Wheel vs. Track Excavators
If you need powerful digging equipment at your construction site, an excavator is probably the first thing that comes to mind. You'll surely need a reliable excavator for virtually any job that requires breaking ground.
The Cat® Rental Store carries a large inventory of excavators for rent in a variety of sizes and configurations. You'll find an assortment of late-model machines from Caterpillar at affordable daily, weekly and monthly rates.
What You Need to Know About Excavators
One of the most important decisions you'll need to make when renting excavators is whether you should select one with tracks or wheels. A wheel vs. track excavator comparison in several crucial areas can help you make the right choice for your company and applications:
- Stability: Track excavators have a larger footprint and sit lower to the ground than their wheeled counterparts. The lower center of gravity combined with the substantial weight of the undercarriage provides extra stability and higher load capacity. However, the addition of stabilizers will enable many wheeled machines to match, and in some cases, exceed the load capacity of a tracked unit.
- Digging depth: Since wheel excavators sit higher off the ground, they cannot dig as deeply as track excavators.
- Speed: When it comes to construction equipment, wheels allow a machine to move much faster than tracks. While some wheel excavators can achieve a maximum travel speed of up to 22 mph, a track excavator crawls along at 4-6 mph. The rapidity of a wheeled model may come in handy if you need to perform multiple digging tasks at an expansive job site or drive the machine between work sites.
- Maneuverability: The smaller footprint of a wheel excavator provides more agility when working in confined areas or navigating around crowded work sites.
- Traction: Because of their track and undercarriage design, heavier weight and bigger footprint, track excavators typically provide better traction on slopes, loose soil and uneven terrain.
- Versatility: Track excavators are primarily digging machines that also have limited attachment capabilities for performing demolition tasks. Wheel excavators are compatible with a broader assortment of work tool attachments that enable them to handle tasks such as mowing, brushcutting, ditch cleaning and stump grinding.
- Maintenance: The absence of an undercarriage and tracks makes wheel excavators easier to maintain and results in fewer repair issues.
We're a Full-Service Excavator Rental Provider
The team at The Cat Rental Store has the expertise to help you decide which type of excavator is better for your applications. We offer flexible rental terms, on-time delivery to your job site and comprehensive maintenance and repair service for the duration of your rental agreement. With more than 1,300 stores around the world, we can provide local service from a dealer you trust.
Please view our current inventory of wheel excavators and track excavators for rent today. If you have questions or need assistance, we're available by phone at 1-800-RENT-CAT. To request a fast quote, fill out and submit our online contact form.
Rent whatever you need from a rental provider that will do whatever it takes.