositioning the machine.

At the same time, it offers higher flow to the attachment than a mini excavator for greater power and higher reach than a skid steer, maximizing productivity. 

Put the same machine on a large jobsite for clean-up and you have a machine that can travel up to 10 km per hour with a bucket full of material and remain stable.

Meanwhile, a crawler skid excavator is also capable of digging and loading from a single position, if needed, making it a powerful solution for contractors focused on maximizing ROI. 

The crawler skid excavator‘s wide range of motion

The crawler skid excavator’s boom design provides the ability to be both compact and as far reaching as possible, which is ideal on demolition jobsites. 

In the close quarters of demolition jobsites, a side-mounted, two-piece boom on a crawler skid excavator offers an advantage due to greater compactness and a 360-degree range of motion. The articulated design features an arm that is made up of five total joints  that allows for limited side-to-side motion. Bending or straightening each joint in order allows the boom to extend almost straight in any direction. It can then fold back in on itself for maximum compactness, mobility and a zero-turn radius.

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This means that, from a single position, the equipment maintains excellent space management, increasing productivity by letting contractors dig, break or perform a number of functions within an incredibly compact 2.7-metre radius. 

Operators can take full advantage of these capabilities to ensure attachments are in the ideal position. 

To manage limited space and the need for multiple machines, a crawler skid excavator can be the ideal solution for demolition contractors looking to streamline their operations and maximize return on investment.