Drag Line Excavator

Drag line excavator systems are heavy machinery that is used in civil engineering, surface mining, and excavation. With civil engineering, the smaller types are used for road and port construction. The larger types of drag line excavators are used in strip mining operations to extract coal. These are among the largest types of mobile equipment and weight upwards of 10,000 tons!

Forklift

Sometimes called a forklift truck, the forklift is a powerful industrial truck that is used to lift and transport material by steel forks that are inserted under the load.  Forklifts are commonly used to move loads and equipment that is stored on pallets.  The forklift was developed in 1920, and has since become a valuable piece of equipment in many manufacturing and warehousing operations.

Compact Excavator

The compact hydraulic excavator can be a tracked or wheeled vehicle with an approximate operating weight of 13,300 pounds.  Normally, it includes a standard backfill blade and features an independent boom swing.  The compact hydraulic excavator is also known as a mini excavator.

A compact hydraulic excavator is different from other types of heavy machinery in the sense that all movement and functions of the machine are accomplished through the transfer of hydraulic fluid.  The work group and blade are activated by hydraulic fluid acting upon hydraulic cylinders.  The rotation and travel functions are also activated by hydraulic fluid powering hydraulic motors.

Cranes

A crane is a tower or derrick that is equipped with cables and pulleys that are used to lift and lower material.  They are commonly used in the construction industry and in the manufacturing of heavy equipment. Cranes for construction are normally temporary structures, either fixed to the ground or mounted on a purpose built vehicle. 

They can either be controlled from an operator in a cab that travels along with the crane, by a push button pendant control station, or by radio type controls.  The crane operator is ultimately responsible for the safety of the crews and the crane.

Harvester

The harvester is a type of heavy machinery that is employed in cut to length logging operations for felling, buckling, and cutting up trees. Normally, a harvester is employed alongside a forward that will haul the logs and trees to a roadside landing.

Harvesters were developed in Sweden and Finland, and today they do nearly all of the commercial felling in these countries.  They work best for  less difficult terrain for the clear cutting area of forest.  For steep hills or removing individual trees, chain saws are normally preferred.  In the nordic countries, small and agile harvesters are used for thinning operations and manual cutting is only used during extreme conditions or by self employed owners of the forest or wooded area.

Dump Truck

Dump trucks or production trucks are those that are used for transporting loose material such as sand, dirt, and gravel for construction.  The typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open box bed hinged at the rear, with the front being able to be lifted up to allow the contents to fall out on the ground at the site of delivery.

Dump trucks come in many different configurations with each one specified to accomplish a specific task in the construction chain.

Skid Loader

credit to Arthur's Clipart

The skid loader is a rigid frame, engine powered machine with lift arms that are used to attach a wide variety of labor saving tools or attachments. Skid loaders are normally four wheel drive with  left side drive wheels that are independent of right side drive wheels.  With each side being independent to the other, the wheel speed and direction of rotation of the wheels will determine which direction the loader turns.

Backhoe Loader

Also referred to as a loader backhoe, the backhoe loader is an engineering and excavation vehicle that consists of a tractor, front shovel and bucket and a small backhoe in the rear end.  Due to the small size and versatility, backhoe loaders are common with small construction projects and excavation type work.

Bulldozer

The bulldozer is a very powerful crawler that is equipped with a blade.  The term bulldozer is often used to mean any type of heavy machinery, although the term actually refers to a tractor that is fitted with a dozer blade.

Often times, bulldozers are large and extremely powerful tracked vehicles.  The tracks give them amazing ground mobility and hold through very rough terrain.  Wide tracks on the other hand, help to distribute the weight of the dozer over large areas, therefore preventing it from sinking into sandy or muddy ground.