What Size Mini Excavator Do I Need?

If you’re wondering “what size mini excavator do I need?”, don’t automatically go for the biggest machine you can get. You want a machine that will actually fit into the job but still has enough digging depth, reach plus power to get the work done without making hard work of it.

Quick answer

For many residential jobs, a 1.7T mini excavator is a good all-round size because it combines useful digging capability with relatively compact access. Go smaller when access is extremely tight. Move up to a 2.5T or larger excavator when you have good access plus need more digging capacity or have a lot of material to move.

Before worrying too much about machine size, answer a few basic questions. Will it fit? How deep are you digging? What sort of ground are you dealing with? How much material needs to move? What attachments will you need? Can you actually get the machine to the work area?

Mini excavator sizes at a glance

Size class	Often suited to	Main trade-off
Around 0.9T to 1T	Very tight access, garden work, shallow trenches plus lighter excavation	Excellent access but less digging capacity, reach plus stability
Around 1.7T	Backyards, landscaping, drainage, trenching, post holes plus residential work	A good balance between compact access plus useful digging capability
Around 2.5T	Larger landscaping jobs, deeper trenching, heavier digging plus higher-volume work	More capability but you need more room to get it in plus work
Around 5T+	Heavier excavation, deeper digging plus jobs where productivity matters more than tight access	Bigger machine, more weight plus more substantial transport requirements

Those are only broad classes. Don’t assume every 1.7T excavator, for example, has the same dimensions or digging ability. Machines around the same weight can have different widths, digging depths, reach plus attachment options, so check the actual model you’re considering.

1. Measure the access before anything else

If the excavator won’t fit, nothing else really matters.

Measure the narrowest point from the road all the way through to where you’ll be working. Don’t just measure the gate then call it done.

Look for fence posts, house walls, air-conditioning units, retaining walls, steps, trees plus low eaves. A tight turn down the side of a house can also cause trouble even when the straight-line width looks fine.

This is where the actual machine specifications matter.

The Kubota U17-3 available from Digger2Hire, for example, retracts to 990 mm wide. Once through the tight section, the undercarriage can expand to 1,240 mm where there is enough room.

Kubota lists the U17-3 at 1,675 kg operating weight, with a maximum digging depth of 2,310 mm. You can check the official Kubota Australia U17-3 specifications for the full machine data.

One important point: a 990 mm machine does not mean you should assume a 1,000 mm opening is automatically fine. Give yourself sensible clearance. Measure the whole access route, not just its easiest section.

If access is going to be tight, see our guide to checking whether a mini excavator will fit through your side gate. It covers what to measure beyond the gate itself, including tight turns, overhead clearance plus the full route to the work area.

2. How deep do you actually need to dig?

A 300 mm-deep garden trench plus a 2 metre-deep drainage job aren’t remotely the same thing.

Maximum digging depth is useful when comparing machines but don’t choose an excavator because its published maximum is only just beyond the depth you need. A maximum specification tells you what the machine can reach. It doesn’t mean that’s where you want to spend the whole day working.

You also need to think about where the excavator can sit. Sometimes the machine can’t get right beside the hole or trench, so reach becomes just as important as depth.

For reference, Kubota rates the U17-3 for a maximum digging depth of 2,310 mm plus a maximum digging radius of 3,900 mm. That’s plenty for many residential jobs but it doesn’t make a 1.7T excavator the answer to every job that happens to be less than 2.31 metres deep.

3. What are you digging?

Ground conditions can make a huge difference.

• Loose soil or previously disturbed ground can be relatively straightforward to excavate.
• Compacted clay is a different story. A ripper may help loosen it first.
• Roots can slow things down. They also need to be approached carefully, particularly around services plus vegetation you want to keep.
• Rocky or unknown ground can quickly turn a simple-looking job into something that needs different equipment.

A small excavator might fit beautifully down the side of the house but still be the wrong choice if it’s going to struggle with the material once it gets there.

4. How much dirt are you moving?

This gets overlooked a lot when people compare excavators.

For a few post holes, a short trench or a backyard landscaping job, a compact machine can make a lot of sense. Access plus manoeuvrability may matter much more than outright production.

Now imagine a long trench or a job where you’re moving a serious amount of soil. A small machine might still be capable of doing it but that doesn’t mean it’s the smart choice.

If a larger excavator can comfortably access the site, it can often be more productive. Paying a little more for the bigger machine may work out cheaper overall if it substantially reduces the time needed on the job.

5. The attachments matter too

Don’t choose the excavator then forget about what’s hanging off the end of it.

A narrow toothed bucket is useful when you’re trenching or need a narrower cut. A wider bucket makes sense for general excavation where you want to remove more material each pass. A mud bucket is useful for cleaning up, grading plus handling loose material.

If the ground is hard or compacted, a ripper can help loosen it before you start trying to bucket it out.

Doing fence posts, retaining-wall posts or similar work? That’s where an auger can save a lot of time. The auger diameter still needs to suit what you’re putting into the hole.

Digger2Hire’s attachment packages vary by machine and location. The 1.7T U17-3 can be supplied with three buckets, a ripper, Auger Torque drive and augers plus a hydraulic rock grabber, with the exact included package confirmed for your selected location. Northern Rivers & Tweed U17-3 hires also include a sleeper grab.

6. Can you actually get it to the job?

Going up in excavator size also means going up in transport requirements.

Think about where the machine will be unloaded. Is the street wide enough? Is the driveway steep? Is there somewhere safe for the tow vehicle plus trailer to stop? Are there soft verges, low branches or a tight turning area?

It’s better to work that out before the excavator arrives.

Digger2Hire offers delivery plus collection. Customer collection may also be available by prior arrangement where the driver, tow vehicle plus towing setup meet the requirements for the selected machine.

When is a 1.7T mini excavator a good choice?

The 1.7T class is popular for a reason. It’s small enough to get into plenty of residential sites without dropping all the way down to a micro excavator.

Jobs that can suit this size include:

• backyard landscaping
• drainage trenches
• service trenches
• post holes
• retaining-wall preparation
• garden plus yard excavation
• small footing excavation
• moving plus shaping soil
• jobs with restricted access

Its strength is the compromise. You get a genuinely useful excavator without needing the access required by a much larger machine.

When should you go bigger?

If you’ve got good access plus a bigger job, don’t choose a 1.7T just because it’s cheaper to hire for the day.

A 2.5T excavator or larger machine can give you more digging force, reach plus stability. More importantly, it can move more material in the same amount of time.

That’s particularly relevant for longer trenches, heavier excavation plus jobs involving a lot of material. Saving money on the daily rate doesn’t help much if you need the smaller machine for an extra day.

When should you go smaller?

Sometimes access makes the decision for you.

Digger2Hire’s Kubota K008-3 0.9T micro excavator is built for this situation. Its adjustable undercarriage retracts to approximately 700 mm wide, allowing it to reach work areas that a 1.7T machine simply cannot access.

You give up digging capacity, reach plus stability to get that compact size. If you’ve got room for a larger machine, there may be no benefit in going that small.

The smallest machines are also commonly described as micro excavators, while machines such as the U17-3 are generally described as mini excavators. If you’re not sure what those terms mean, read our guide to the difference between a micro and mini excavator.

So, what size mini excavator do I need?

If you’re still asking what size mini excavator do I need, work through the job in this order:

1. Measure the narrowest access point.
2. Work out the depth plus reach you actually need.
3. Think about what you’re digging.
4. Estimate how much material needs to move.
5. Work out which attachments you’ll need.
6. Make sure the machine can be delivered plus unloaded safely.

For restricted residential access plus general excavation, a 1.7T mini excavator is often a very useful all-rounder. If the access is extremely tight, a 0.9T micro excavator may be the better option. If you’ve got plenty of room plus a lot of digging to do, a 2.5T or larger machine can often be more productive.

Don’t hire a particular machine just because that’s what is available. If the job really needs a different excavator size, you’re better off knowing that before you spend money on the wrong machine.

About this guide

This guide combines manufacturer specifications with the practical things that matter when choosing a hire machine: access, digging depth, ground conditions, material volume, attachments plus transport. Machine specifications should always be checked for the particular model you’re considering.

Sources and machine specifications

• Kubota Australia: U17-3 excavator specifications

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Not sure which size is right?

Digger2Hire offers excavator dry hire across different machine sizes, with availability depending on location. Our fleet ranges from the specialist 0.9T micro excavator through the flagship 1.7T mini excavator, 2.5T excavator and 5.5T excavator.

If you’re not sure which one suits the job, have your job location, narrowest access width, approximate digging depth and a description of what you’re trying to get done ready. Your local Digger2Hire operator can help you narrow down the appropriate machine before the hire is arranged.