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Excavators are heavy-duty earthmoving vehicles are made up of buckets, arms, rotating cabs, and movable tracks. Their digging power makes them useful for a variety of tasks, from digging trenches and excavating mines to lifting and transporting waste.
Large excavators have been designed for demanding or specialized tasks. The world’s biggest excavators are used in applications like deep mining excavations and digging under difficult climatic conditions.
In this guide, we rank the world’s largest excavators by their operating weight and detail their origins and features such as their lifting capacity, size dimensions, manufacturers, and more.
Operating weight refers to the overall weight of the machine when it’s in use. This can include the weight of the fuel, operator, engine, bucket capacity, and any attachments to the machine. Operating weight is typically listed in tons, tonnes, or pounds (lb). Here’s how the biggest excavators in the world rank in terms of their weights.
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| Excavator model | Operating weight with front shovel | Country of origin |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Caterpillar 6090 FS | 1,102 tons | United States |
| 2. Bucyrus RH400 | 1,080 tons | United States |
| 3. Hitachi EX8000 7 | 911.6 tons | Japan |
| 4. Demag H740-OS | 815 tons | Canada |
| 5. Liebherr R9800 | 810 tons | Germany |
| 6. Komatsu PC8000-11 | 768 tons | Japan |
| 7. Liebherr R 996 B | 745 tons | Germany |
| 8. XCMG XE7000 | 742 tons | China |
| 9. Hyundai R1200-9 | 130.1 tons | South Korea |
| 10. Volvo EC950F | 104.5 tons | Sweden |
1. Caterpillar 6090 FS
With an operating weight of 1,102 tons and an engine rating of 4,500 horsepower, the Caterpillar 6090 FS is the world’s biggest hydraulic excavator. It was built in the United States. It’s the successor to the Bucyrus RH 400 — previously the world’s largest hydraulic excavator — and its design is modeled after that.
Some features of the Cat 6090 FS include an automatic roll-back limiter, which prevents material spillage onto the cab while also supporting maximum bucket capacity, and constant boom momentum and bucket angle, which allow for faster lifting speeds. Its undercarriage and other crawler components are reinforced to protect against wear and tear.
- Manufacturer: Caterpillar
- Country of origin: United States
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 1,102 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 68.0 cubic yards
- Standing height: 32 feet and 9 inches
2. Bucyrus RH400
Previously the world’s biggest hydraulic excavator, the Bucyrus RH400 is only slightly smaller than the Caterpillar, with an operating weight of 1,080 tons. It is also used in heavy-duty mining applications. This powerful machine is propelled by two 16-cylinder Cat 3516B engines or Cummins QSK60 diesel engines.
First manufactured by Bucyrus in the United States, it was acquired by Caterpillar in 2010, becoming part of their line of mining equipment. The original name of the model was Terex O&K RH400, until Terex was acquired by Bucyrus. (Terex was also commonly known as O&K Mining, which is where the “O&K” in the machine’s former name came from.)
Key features of the Bucyrus RH include a TriPower shovel attachment, an independent oil-cooling system, and electronic-hydraulic servo control. This front-shovel excavator can work for both shovel loading and backhoe operations.
- Manufacturer: Bucryus (now Caterpillar)
- Country of origin: United States
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 1,080 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 65.4 cubic yards
- Standing height: 32 feet and 9 inches
3. Hitachi EX8000-7
The Hitachi EX8000-7 and 7B model is built in Japan and manufactured by Hitachi. It’s currently Hitachi’s largest excavator.
The full-box section design of its front shovel, boom, and arm evenly distributes the stress and weight of loads, helping keep the vehicle stable while operating on rough terrain or lifting heavy materials.
In general, the machine is designed for safety and ease of use, with additional features like engine stop switches, an on-board inclinometer, and an auto-lubrication system supporting teams through large-scale mining activities.
- Manufacturer: Hitachi
- Country of origin: Japan
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 911.6 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 58.9 cubic yards
- Standing height: 32 feet and 6 inches
4. Demag H740-OS
The Demag H740-OS was built by the Canada-based company KMC Mining and later advanced by Komatsu. Initially, it was specifically designed to handle KMC Mining’s abrasive oil sand works, but it can be used in other demanding extraction and excavation projects as well.
Though it isn’t the biggest excavator in the world overall, it’s very powerful, working with a 4,463-horsepower engine to help break up tough materials, and it could be considered the world’s biggest oil operation excavator.
- Manufacturer: Komatsu
- Country of origin: Canada
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 815 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 52.3 cubic yards
- Standing height: unlisted
5. Liebherr R9800
The Liebherr R9800 is a mining excavator built and manufactured in Germany by Liebherr. With an operating weight of 800 tons, the R9800 is driven by two powerful diesel engines and is designed to maximize productivity.
Its key features include an electro-hydraulic system for efficient power transmission, an independent cooling system, and a closed loop swing circuit to help the machine safely decelerate and reduce fuel consumption. Its backhoe attachments also help give this machine the biggest backhoe capacity of any excavator on the list.
- Manufacturer: Liebherr
- Country of origin: Germany
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 810 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 54.9 cubic yards
- Standing height: 33 feet and 11 inches
6. Komatsu PC8000-11
The Komatsu PC8000-11 is built in Japan, manufactured by Komatsu. A surface-mining hydraulic excavator, the PC8000-11 is built to handle large-scale mining applications.
The machine is designed with an adjustable loading shovel bucket capacity that can be customized for the needs of different projects. It also comes with an in-cab LED screen that gives operators a 360-degree view of their surroundings, as well as an exhaust after-treatment system to reduce dangerous emissions.
- Manufacturer: Komatsu
- Country of origin: Japan
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 768 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 55 cubic yards
- Standing height: 32 feet and 1 inch
7. Liebherr R 996 B
The Liebherr R996 B is built and manufactured by the German-Swiss company Liebherr. Though it’s slightly lightweight compared to the previous machines, this mining excavator can exert serious power in terms of its ground pressure and breakout force.
It’s designed to handle heavy-duty excavation tasks in a variety of settings, including both tropical climates and extreme cold temperatures. It’s mainly used in coal mining activities.
- Manufacturer: Liebherr
- Country of origin: Germany
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 745 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 44.5 cubic yards
- Standing height: 29 feet 9 inches
8. XCMG XE7000
The XCMG XE700 was built in China and is manufactured by XCMG. This mining excavator is primarily used in coal mines, but is suitable for a variety of construction activities.
Some of its key features include an external valve flow regenerative system, which collects and repurposes energy produced by the machine’s lifting and loading activities, and an intelligent monitoring system that monitors the activities of the excavator in real time, ensuring that it’s functioning properly.
- Manufacturer: XCMG
- Country of origin: China
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 742 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 47.1 cubic yards
- Standing height: unlisted
9. Hyundai R1200-9
The Hyundai R1200-9 crawler excavator was built in South Korea and is manufactured by Hyundai. Its three-pump hydraulic system is designed to maximize power and precision, supporting teams through difficult excavating activities in sites like quarries and mines.
Some of its key features include intelligent power control, which regulates the hydraulic pumps based on project needs, Advanced Around View Monitoring to give operators a 360-degree view of their environment, and ECO Gauge for immediate fuel-efficiency monitoring.
- Manufacturer: Hyundai
- Country of origin: South Korea
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 130.1 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 8.7 cubic yards
- Standing height: 13 feet and 11 inches
10. Volvo EC950F
Volvo’s largest excavator, the Volvo EC950F, was originally built in Sweden. Its wide track gauge, counterweight system, and retractable undercarriage keep the machine stable while operating, making it ideal for use on rough terrain.
The machine is very versatile, with an attachment management system that stores settings for up to 20 different attachments, making it easy to switch between tasks as needed. It also comes with an electro-hydraulic operating system for faster cycle times and wear-resistant teeth to help buckets dig deeper and last longer.
- Manufacturer: Volvo
- Country of Origin: Sweden
- Operating weight with shovel attachment: 104.5 tons
- Bucket capacity with shovel attachment: 9.2 cubic yards
- Standing height: 14 feet
Looking to Rent an Excavator?
If you’re looking for an excavator, you’ve come to the right place. While the world’s biggest excavators are some mammoth machines, they’re probably bigger than the excavator size you need — most standard excavators have operating weights in the range of 10 to 45 tons. No matter what your project is, BigRentz can help you find the right equipment for the job.