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Nine times out of 10, the arm/boom never changes on an excavator," says Michael Boyle, product consultant - excavators, John Deere. Yet, there are situations where added reach is needed, and switching to a larger size class is not an option.

Dredging operations on water are a prime example. Lake Services, Inc., Stafford, VA, is a modest-sized mechanical dredging contractor working off of small sectional barges placed in ponds, lakes, channels and other waterways. Given its typical jobsite, moving to a larger machine is generally out of the question.

"With working on the water, you're faced with a physical constraint," says Martin Firth, owner of Lake Services. As the excavator goes up in size class, a larger barge is needed to carry it. But as barge size increases, any gain in excavator reach is negated. "You really lose a lot of capacity because much of the functional area the machine should work in is actually lost to the deck of the barge.

"The solution is to find an excavator that weighs as much as other machines, but can reach further," he continues. "Therein lies the reason for going to the long reach. It fills the constraint for working on a barge that can't be matched by a conventional, more compact machine."

Advantages of extensions

"Long fronts or super-long fronts can add value for many jobs, including grading over extended surfaces, slope/canal maintenance, barge loading/unloading or light dredging," says Tony den Hoed, marketing communications and product launch specialist - excavators, Volvo Construction Equipment. They are also effective for demolition work at heights, trenching to extended depths, scrap and material-handling operations, etc.