This report is an update of the study on hydraulic excavators that was last published by Off-Highway Research in September 2023, and its findings are based on an extensive interview programme undertaken with all major manufacturers and importers, as well as their dealers, during the first eight months of 2024. It concerns the market in China for hydraulic excavators, which are defined as being capable of turning through 360 degrees, mounted either on tracks or wheels, and which have a service weight from 6.1 to over 100 tonnes.

Machines weighing 6 tonnes and less are classified as mini excavators and are excluded from this report, but are included in a separate Equipment Analysis. The basic function of hydraulic excavators is digging, but they are increasingly used for loading and demolition, and are therefore popular in a wide array of applications, ranging from relatively simple and small-scale construction work, to highly complex and demanding industrial projects.