They both move dirt, so people mix them up. The short version: a mini excavator digs down, a skid steer moves material across. Pick the machine that matches what most of your job is.
What a mini excavator is for
An excavator sits still and digs with an arm and bucket. It digs deep, narrow and precise, and it can reach over a pile or a trench. It also swings 360 degrees, so it can dig, turn and dump into a pile or a trailer without moving.
- Footings, foundations and frost walls
- Water, sewer, gas and electric trenches
- Septic and drain work, ponds
- Pulling stumps and boulders
- Loading dirt into a dump trailer or truck
What a skid steer is for
A skid steer drives around with a bucket or attachment on the front. It is built to scoop, carry, spread and grade. It does not dig deep. A bucket only takes off a few inches at a time, but it moves a lot of material fast. With attachments it also drills post holes, grabs brush, moves pallets and preps soil for seed.
- Spreading gravel, topsoil, mulch and stone
- Grading driveways, pads and yards
- Backfilling and site cleanup
- Post holes (auger), brush clearing (grapple), pallets (forks)
Quick decision guide
| Your job | Rent |
|---|---|
| Dig a trench, footing or hole deeper than about a foot | Mini excavator |
| Move a pile of gravel, dirt or mulch somewhere else | Skid steer |
| Grade a driveway or level a yard | Skid steer |
| Pull stumps | Mini excavator (or a stump grinder if you just need it gone below grade) |
| Fence posts | Skid steer with auger |
| Dig a foundation and backfill it | Both |
When you need both
Plenty of jobs use one of each: the excavator digs and loads, the skid steer hauls the spoil away, spreads gravel and does the final grade. Garages, additions, driveways and drainage projects often go this way. A week rental of each is usually cheaper than stretching one machine to do a job it is not built for. Ask us about delivering both on the same trip.
Picking the size
Excavators: the Bobcat E10 fits through a doorway or narrow gate and digs about 6 feet. The Bobcat E35 is the all-rounder: about 10 feet deep and still fits through a 6-foot gate. The Bobcat E48 has the most reach and lifting power for bigger digs.
Skid steers: the stand-on Bobcat MT100 is under 36 inches wide for backyard gates. The tracked Bobcat T66-2 and Kubota SVL65-2 are full-size machines that stay steady on soft ground. Tracks are what you want on lawns and wet Michigan ground. They spread the weight and do not rut the way wheels do.
Good to know
- Call MISS DIG 811 at least three business days before you dig. It is free, and it is the law.
- We bill by the time the machine is out, not the hours on the meter. Run it as much as you need.
- Delivery starts at $85 round trip within 45 minutes of our Hamburg yard. See all delivery rates.
Not sure which one fits your job? Call the counter at (810) 231-7368. We are open 7 days and happy to talk it through.