How to choose hi-rail excavators between crawler type and wheeled type?
Shandong Tiannuo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. supplies two types of hi-rail excavators for railway construction and maintenance: crawler type and wheeled type. We are able to offer conversion (namely retrofit) for various tracked and wheeled excavators. Currently, we primarily retrofit equipment from well-known brands including SDLG, Sany, and Liugong. We also offer customized railway traveling chassis to domestic and oversea customers for their certain models from brands such as Komatsu, Hitachi, Hyundai, Caterpillar, Kobelco and so on.
Regarding our retrofitted crawler type and wheeled type hi-rail excavators, they have the common feature of being equipped with our patented railway traveling chassis, along with various customized features. The fundamental difference lies in the original traveling mechanism: crawler versus tires. Their advantages and disadvantages are as follows:
1) Crawler hi-rail excavator:
Advantages: Large ground contact area, low pressure; good stability when operating on rails. On railway tracks, the crawler can be designed with a track-compatible structure, providing strong traction and stability. Disadvantages: Extremely slow speed on highways (typically 5-7 km/h), requiring flatbed truck transport for long-distance relocation.
2) Wheeled hi-rail excavator:
Advantages: Excellent mobility, higher highway speed (up to 40-50 km/h), convenient relocation, no need for dedicated transport vehicles, and can quickly reach different work sites.
Disadvantages: Small contact area with rails when working on tracks, and tires are prone to slippage.
How to choose hi-rail excavators between crawler type and wheeled type?
The choice depends mainly on the specific working environment, relocation needs, and the nature of the project. If the working area has soft roadbeds and steep slopes, crawler hi-rail excavators should be preferred to ensure operational stability and safety. If there are many project sites spread over a wide area, requiring frequent long-distance movement between different construction sites or railway sections, the high mobility of wheeled excavators significantly saves time and transportation costs. For projects with large workloads and tight deadlines, crawler hi-rail excavators are generally more efficient and capable of handling heavier excavation tasks. For smaller-scale municipal or railway maintenance projects with high flexibility requirements, wheeled hi-rail excavators are more flexible and efficient.
In summary: Crawler hi-rail excavators are "heavy-duty off-road experts," while wheeled hi-rail excavators are "high-speed mobility masters." There is no absolute "better," only "more suitable." It is recommended to prioritize adaptability to the operating environment based on the core needs of the project, and then comprehensively consider factors such as relocation and efficiency.
