Pros and Cons of M318 Wheel Excavator
A wheel excavator is one of those types of heavy machinery that helps to increase the productivity in different applications that mainly includes sloping grades. This machine enjoys a great market share in the construction industry because of its advance functions and qualities. One of the biggest debates that have been in the business market is about its cost as they are costlier than track excavator. But on the other hand the maintenance and operation cost of wheel model is less than track machine just because of the cost of its undercarriage. That is the main reason that customer eye for the short term period. There are multiple advantages of this machine that helps this machine to perform different tasks simultaneously. When comparing wheeled and tracked machine it is important to take applications and terrains into consideration on which the excavator will operate. It is obvious that you will loose digging depth while working with a wheeled machine because its undercarriage is on higher side than comparable track machine. This is the reason which increases center of gravity. It is important that operator must need to use caution while working on slope. While working with wheeled equipment off road traction will be less as well. This machine includes a large foot print which can also be considered as an advantage while doing the process of digging. It provides you freedom to work on full path of track shoes on the ground while working on track excavator. Of course it is a better option to work with this machine as it provides better footprint on the ground. Stability is not an issue that may occur with wheeled machines. It is a misconception of many operators that this machine will be unstable while digging. This is not the actual case because the manufacturers are designing the new machines with improved functions from past few years. But this does not mean that the wheeled vehicle does not have any flaws because just like any other construction equipment this vehicle also has some advantages and disadvantages. In this blog, we will be discussing these aspects of CAT M318 wheel excavator.
Additional lifting capacity:
As the stabilizers are down then working on a process of digging the wheel excavator will perform similarly like a tracked machine. Also there are many wheeled vehicle that has the ability to perform with two-piece hydraulically adjustable boom. By retracting this boom it can increase the lifting capacity of the vehicle. When the stabilizers are down then it enhance the lifting capacity. In some applications the track machine can move tracks which provide the advantage when moving front. If we talk about the lifting table then tracked and wheeled excavators are very much alike. When these machines are put side by side then it can perform almost the same tasks effectively as far as digging performance. But you will have more maneuverability and versatility while working with the wheeled machine. When working on uneven ground then it might be a challenge for both excavator types but it all depends upon the design. Most of the machines have stabilizers that are independent that will help you to get a level footprint. But it all depends upon the size of stabilizer pads as it is necessary to have solid ground conditions. It is necessary to have solid footing but if the ground is not level then it is not that important because the stabilizer will work independently to get a good working setup.
Enhance productivity with options:
Most of these types of heavy equipment for sale that are provided by the manufacturers in the business market are offered with two different types of boom that mainly includes two-piece boom or a mono-boom. If you are doing a close-up work then you must have a two-piece boom. On the other hand if you require heavy lifting capacity for long-distance work then you must go with mono-boom. A two-piece boom provides superior range of working then the mono boom because it allows the equipment to move utilities easily and it has more versatility. Another important advantage that you can have by choosing a wheel excavator as it comes with a dozer blade which handles the backfill better and perform cleanup duties and it serves as a third stabilizer while digging. Even when the blade is standard, there are some dealers that only look for outriggers but the experts recommend both. The blade and outriggers can make your work easier while working on the jobsite which also improve the efficiency of the machine. The blade is basically used just as an add-on attachment like if you are moving a diameter pipe through bucket or a thumb then you just have to bring the pipe against the blade and it will be transported easily. You just have to grab it between the blade and attachment, lift it and transport. Also, the blade gives you more surface area than two outriggers.
Looking at the future:
Experts believe that the wheel excavator is the future of construction industry because at the moment it has not impacted the market yet as customers are still being educated about its functions and operations. For those dealers that has just launched themselves in this business must look for wheeled machine because they are most versatile. You can do the digging easily and move the unit from one site to another without investing in a trailer or truck. These machines are also very much suitable to work in urban areas. For those dealers who works in subdivisions or landscaping this is the perfect equipment for use because it can be moved easily to different places without any additional transport unit.
Less market awareness:
As we know that people are still not very much aware about this earth moving equipment because it has not achieved the mainstream status in current scenario. It will take some time for these machines to capture its market. These equipment will lose a little traction while doing construction of road just because of latest tail swing machines. With such machines you will not have to shut down extra lane.
