The 5 Largest Hydraulic Excavators… in the World

Hydraulic excavators are huge earth-shattering machines. Their sheer power is enough to make them a critical piece of equipment in the excavation industry and it's fair to say that without these powerhouses, people would not have been able to tackle the toughest terrains on earth. But, some hydraulic excavators are bigger than others, and it is the largest of machines which are sourced for heavy-duty jobs and challenging projects.

Let's take a look at the 5 largest excavators in the world.

5. Komatsu PC8000-6

2221

The Komatsu PC8000-6 is a popular hydraulic excavator in South Africa and Australia. It's the largest excavator Komatsu makes and it played a critical role at the K2 mine in Kearl Lake Alberta. It has a 710 tonne working weight, 4,082 horsepower engine, and a 42 cubic metre bucket capacity. This might be the weakest excavator on our list, but it's certainly powerful enough to move the earth.

4. Demag H740 OS

If you're after a little bit of German engineering and efficiency, then the Demag H740 OS is the hydraulic excavator for you. This is the largest German-built hydraulic excavator and the largest one Demag makes. It has an 740 tonne working weight, a 4,463 horsepower engine, and a 40 cubic metre bucket capacity. This excavator is popular in Germany, France, and the UK.

3. Liebherr R9800

The Liebherr R9800 is the largest excavator Liebherr currently makes. It's designed to outperform all other excavators in the Ultra class mining market according to Liebherr and with an 840 tonne working weight, 4,060 horsepower engine and 42 cubic metre bucket load, it's safe to say it does. This excavator is popular in Australia and across Europe.

2. Hitachi EX8000-6

Made in Japan, the Hitachi EX8000-6 is an earth-shattering hydraulic excavator with a 811 tonne working weight, 3,944 horsepower engine, and a maximum bucket capacity of 40 cubic metres. This is the largest excavator made by Hitachi and two of these beasts work non-stop at Vale's Moatize coal mine in Tete province, Mozambique. It can also be found throughout Africa.

1. Bucyrus RH400

The Bucyrus RH400 can be found in the Canadian oil sands and other places on earth that most excavators would not be able to handle. This powerhouse has a working weight of 980 tonnes, a 4,570 horsepower engine, and a 50 cubic metre bucket capacity that dwarves all of the other on our list.

The Bucyrus RH400 as well as being the most powerful hydraulic excavator on our list is also the most famous thanks to a cameo in Michael Bay's Transformers under the fitting name Demolisher.