Heavy Equipment

Top 10 Excavator Brands

A quick overview of the world’s best excavator brands & companies.

Updated on

January 10, 2024

Volvo Excavator — A Volvo excavator. PHOTO | COURTESY

An excavator is a heavy construction machine consisting of a boom, bucket and cab on a rotating platform. The cab sits on top of an undercarriage with tracks or wheels.

Excavators, also known as diggers, are primarily used for construction activities such as the digging of foundations and shafts.

Here are the world’s 10 best excavator manufacturers:

1. Volvo CE

Volvo Construction Equipment, a subsidiary of Swedish car maker Volvo, develops, manufactures and sells equipment for construction-related industries.

It is one of the world’s most popular excavator machines. Indeed, for some people, the Volvo digger is the best excavator in the world.

Volvo excavator brands are built with responsive advanced hydraulics. Their fit systems are versatile for “easy bucket and tool change out”.

Volvo CE says its crawler excavator is designed to deliver long-lasting performance, strength, power and unrivaled fuel efficiency.

2. Caterpillar Inc.

Based in Illinois, United States, Caterpillar Inc. ranks second on the list of the biggest excavator companies worldwide and holds a decent global market share for excavator manufacturing.

The company owns Bucyrus RH400, a front shovel excavator that holds the title of the world’s largest excavator brand. The excavator machine weighs around 980 tons.

Caterpillar excavator brands are widely said to be durable and easy to maintain. They include the latest technology and safety features and are used for all kinds of projects.

3. Komatsu

Japanese multinational Komatsu is the world’s second-largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment after Caterpillar.

Headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, the company is named after the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, where it was founded in 1921.

Komatsu manufactures technologically advanced excavators with built-in 3D GPS systems and other technology features.

The company is quite popular for its excavator range – from mini excavators to the more powerful large mining excavators.

4. Doosan

Doosan Infracore Company is a Korean multinational largely engaged in the manufacture and supply of heavy construction equipment.

The company is globally renowned for its high-performance excavators, wheel loaders, articulated dump trucks, compact loaders, and mini-diggers.

Doosan is renowned for its crawler excavators built mainly for loading, lifting, digging, scrap handling, and mass excavating.

The excavators are popular for their explosive excavating force, great performance, high fuel efficiency, and convenient control.

5. Hitachi

Hitachi Construction Machinery Company specializes in the production, sales, and servicing of a diverse range of construction and transportation machinery.

Founded in 1970 as a subsidiary of Hitachi Group, the Japanese company is renowned for its wide range of machinery, including mini and large excavators.

A Hitachi excavator. PHOTO | FILE

Hitachi digger brands are designed to deliver top performance, versatility and fuel efficiency at minimum overheads.

6. JCB

JCB, Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd., is a European producer of construction, demolition, and waste-handling equipment.

Based in Rocester, Staffordshire, JCB was established in 1945 by British businessman Joseph Cyril Bamford, after whom it is named.

The company is owned by the Bamford family.

Although JCB is known more for its backhoes and telehandlers in the US market, the company manufactures full-size and compact excavators.

It offers 12 compact excavator models: from the 1.8-ton 18Z-1 to the 10-ton 100C-1.

While the JCB compact excavators are generally used in a wide range of construction applications, machines in the 1.8- to 4-ton range are mostly used in landscaping jobs and are a popular choice for rental fleet managers.

7. Liebherr Group

Liebherr Group of Germany is one of Europe’s biggest suppliers of heavy equipment.

The company, which was established in 1949 by Hans Liebherr, manufacturers a wide range of highly popular excavators – making it a leading excavator company

Liebherr’s LTM 11200-9.1 is perhaps the most powerful mobile crane ever built.

The company also boasts the longest telescopic boom in the world, which spreads fully to 100 metres. The boom is fixed on a double cab truck and can lift 1200 metric tons.

8. Deere & Company

Deere & Company is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, manufacturing under the brand name John Deere a line of construction, agricultural, and forestry machinery.

Founded in 1837 by American blacksmith and manufacturer John Deere, Deere & Company is one of the world’s most popular excavator manufacturers.

Since the 188,716-lb. John Deere 870G LC was presented to the market with its 31 ft. 5 in. digging depth, the machine gained the reputation as the largest Deere excavator to date.

John Deere excavators are renowned for ease of service and low-cost maintenance.

9. Hyundai Heavy Industries

South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries offers a range of powerful excavator models armed for nearly any digging, lifting and loading application – including restricted roadways, major structural projects, mass excavations, heavy-duty mining, scrap handling and more.

Hyundai’s range of excavators, including compact (mini) excavators, crawler excavators, and wheeled excavators, is renowned for speed, hydraulic power, and precision control.

10. Case CE

Case Construction Equipment, popularly known as Case, is a brand of heavy construction equipment from CNH Industrial, a global leader in the heavy machinery manufacturing business.

Case produces a range of heavy machinery including excavators, wheel loaders, crawler dozers, compact track loaders, and motor graders.

Case excavators are renowned for power, durability and flexibility.