Selection Guide

Four questions determine most of the specification. Work through them in order.

1. Is there firm ground within reach of the work?

If yes, consider a long-reach front on a conventional carrier before anything amphibious. It is cheaper to buy, transport and maintain. Amphibious equipment is the answer when there is no stable position to work from.

2. How deep is the water, and what is the bed?

A pontoon undercarriage drives itself by track action against the bed. Deep water over very soft bed material is the difficult case — the machine floats but cannot get traction. Spud poles or pontoon extensions address this, but the requirement has to be identified before purchase.

3. How does the machine get to site?

Pontoon width normally exceeds legal road width, so anything above the smaller classes travels dismantled and needs crane access. On constrained sites this consideration alone can decide the machine class.

4. How long is the work?

Short-duration work tolerates a compromise machine. Multi-season work does not — over that timescale, undercarriage wear, parts availability and cycle efficiency dominate the total cost, and the cheapest machine to buy is frequently the most expensive to run.

Then choose the attachment

Attachment weight at full reach affects a floating machine more than a tracked one. Specify the attachment alongside the machine, never afterwards.

Selection by Series

14 Ton Class 24 Ton Class 29 Ton Class 33 Ton Class 40 Ton Class 8 Ton Class AM140 — 14 Ton Class AM250 — 24 Ton Class AM300 — 29 Ton Class AM350 — 33 Ton Class AM80 — 8 Ton Class

Selection by Application

Canal and River Maintenance Demolition Dredging Flood Mitigation Land Reclamation Material Handling Oil Palm Plantation Swamp and Marsh Operation

Selection by Category

Amphibious Excavator Amphibious Spare Part Clamshell Bucket Crusher Excavator Work Tools Fork Grab HD Grapple Heavy Duty Attachment Heavy Equipment Bucket High Reach Demolition Booms High Reach Demolition Booms Long Reach Long Reach Front Attachment Long Reach Spare Part Material Handling Boom Material Handling Boom Orange Peel Grab Others Pin Ripper Spare Parts

Frequently Asked Questions

What size amphibious excavator do I need?

Size is decided by water depth and site access far more than by production requirements. The right machine is usually the smallest one that stays stable at your worst-case water depth, carrying the attachment you actually intend to fit, at the reach you need. Larger machines are more stable and more productive but travel dismantled and need crane access at both ends.

What is the difference between an amphibious excavator and a swamp buggy?

The terms are used interchangeably in the trade for the same thing: an excavator upper structure on sealed pontoons that both spread its weight on soft ground and let it float in standing water. "Swamp buggy" is the more common informal usage; "amphibious excavator" is the usual formal description.

How deep can an amphibious excavator work?

There is no single figure, because the limit is set by the interaction of pontoon buoyancy, machine weight and bed consistency rather than by depth alone. The practical constraint is that the machine drives itself by track contact with the bed, so once it floats free it loses propulsion. A firm sand bed allows working at depths where soft silt would leave the machine stranded.

Is it cheaper to use a long-reach excavator instead?

Usually yes, where a long-reach front will reach the work from ground that carries a machine. It costs less to buy, transports as a normal machine, needs no site assembly and keeps the undercarriage dry. Amphibious equipment is the correct answer only when there is no stable working position within reach.

What are the main running costs?

Undercarriage wear dominates. Submerged running holds abrasive silt in the pin and bush interfaces, so consumption bears little relationship to operating hours and is substantially higher than on a dry-land machine. Transport and assembly are the other significant cost, particularly for larger classes that must be dismantled to travel.

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