Just read a monthly report about excavators export in China. It seems that excavators below 13 tons are becoming more and more popular, accounting for 41.98% of the total excavator export. Why is that ?
I can't talk for the next guy, but my little Takeuchi TB145 works circles around my 580 Case backhoes when it comes to digging and getting to either tight places or muddy places. I have plenty of tractors that can do the loader work, or my Tak 150 is flat out a beast of a little loader that is faster than a backhoe loader. Your mileage may vary, but mini excavators are taking a LOT of work from backhoes around here.
With the right operator our 12T Sumitomo would out dig our 21T sumitomo any day of the week...Logistically it is alot less headache, Can throw it on a standard width tag along float behind a tandem with ease. In and out of site without distroying kerbs, roads etc. Less Fuel, Less cost. Less is more.
the little machines are becoming stronger and faster they burn way less fuel which really affects everyone's bottom line and put them on street pads or rubber tracks and they're great on all kinds of jobs, even on roads as mentioned before, they're so much better at almost any job than a tractor backhoe (not including the front end of the tractor backoe of course)