Are you struggling to figure out what size Bobcat mini excavator you need? If you get the wrong size, you won’t be effective at your job, it will cost you more, or you won’t be able to do the job effectively. This guide will go through the different sizes of Bobcat mini excavators so you can make the best choice for your needs – whether you’re working in tight areas or doing heavy work.
Choosing the right Bobcat mini excavator sizes is crucial for maximizing productivity and efficiency on your project. Whether you need the ultra-compact Bobcat E10 for narrow urban spaces or the heavy-duty Bobcat E165 for large construction sites, selecting the correct size ensures optimal performance, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. In this article, we break down the various Bobcat mini excavator sizes and offer insights into which model best suits your specific requirements.
Now that you understand the crucial nature of choosing the right size, let’s dive into the most popular Bobcat mini excavator sizes people are renting today.
What Are Bobcat Mini Excavators and Why Does Size Matter?
These machines are designed to be easily transported between job sites and come in various sizes, from micro to mini to small, depending on the specific model. The small footprint of these machines also makes them perfect for rental yards and general construction jobs. Bobcat Company offers a variety of options for attachments, including buckets, hammers, shears and compactors, that can be used with these machines.
The Bobcat mini excavator sizes play a crucial role in determining how well the machine performs in various conditions. Here are some reasons why size matters:
Maneuverability
Smaller models are perfect for working in a confined space where a larger excavator cannot be effectively utilized. If you are working in an alleyway, small residential areas, or tight space, the compact Bobcat mini excavator is very desirable.
Performance
The size of the Bobcat mini excavator impacts digging depth, reach, and lifting capacity. The larger models are more powerful and stable, while smaller ones are ideal for lighter, more precise work.
Cost
A smaller Bobcat mini excavator is typically less expensive to purchase, maintain, and operate, but it may not give you the performance to handle larger more complex jobs as efficiently as a larger model. Where a larger model might be more expensive to purchase, it will give you the power you need to perform those larger tasks more effectively and have a better return on your investment.
Choosing the right Bobcat mini excavator size for your specific needs will ensure that you get the best performance and value for your investment.
What Are the Most Common Bobcat Mini Excavator Models and Their Sizes?
Bobcat offers a range of mini excavators to cater to different types of projects. Let’s look at the most common Bobcat mini excavator sizes available for purchase:
Bobcat E10 – The Ultra-Compact Model
The Bobcat E10 is one of the smallest Bobcat mini excavator sizes available, ideal for tight spaces. It’s just 28 inches wide and weighs about 2,000 pounds, making it narrow enough to fit through tight areas where larger machines can’t go. Even though it’s compact, the Bobcat E10 has the power you need for light tasks like trenching, digging, and grading.
The Bobcat E10 is very well suited to working in an urban environment, such as residential construction, small landscaping jobs, or even inside buildings with restricted access. It’s an excellent option for rental businesses who want to offer compact equipment for small tasks.
Bobcat E20 – The Versatile Option
The Bobcat E20 is a one-ton machine and is slightly bigger than the E10, but is still a compact Bobcat mini excavator size. At just 39 inches (99 cm) wide and weighing roughly 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg), it offers a great compromise between size and power. This excavator is perfect for jobs that need more power than the E10 can provide but still require the maneuverability to work in tight spaces.
The Bobcat E20 is great for medium-duty tasks like landscaping, utility work, and light construction projects. It’s easy to move around because it’s small, but it will dig deeper trenches and can pick up heavier loads, too.
Bobcat E32 – The Heavy-Duty Mini Excavator
If you need something bigger than that, the Bobcat E32 is the next size up. It’s also just as maneuverable as the smaller ones, but it’s more robust and is for medium to heavy jobs. It’s a 55-inch wide (140 cm) machine and weighs right around 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg). This model is nice and stable because it’s larger, which also helps improve your digging depth.
It’s meant to do the same jobs the E10 through E20 can handle, but is perfect for those projects that require more lift, more digging, and more weight. The E32 can also be used on jobs where we need to be very precise but work at a bigger production pace than we could with one of the smaller machines.
Bobcat E165 – The Largest in the Series
For those of you who need the most powerful machine available on a Bobcat mini excavator, the Bobcat E165 is the biggest and most impressive machine. It’s a 70-inch wide (178 cm) machine and weighs about 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg). This machine will do anything you need a mini excavator to do and is perfect for heavy to very heavy demanding projects.
This machine is what you would use on those larger construction projects, heavy commercial excavating, and projects that need a deep digging trench, lift heavy things, and really crank. This machine is perfect for people who are doing heavy to really heavy work like large infrastructure projects, or need a machine that can work what is at times challenging terrain.
How Do You Choose the Right Bobcat Mini Excavator Size?
Choosing the machine that’s right for you all depends on your job. Here are some general rules of thumb to help you choose the machine you need:
What Are the Job Site Conditions?
The first consideration is the work environment where you’ll be running the machine. If you’ll be in real tight spots like working in alleys, between houses or in a backyard, you’ll go with a smaller machine like the E10. If you have space and more room, then a larger machine is always better with the E32 and E165.
What Is the Required Digging Depth and Reach?
Each size of machine has its benefits and limitations. If all you need to do is dig a shallow trench for a water line or a French drain, go with the smallest size. If you need to dig to a basement or need additional reach, the next size up is for you. If you dig frequently or don’t have much time to dig, the largest size is the way to go.
What Is Your Budget?
Budget plays a big role in what size Bobcat digger is right for you. The bigger models cost more initially, but they dig deeper, reach further, and carry more, which you may need depending on the complexity of the job. Again, let’s break down how your budget aligns with what you need for the project:
Smaller Models – Affordable and Efficient
If your project is small, or all you need is a machine to help with light-duty work, a Bobcat mini excavator like the E10 or E20 might be the way to go. At a starting price point of around $20,000 to $30,000, these are machines small contractors or individuals may be able to afford on a tight budget. The E10 is great for an urban area or tight residential space where maneuverability is a concern. If you’re looking for something a little more versatile for medium duty work, the E20 is a good compromise between getting a machine that will do something and keeping things economical
Medium-Sized Models – A Balance of Power and Price
Contractors who do a lot of medium-sized tasks might consider the Bobcat E32. Just a little bit more expensive, usually starting around $45,000 to $60,000, you get a lot more machine and stability, which is critical for doing larger residential work. You can use it for light construction or landscaping. Typically, you justify the larger budget when a light machine won’t lift it, dig it deep enough, or do it on rougher ground.
Larger Models – Investment for Larger Projects
If you have the budget and your job is big enough, the Bobcat E165 is the way to go. Typically priced from $75,000 to $90,000, this machine is designed for heavy, hard, dirty, nasty work people do in the real world. You’ll use this machine on big construction jobs, infrastructure projects, commercial projects, and the like. Check to see if your project truly needs a machine of this size, because this excavator may be too large for most residential work and therefore not suitable for the typical small contractor. In a nutshell, figure out how much stuff you’ve got to move and go move it with a Bobcat.
What Attachments Will You Be Using?
You will need attachments on your mini digger to make it do what you want. The smaller ones will run light attachments like buckets and augers. As the machine gets larger, you can add hydraulic hammers and breakers. Make sure the machine you buy can handle the attachments you need to use.
How Do Bobcat Mini Excavator Attachments Relate to Size?
Bobcat excavators are known to be versatile, and part of that versatility comes from their size and what you can put on them. For the smaller mini excavators like the E10 and E20, you’re talking about light duty attachments:
- Buckets (standard and trenching)
- Augers (for drilling holes)
- Small Hydraulic Hammers (for light demolition work)
These attachments are exactly what you would use for landscaping work, digging a trench, and light demolition. The downside of the small, cute compact size and weight is you can’t put heavy attachments on them if you need to do heavy work.
As the mini digger gets bigger, the more you can hang on it. Bigger attachments tend to cost more, but they can do the work faster. The Bobcat E32 and the E165 are big enough to handle most attachments.
- Large Buckets (for bulk material handling)
- Hydraulic Breakers (for heavy demolition tasks)
- Thumbs and Grapples (for handling logs or large debris)
- Heavy Augers (for large-diameter hole drilling)
These attachments are for big stuff, heavy excavation, and running a lot of specialized gear like a rock breaker, a hydraulic plate compactor for compacting dirt, or a log grapple on a big forestry job. Make sure to buy a machine big enough to handle the attachments you need in order to work efficiently and effectively.
What Are the Job Site Conditions?
Especially with tight urban sites, it’s common to have enough money for a big machine to do the heavy lifting, but you can’t shut down the street to do it, so you just have to slog along with a mini-digger. If you buy a machine too big, you’ll find that you can’t use it on a cramped job site, and if you buy a machine too small, you’ll find you can’t do the work you need to do.
Tight Spaces – Smaller Models for Increased Maneuverability
If you’re on a tight-and-tough job with each cubic foot of workspace defined, such as on a narrow city street, in somebody’s backyard, or doing interior demolition, the smaller the better. The E10 and E20 are a hair over two feet wide, and you won’t find a compact on the market today that makes a smaller circle. Hinge the cab over to one side and these things will turn on a dime. If you can fit the machine where a larger model can’t go, you’ll be money ahead to get a small mini excavator this way.
Uneven Terrain – Larger Models for Stability and Power
If your job’s on rough ground or where you need something big enough to pick up a load of bricks or dig a trench you don’t want to fall into, get you the biggest mini-digger your checkbook and truck can handle. As a rule, the heavier the mini, the more stable it will be when you’re digging in the dirt. If you need to fight rough terrain or use the machine’s weight for ballast, get the biggest mini excavator you can use and afford.
Urban vs. Rural Settings
Your project’s location will decide what size Bobcat mini excavator will work best. Urban projects tend to encompass a ton of mini excavation work at sites that are hard to reach or tough to work in, so start with something as compact as an E10. Construction projects in the middle of nowhere where you have all the room in the world? Take a bigger machine.
How Do Bobcat Mini Excavator Prices Vary with Size?
The price of your Bobcat mini excavator goes up as the machine gets larger, but you also get more digging depth and better lifting capabilities with larger machines. You need those when things get tougher, so try to scale the size of your machine to the work you’re contracting to accomplish
- Bobcat E10: Starting at around $20,000 to $30,000 for a new unit.
- Bobcat E20: Typically priced between $30,000 and $40,000.
- Bobcat E32: Prices range from $45,000 to $60,000.
- Bobcat E165: As the largest model, the Bobcat E165 is priced between $75,000 and $90,000.
These prices can vary based on location, dealer, and additional features. It’s also important to note that used models may be more affordable than new ones, offering a more budget-friendly option for buyers.
What Are the Advantages of Choosing the Right Bobcat Mini Excavator Size for Your Project?
Choosing the correct Bobcat mini excavator size has several key benefits:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Get the right size so the machine actually accomplishes the task you give it, no matter what you’re doing (digging a pipe, lifting a slab, grading a yard).
- Cost-Effectiveness: Buy the amount of machine you need to do your job. Don’t pay for a machine that’s too big, and don’t shoot yourself in the foot by getting a machine that’s too small.
- Improved Performance: Buy the right-size machine and you have all of the power you need, with a little cushion to get the job done, without overloading the machine all day, every day, throughout the life of your excavation work horse.
Conclusion
Choosing the right Bobcat mini excavator sizes is crucial to reach your desired end point. Whether you need the ultra-compact Bobcat E10 for tight work, or you need the heavy power and capability of the big boy E165, they
make a size that will work for you. Job conditions, depth to dig and lift, budget, and the need for attachments will all drive your decision. Get the right size mini excavator and you will be more efficient, spend less money, and end up with a better product in place at the end of the day.If you need a second-hand excavator, please contact me. Our company specializes in second-hand construction machinery and has various models.
