An excavator can be small enough to dig a pool space or trench, or to landscape a garden, or it can be a huge machine weighing hundreds of tonnes and used for major construction and mining work. Its cab is connected to the boom, so it can be rotated 360 degrees and perform many operations while stationary. Excavators can dredge rivers, clear space to stop a fire spreading, demolish buildings, work on mine sites and construction sites.
What exactly is a Positrack?
A Positrack is a bobcat-type machine, which digs deep and wide for the purposes of landscaping and construction, but is not an excavator nor a backhoe. Positracks, or any tracked loader, dig by collecting earth and pulling the debris back towards the vehicle. Positrack is short for positraction, or limited-slip differential, which makes driving safer as the torque is distributed equally so that the machine is less likely to slip. Basically, differentials transfer the power from the engine to the wheels via the axle, allowing the vehicle to move. Tilt rotators, grapples, breakers, and augers all increase the Positrack’s power when drilling holes, digging trenches, and carrying heavy debris, so that they are good for farmers with large flat fields, and also have industrial uses because they can lift heavy weights.
Basic differences
So, while an excavator has an independent chassis, a Positrack is fixed, cannot rotate 360 degrees and needs room to move. A Positrack has an operating rotation radius of 200 degrees to the left and right, which works where there are large spaces to manoeuvre the vehicle — for example when digging trenches or holes one after another — but an excavator is usually more versatile. A Positrack weighs less than 10 tonnes, which used to be smaller than an excavator, but now mini-excavators weigh between six and 10 tonnes and can operate in very small spaces. However the initial costs of a Positrack and its maintenance are considerably cheaper than an excavator, so for a smaller site within its operating range, and especially if it is used continuously, it is the better choice in agriculture and industry, whereas the excavator, with its wider range of applications, is more convenient and versatile in a complex environment.
But whether you need an excavator or a Positrack or even a tipper in and around Sydney, DIG IT CIVIL can supply it — dry hire or with an expert driver. Whatever your construction or landscaping needs, contact us for good advice and an affordable quote.