A Volvo EC500 excavator loading rock into a Volvo ADT in a quarry.

Your Go-To Excavator Resource Center

Conducting some excavator research?

You’ve come to the right place. Whether you own heavy equipment, manage a fleet, oversee a site or operate the controls, we want you to get the most out of the excavators you rely on to get your toughest jobs done.

Browse our excavator resource center to get practical insights and tools you need to optimize your operations and maximize productivity at a lower cost.

Ownership: Find Your Ideal Excavator

A Volvo EC260 excavator moving rock in a quarry.

Buying an Excavator? 12 Things to Consider During the Demonstration

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A Volvo EC210 excavator working in site prep at an airport.

A Fleet Manager’s Guide to Lowering Excavator Ownership & Operating Costs

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An ECR145 excavator digging a utility trench next to a building.

Our Tool to Properly Match Your Excavators & Articulated Dump Trucks

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Efficiency: Move More While Cutting Costs

A close-up of the work modes dial on new Volvo excavators.

Essential Excavator Prestart Checklist

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5 Negative Impacts of Excessively Idling Diesel Engines

See Idling’s Impact

A Volvo EC500 crawler excavator loading rock in a quarry.

Excavator Side-By-Side Comparisons – Productivity

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Uptime: Keep Your Excavators Up & Running Longer

7 Steps to Maximize Heavy Equipment Longevity

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A Volvo EC210 tracked excavator managing rock in a quarry.

5 Things to Check for When Judging Excavator Durability

Get More Uptime

Close-up of the service compartment door open on a new Volvo excavator.

Tips for Avoiding 3 Common Problems with Diesel Exhaust Fluid

Keep Your DEF Clean

Operating: Run Your Excavator Like a Pro

A Volvo excavator digging a trench away from the camera.

Excavator Operating Tips: Trenching and Loading

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A Volvo EC230 excavator loading dirt into a Volvo articulated hauler.

Why Operators Should Care About Operating Costs Too

Make a Difference

Understanding Excavator Hydraulics

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Technology: Put Smart Innovation To Work

A Volvo excavator digging a trench away from the camera with white grid lines indicating Dig Assist machine control.

Watch: How to Use the Volvo Excavator Machine Control System

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Two Volvo Uptime Center employees reviewing ActiveCare Direct data for a customer on a computer.

3 Ways ActiveCare® Direct Makes Telematics Adoption Easy

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A Volvo EC300 excavator loading dirt on a construction site with the hydraulic lines highlighted in neon blue.

Setting New Trends: Volvo Hydraulic Hybrid Technology

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Keep Your Excavator Game Strong

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Stories from Your Peers

See how others like you are getting the most from their excavators. These case studies offer practical insights and inspiration, showcasing innovative approaches and proven results across a range of applications.

Volvo EC950F loading an A40G at a Ryangolf construction site near Ft. Myers, Florida

General Construction

In early 2024, Ryangolf embarked on a major project near Ft. Myers with a vision to fully transform the landscape. The task: Dig out a large aqua range for golf course irrigation and use the displaced dirt to build both a golf course and a housing development.

See How They Did It

Utilities

SYB Construction performs a lot of utility rehab work in residential and high-traffic zones in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, making a zero-turn excavator their hot button machine. Which model made perfect sense for their type of work?

Take a Look

A Volvo excavator breaking rock in the background with a Volvo EC750E excavator moving the rock in a quarry.

Quarry & Aggregates

The pace of a quarry shakes down to cycle time and uptime. At Wilkes Barre Materials in Northeastern Pennsylvania, thousands of tons of premium sandstone are moved daily — this excavator easily gets it done.

Check Out Their Story

Mining

With a large fleet of 60-ton haul trucks to fill, excavator cycle times became a focus for Rango Inc. On high-volume sites, matching excavators to haulers is important to get cost per ton down — enter the Volvo EC950. This 95-ton excavator can fill a 60-ton haul truck in four bucket passes with an average cycle time of just over a minute.

Watch It In Action

Overview of a Volvo excavator next to a Volvo articulated dump truck.

Volvo Services

This Maryland contractor loves using their Volvo excavators with Dig Assist on-board weighing to get their work done faster and more accurately. Watch how the excavator machine control system is improving daily production and operator experiences.

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An operator using a Volvo ECR25 Electric excavator for indoor demolition next to his coworker.

Electric Excavators

A Texas demolition contractor is growing their indoor demolition niche thanks to a powerful new emissions-free electric excavator with robust guarding and a clean, enclosed cab that keeps operators going all day.

Watch Them At Work

Excavator FAQ

Get answers to some of the most common questions about excavators. From how to choose the right excavator to optimizing performance and leveraging the latest technologies, find the practical information you need to make smarter decisions and get the most out of your equipment.

A midsize excavator in the 15- to 35-ton range offers plenty of power and the flexibility to take on projects large and small. In fact, we often see new general construction businesses start with medium excavators for this reason. Your best first step is to reach out to your local heavy construction equipment dealer to help you match a machine to the types of jobs you do most.

Standard telematics programs are highly beneficial, providing you with fault codes and data to help you address potential issues and track machine performance. However, with an advanced telematics program, the OEM and dealer proactively monitor these fault codes for you, notifying you only when action is needed and effectively cutting through the noise of raw data.

Getting all your excavator operators, from new hires to seasoned pros, working at the same high level is a huge win for project success. You can teach them how to operate an excavator efficiently by combining solid training programs with smart technologies like machine control systems, which give everyone real-time guidance and feedback for precise results.

Start by thoroughly checking and topping off all fluids — engine oil, hydraulic fluid and coolant — as cold weather can impact their performance. Don't forget to inspect your battery and electrical systems, and give a good look at your tracks or tires and all filters to ensure everything is ready for the busy season ahead.

Whether it's what to look for when buying an excavator or how to optimize your current machines, technology is quickly advancing. Operator assist programs like machine control have taken big steps and now can include features like on-board weighing and 3D technology. There are camera systems that offer 360-degree views and combine with radar to distinguish between people and objects. And be sure to research telematics and connectivity innovations.

A Volvo excavator working next to the edge of a quarry that drops off vertically.

Consider excavators that give you an edge.

Check out our newest Volvo excavator range upgraded with features our customers have asked for.

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