It can be difficult to tell them apart, but the main differences are size, versatility and rotation. These differences mean each machine is suited to different jobs. It’s important to know which is right for your job.
Excavators are bigger and heavier than Backhoes which are slightly smaller. Typically the excavator is better for demolition projects, mining, driving piles, drilling shafts for rock blasting and overall large-scale jobs. The smaller, more adaptable backhoe is better for farming, snow removal, loading jobs and medium-scale construction and excavation projects.
The versatility of the machines is different too. They both offer many attachment options, but the backhoe has a much greater selection and can complete a greater variety of tasks.
Lastly, they each have different rotation ranges. An excavator can be operated to rotate the entire machine’s chassis and arm together in a complete circle. While the backhoe arm only pivots around 200 degrees.