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Building a New Homestead Komatsu PW30-1

Wheeled Excavator Demonstration – Komatsu PW30 – Picking up and loading scrap metal

Ever wonder what the difference is between a wheeled excavator and a track excavator? I made this video because there are very few videos of wheeled excavators, especially in the mini and midi categories. In this video I do an overview of the machine and load a trailer with scrap metal.

The Komatsu PW30 is a relatively obscure excavator in the US, many are used overseas. I found this machine on Craigslist for about $8000 several years ago and it has come in handy for many projects I have had over the years.

Projects I have used this excavator for:

-Making an ornamental pond

-Placing large landscape rocks

-Trenching around a building for a french drain

-Moving large brush piles

-Loading trailers

-Digging wildlife/deer ponds

-Cleaning out drainage ditches

Pros of a wheeled excavator:

-High top speed relative to a tracked machine

-Does not tear up grass

-They look pretty cool

-You can use the wheels to compact trenches or road beds

-Can be bargain priced on used market

-Can drive between jobs and sites without a trailer

-Road legal with appropriate markings/lights

Cons of a wheeled excavator:

-Not as stable as a tracked machine

-Cannot use foot pedals to drive around while using both hands for digging controls

-Gets stuck more easily

-Higher center of gravity

-Can compact soil in sensitive areas

-Pretty expensive new

-Hard to find

Thanks for watching!

driftlessinwi