The Biggest Construction and Mining Machines in the World
From the 14,000-tonne Bagger 293 to the 450-tonne BelAZ 75710, meet the record-breaking giants of mining and construction.
Heavy equipment comes in some astonishing sizes. These are the record holders and giants in their categories, based on published manufacturer and industry data.
Bucket-wheel excavators: Bagger 288 and Bagger 293
The largest land vehicles ever built are the bucket-wheel excavators used in German lignite mines. Bagger 293 weighs about 14,200 tonnes and is around 96 m (315 ft) tall and 225 m (738 ft) long. Its sister Bagger 288 became famous for crossing roads and a river when moving between mines in 2001. These machines can move hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of earth per day.
Draglines: Big Muskie
The Bucyrus 4250-W "Big Muskie", which worked in Ohio until 1991, had a bucket of about 168 m³ (220 yd³) and weighed around 13,000 tonnes. It was dismantled in 1999; its bucket is preserved as a memorial.
Haul trucks: BelAZ 75710
The BelAZ 75710 has a rated payload of about 450 tonnes and set a record by carrying 503.5 tonnes in a test. Production giants like the Cat 797F, Liebherr T 284 and Komatsu 980E carry 360–400 tonnes.
Hydraulic mining shovels
Ultra-class hydraulic shovels such as the Liebherr R 9800, Komatsu PC8000 and Hitachi EX8000 weigh around 800 tonnes and fill a 360-tonne truck in a handful of passes.
Bulldozers
The Komatsu D575A "Super Dozer" is one of the largest production bulldozers, weighing over 150 tonnes with a blade capacity of about 69 m³ (90 yd³) in its largest configuration. The Cat D11 is the biggest dozer from Caterpillar.
Wheel loaders
The LeTourneau L-2350 is among the largest wheel loaders, with a bucket of around 40 m³ (53 yd³) and a payload of about 72 tonnes.
Cranes
The XCMG XGC88000 crawler crane is rated at about 4,000 tonnes, and Liebherr's LR 13000 at 3,000 tonnes. The Liebherr LTM 11200-9.1 is among the largest telescopic mobile cranes.
Why so big?
In mining, bigger machines lower the cost per tonne by reducing the number of operators and trucks. The limits are tyres, haul road design, transport of components and matching loading tools to trucks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest machine in the world?
The bucket-wheel excavator Bagger 293, at about 14,200 tonnes, is generally cited as the largest land vehicle ever built.
