Ever wonder what the difference is between a wheeled excavator and a track excavator? I made this video because there are very few videos of wheeled excavators, especially in the mini and midi categories. In this video I do an overview of the machine and load a trailer with scrap metal.


The Komatsu PW30 is a relatively obscure excavator in the US, many are used overseas. I found this machine on Craigslist for about $8000 several years ago and it has come in handy for many projects I have had over the years.

Projects I have used this excavator for:
-Making an ornamental pond
-Placing large landscape rocks
-Trenching around a building for a french drain
-Moving large brush piles
-Loading trailers
-Digging wildlife/deer ponds
-Cleaning out drainage ditches

Pros of a wheeled excavator:
-High top speed relative to a tracked machine
-Does not tear up grass
-They look pretty cool
-You can use the wheels to compact trenches or road beds
-Can be bargain priced on used market
-Can drive between jobs and sites without a trailer
-Road legal with appropriate markings/lights

Cons of a wheeled excavator:
-Not as stable as a tracked machine
-Cannot use foot pedals to drive around while using both hands for digging controls
-Gets stuck more easily
-Higher center of gravity
-Can compact soil in sensitive areas
-Pretty expensive new
-Hard to find