difference between Track hoe and excavator

[Cliff_Johns]

What is the difference between a Track hoe and an excavator? Are they local terms for the same thing?

Cliff

 

[ScottAR]

Nothing.
Yes.

 

[BTDT]

An excavator can be a regular rubber tired backhoe, a trackhoe, which is also an excavator, is as the name implies, has tracks like a dozer. A shovel is also an excavator, but I don't want to go there.

 

[LBrown59]

An excavator can be a regular rubber tired backhoe, a trackhoe, which is also an excavator, is as the name implies, has tracks like a dozer. A shovel is also an excavator, but I don't want to go there.

A shovel is something I don't want to get a handle on ~ or should i say I don't want to get on the handle.

 

[RobJ]

I think technically some of the first excavators sort of scraped up the hill. Where as the hoe is a pulling digging. So you might say the excavator has the bucket on reverse to a hoe. I think all the manufactors use the term excavator, but the field term is track hoe.

Again just guessing the excavator came first in the form of the old mining steam shovels. In the early days a drag line was used as a pulling digger. All 3 still in use today.

I guess they like the work hoe...a track or back hoe with a hammer on it is called a hammer hoe. At least by the construction crews.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I use to see a machine built like a backhoe on crawler tracks, loader in front and hoe in the rear. I think this was what was called a trackhoe then the excavator pivots on teh tracks where as the trackhoe did not.

It almost seems like "what is the difference between a kleenex and a tissue?"

 

[tractorbob]

A trackhoe is a track loader with a backhoe on the rear. Operates very much like a backhoe only can traverse steep hills etc. The boom only swings left and right 90 degrees like a backhoe. An excavator is on tracks and has a house that swings plus a boom that swings as well and no bucket on the front. You don't see too many trackhoes anymore but a lot of excavators.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Thanks guys.
Cliff

 

[N80]

My dad still calls them all steam shovels! He's about 70 so I don't think he ever saw an actual steam shovel other than Mike Mulligan's.

 

[RobJ]

My dad still calls them all steam shovels! He's about 70 so I don't think he ever saw an actual steam shovel other than Mike Mulligan's.

Mike Mulligan, that brings back some childhood memories.!!