Advantages and Disadvantages of Wheeled Excavators vs Crawler Excavators

Wheeled Excavators
Pros:
High mobility: wheeled excavators have high travelling speed and can travel on the road without additional transport equipment. It is suitable for urban construction, road construction and other work environments that require frequent movement.
High flexibility: small turning radius, suitable for working in narrow space or complex terrain. Suitable for construction in urban areas, landscaping and other places that require high mobility.
Low ground damage: due to the use of tyres, the wheeled excavator has less pressure on the ground and is less likely to cause damage to the road and ground. Suitable for working environments that require ground protection, such as paved roads and city streets.
Disadvantages:
Poor off-road performance: wheeled excavators have poor passing ability on muddy, soft and other complex terrain. Not suitable for working environments with complex terrain such as wasteland and mines.
Relatively poor stability: compared with crawler excavators, wheeled excavators have a higher centre of gravity, which makes them less stable in inclined terrain or heavy load operation. It is not suitable for applications that require high stability and heavy load operation.
Crawler Excavator
Advantages:
Strong off-road performance: crawler excavators have excellent passing ability and can travel on various complicated terrains such as mud, sand, snow, etc. It is suitable for mining, earthworks, forest operations and other complex terrain work.
High stability: As the tracks provide a larger grounding area, the crawler excavator is more stable when working on heavy loads and uneven terrain. Ideal for environments that require high stability and heavy-duty operation, such as large-scale earthmoving projects.
Strong traction: The tracked excavator provides stronger traction for digging and moving on soft ground. Ideal for heavy-duty operations that require high traction, such as pit excavation and large-scale earthworks.
Disadvantages:
Slow moving speed: Crawler excavators have a slow travelling speed and need to rely on trailers to transport them to the construction site. It is not suitable for jobs that require frequent movement or long distances.
Higher damage to the ground: Crawler will cause higher damage to the ground when travelling on hard surfaces, and the pressure on the road surface is higher. Not suitable for paved roads and city streets.
Higher maintenance costs: the track system is more expensive to maintain and replace, and the maintenance frequency is higher. Not advantageous in projects where maintenance and upkeep costs are limited.
Summarising
Wheeled excavators and tracked excavators have their own advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different operating environments and needs. The choice of which excavator to use should be based on the specific construction conditions, terrain characteristics and operational requirements. For operations requiring high manoeuvrability and low ground damage, wheeled excavators are more suitable; while for complex terrain and heavy-duty operations, crawler excavators will perform better.