An excavator is a type of engineering and construction vehicle made for many types of roles. They require special training to operate correctly, and the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools was established to help train people for use in heavy machinery like excavators or bulldozers.

The multi-purpose role of excavators allows them to be used in many locations. They have a unique look with a long arm, a cab mounted on a pivot point, with an undercarriage that has wheels, or more commonly, tracks. They can be customized very well with the capability of changing the thumbs or buckets. We will discuss the different roles of excavators, the training required for the use of one, and explain the uses of the customization.

Many excavators are made to be multi-purpose construction and engineering vehicles. They are used most commonly in the digging of trenches and holes or demolition of old buildings. An excavator is also used frequently in heavy lifting and placement of pipes and in mining, primarily open-pit mining. The machines can have the bucket customized to fit the job needed, because there are many types of buckets available for construction use.

The customization of an excavator involves changing the bucket or adding hydraulic attachments. The bucket can be swapped out for larger or smaller buckets, depending on the type of hole needing to be made. Examples of hydraulic attachments include breakers, grapples, or augers. Large thumbs can be added to a bucket or grappler to allow excavators to grip large objects in order to move them around. This allows the excavator to be used in the placement of objects such as large pipes.

In order to properly use an excavator, a person must be trained. The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools has established the use of specialized excavator schools and programs to train people. These schools instruct students in the controls, the safety, and the proper use of these massive construction machines.

An excavator has a design that is very distinguished and can be recognized almost anywhere. The long arm is the most prominent part of the machine. The cabin is attached to a base that usually has tracks, but can have wheels. Most excavators seen have tracks instead of wheels, so when somebody thinks of one, they see tracks. Because they are so recognizable, many toy-makers have created models of excavators to go along with bulldozers and tractors for little children.

From the distinguished look to the wide variety of uses, excavators are very useful construction machines. They have uses in many different areas, from digging holes and mining to demolition and heavy lifting. These machines can be customized to fit the job needed. A person must be trained in the controls and safety before being able to drive an excavator. These large vehicles are very useful in the construction world.