Just read a safety bulletin that said 40% of excavator tip-overs involve machines under 10 tons

Found it in a quarterly report from our state's contractor licensing board, which really makes you rethink the 'it's small, it's fine' attitude. Anyone else have a close call with a smaller machine they want to share?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotacraig13h ago

We had a 7-ton mini ex slide sideways on a gentle slope I swore was fine. The bucket caught a root and the whole cab tilted hard enough to spill my coffee. That 40% stat lines up, I used to treat the small ones like toys.

matthew86410h ago

Yeah those small ones get sneaky. Had a 4-tonner on a lawn job, slight grade near a ditch. Track hit a soft patch and it just started to walk sideways. Felt like slow motion but your heart jumps into your throat. Never trust a gentle slope after that.