In the 1990s, annual sales of mini excavators in the North American market were around 4,000 machines. During this period, skid steer loaders sold approximately 50,000 units per year, and 25,000–30,000 backhoe loaders entered the market annually.<b20世纪90年代，北美市场小型挖掘机的年销量约为4,000台。在此期间，滑移式装载机的年销量约为5万台，而反铲装载机的年销量则为2.5万至3万台。

After entering the 21st century, the market began to change. At that time, demand for mini excavators rapidly rose to 10,000–20,000 units per year, peaking at nearly 30,000 units in 2006. Subsequently, the subprime mortgage crisis and the global economic recession led to a downturn in home construction, taking a significant toll on the following decade.进入21世纪后，市场开始发生变化。当时，迷你挖掘机的需求迅速攀升，年销量达到1万至2万台，并在2006年达到近3万台的峰值。随后，次贷危机和全球经济衰退导致房屋建设陷入低迷，对接下来的十年造成了重大影响。

But when the mini excavator market rebounded, it rebounded strongly. Sales exceeded 30,000 units for the first time in 2015 and set new sales records for the next six years. Product sales in 2021 and 2022 were particularly impressive, with 65,000 mini excavators sold each year.但当小型挖掘机市场回暖时，复苏势头强劲。2015年销量首次突破3万台，并在此后六年里屡创新高。尤其在2021年和2022年，产品销量表现尤为亮眼，每年均售出6.5万台小型挖掘机。

A fundamental shift

The surge in North American mini excavator sales over the past two years is directly related to the pandemic-era residential construction boom, which also caused a similar spike in compact track loader sales. However, long-term growth trends suggest something more fundamental is happening.过去两年北美小型挖掘机销量激增，与疫情期间住宅建设热潮直接相关，这一热潮也推动了紧凑型履带式装载机销量的类似飙升。然而，长期增长趋势表明，更深层次的变化正在发生。

As mini excavator sales have increased, backhoe loader sales have declined. Annual sales over the past three years have been less than 10,000 units. Over the last 10–15 years, the same trend has appeared in Europe: as the backhoe loader market has shrunk, mini excavators have gained greater sales volume and acceptance.

The “larger capacity” mini excavators are more popular

The European market is dominated by mini excavators of 2.5 tons and below, whereas in North America, products in the 2–6 ton range account for approximately 85% of total sales.

Chris Sleight, Managing Director of Off-Highway Research, stated that the demand for mini excavators in this weight range is expected to be one of the key factors keeping this segment strong over the next five years. These products are large enough for infrastructure construction as well as for smaller-scale residential projects.

The growth trend extends further into larger capacity products. Over the past 10–15 years, sales of 6–12 ton excavators have risen to account for about 35% of the market. Before this shift, the most popular machines in the market were the 20-ton class excavators.

Customer preferences and market demands change over time. Compared to backhoe loaders, which have a larger footprint and limited working radius, mini excavators have a smaller footprint, offer 360-degree rotation, and are also cheaper in terms of selling price.