Earth moving and landscape machines are used to prepare construction sites and to maintain developed property around industrial buildings, office parks, and commercial centers. In addition to features and applications, important specifications to consider include horsepower, load capacity, operating weight, and travel speed.  

Types of Earth Moving and Landscaping Machines

The GlobalSpec SpecSearch Database contains information for different types of earth moving and landscaping machines.

• Dozers are powered machines used to push materials. Dozers come in forms that ride on tracks or wheels for movement. These machines have a broad, curved, upright blade for moving dirt and clearing ground.
• Compactors are used to compact materials below the machine.  They use ether a single roller or wide rigid wheels to compact materials.
• Excavators are similar to dozers in that they feature either tracked or wheeled design. Crawler excavators have a continuous track system while wheeled excavators feature heavy-duty wheels. Unlike dozers, however, excavators are equipped with a boom, bucket, and cab on a rotating platform. These machines are also called diggers or track hoes. Excavators are used to dig holes, trenches, and foundations; to lift and place pipes; and for grading and landscaping.
• Loaders are machines used to load heavy or bulk material (asphalt, dirt, debris, snow, etc.). Types of loaders include backhoe, skid steer, tracked, and wheeled. Backhoe loaders have a loading bucket on one end and an excavating arm on the other. Skid steer loaders are small, rigid-frame, engine-powered machines with lift arms. They are sometimes tracked, but usually equipped with four-wheel drive. Track loaders are tracked machines for lifting and dumping materials. Wheel loaders are used in a similar manner, but ride on wheels instead of tracks.
• Motor graders are landscaping machines that use a blade to push material to the sides.
• Combat earthmovers are mobile, armored vehicles that support combat operations by breaching berms, preparing ditches, removing roadblocks, and preparing access routes.
• Dump Trucks are trucks primarily used for transporting loose material. They are equipped with a hydraulically operated open bed. They are used for various building, construction, and landscaping applications.

Applications

Earth moving and landscaping machines are most commonly used in construction, building, and landscaping operations; those applications that require heavy loading and lifting or that dig, impact, or otherwise disturb the ground.