If you’re wondering “will a mini excavator fit through my side gate?”, don’t automatically assume the gate width gives you the answer. Some mini excavators can retract to less than a metre wide, but getting through the gate is only one part of getting the machine safely into your backyard.
Quick answer
A compact 1.7T mini excavator may fit through residential side access where there is around a metre of clear width, depending on the actual machine. For example, the Kubota U17-3 can retract to 990 mm wide.
That does not mean a 1,000 mm gate is automatically suitable. You need sensible clearance around the machine. You also need to check everything between the unloading point and the work area.
The gate might be 1,100 mm wide while an air-conditioning unit farther down the side of the house reduces the usable width to 950 mm. In that situation, the gate isn’t the problem. The air-conditioning unit is.
Before booking a machine, check the entire access route. Measure the gate, find the narrowest point, check the height, look at any tight turns, inspect the ground conditions plus make sure there is enough room to work once the excavator gets through.
How wide is a 1.7T mini excavator?
There isn’t one standard width for every 1.7 tonne mini excavator. Always check the specifications of the exact machine you’re considering.
The Kubota U17-3 available from Digger2Hire, for example, has an expandable undercarriage. Kubota specifies a width of 990 mm with the tracks retracted plus 1,240 mm with the tracks expanded.
The idea is simple. The tracks can be retracted to get through tighter access. Once the excavator reaches a suitable work area, the tracks can be expanded again.
According to Kubota Australia’s U17-3 specifications, the machine is also 2,340 mm high. Width therefore isn’t the only dimension worth checking.
Don’t measure only the gate
This is probably the most important part of checking residential excavator access.
Start where the machine will come off the trailer. Follow the entire route through to the work area. You need to find the tightest point anywhere along that path.
Things worth checking include:
- gate posts plus hinges
- house walls plus fences
- air-conditioning units
- hot-water systems
- downpipes plus taps
- retaining walls
- steps plus raised garden edges
- trees plus established plants
- low eaves plus other overhead obstacles
- tight corners where the machine needs to turn
A straight section that’s wide enough doesn’t necessarily help if the excavator can’t make the turn at the end of it.
How much clearance should you allow?
Don’t treat the published machine width as the required opening width.
If an excavator is 990 mm wide, trying to squeeze it through an opening only a few millimetres wider leaves virtually no margin. You need to allow for steering corrections, uneven ground plus obstacles that may not be perfectly straight.
There isn’t one clearance figure that suits every site. More room is better, particularly where the access is long, uneven or bordered by something you don’t want damaged.
If your measurements are close to the machine width, don’t guess. Measure again. If you’re still unsure, discuss the access before booking.
Check the ground, not just the width
A passage can be wide enough on a tape measure but still be poor excavator access.
Look at the surface the machine needs to travel over. Soft ground, steep cross-slopes, deep holes, loose edges plus significant changes in level can all matter.
Check the width at ground level too. A fence may lean inward. A retaining wall may reduce the available track path. Vegetation can also hide an obstruction that wasn’t obvious when you first measured the access.
Can the excavator turn once it’s through?
This is another reason a simple gate measurement doesn’t tell the whole story.
A mini excavator might travel through a narrow straight passage but still need enough room to change direction at the end. Think about the complete path the tracks need to follow, not just whether the body fits between two posts.
Zero tail swing helps once you’re working in confined areas because the rear of the machine stays within or close to the track width as the upper structure rotates. It doesn’t magically make every tight access route possible, though.
Why expandable tracks are useful
An expandable undercarriage gives a compact excavator two useful configurations.
On the U17-3, the tracks retract to 990 mm for tighter access. Once the machine is through and there is suitable space, they can expand to 1,240 mm.
That wider stance is useful when working because it gives the machine a wider operating footprint compared with leaving the tracks retracted.
So don’t measure only the route into the backyard. Check that there is enough usable room in the work area as well.
What if my access is less than one metre?
If the narrowest usable access is below the width required by a 1.7T machine, you may need a smaller excavator or another way of accessing the site.
Digger2Hire’s Kubota K008-3 0.9T micro excavator is designed for very tight access. Its adjustable undercarriage retracts to approximately 700 mm wide, allowing it to reach work areas that a 1.7T excavator cannot.
You give up some digging capability, reach plus stability by moving down to that smaller class. Sometimes the access simply makes the decision for you.
If you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, our micro vs mini excavator guide explains the practical difference between the two machine classes. This guide stays focused on whether the machine can physically reach your work area.
If the U17-3 won’t fit, don’t hire it and hope for the best. Use a machine that suits the actual site.
A simple side-access measuring checklist
Before contacting a hire company, grab a tape measure and check:
- Gate opening: measure between the actual obstructions, not the nominal gate size.
- Narrowest path width: follow the complete route to the work area.
- Overhead clearance: check eaves, branches, structures plus anything hanging over the access.
- Tight turns: look at corners plus changes in direction.
- Ground conditions: check slopes, soft ground, retaining edges plus changes in level.
- Working area: make sure there’s enough room for the excavator to operate once it gets there.
Take the measurement at the genuinely narrowest point. If you’re unsure, a couple of clear photos of the access can make it much easier to discuss.
Will a mini excavator fit through my side gate?
If you’re asking will a mini excavator fit through my side gate, the gate width is only the first measurement you need.
A 1.7T excavator such as the Kubota U17-3 can retract to 990 mm wide, making it suitable for many restricted-access residential jobs. But the whole route must work. Check the gate, path, turns, overhead clearance, ground conditions plus the space available once the machine reaches the job.
If the narrowest point is too tight for a 1.7T machine, a 0.9T micro excavator may be the better choice. If you’ve got plenty of access, there’s no benefit in choosing the smallest machine purely because it’s narrower.
About this guide
This guide combines manufacturer dimensions with the practical access checks that matter when getting a mini excavator into a residential work area. Always check the dimensions of the exact machine you’re considering rather than relying on the nominal weight class alone.
Sources and machine specifications
Not sure which machine will fit?
Digger2Hire offers compact excavators for different access requirements, with machine availability depending on location. The Kubota U17-3 1.7T mini excavator retracts to 990 mm wide, while the Kubota K008-3 0.9T micro excavator can retract to approximately 700 mm for particularly tight access.
Measure your narrowest access width and take a few clear photos of the complete route from the street to the work area. Have the measurements, photos, job location plus what you’re planning to do ready. Your local Digger2Hire operator can help you work out whether the available machine is a sensible fit before the hire is arranged.
Need help choosing?
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Select your location to speak directly with your local Digger2Hire operator about the job, access, machine and attachments.
Hire availability and next steps
For access-sensitive jobs, compare the 700 mm K008-3 micro excavator with the 990 mm U17-3. The K008-3 is Northern-first and may be available only by arrangement for selected longer Brisbane hires. See delivery and unloading planning, Brisbane availability or Northern Rivers availability.