The Biggest, Baddest Shovels in the World
From mining the oil sands of Alberta to boring under the English Channel, some of the most extreme machines made by man are devoted to digging. We take a look at six of the biggest monsters of earth moving.
BY JEREMY REPANICH
Bucyrus International Inc.
Bucyrus RH400 Hydraulic Shovel
Many of the extreme machines on our list have spent time in mines, but only the Bucyrus RH400 has made a cameo in a Michael Bay film. The world's largest hydraulic shovel inspired the vehicle form of the Decepticon Demolishor in the 2009 movie Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
When it's not appearing on the silver screen, the RH400 can be found in the Canadian oil sands in Alberta, where this three-story-high behemoth set a production record, excavating 9000 tons of earth in 1 hour. The RH400's shovel can hold up to 94 tons or 57 cubic yards in its shovel, which has what Bucyrus calls a clamshell design that opens at the bottom to empty its payload more quickly. Two 16-cylinder engines combined generate 4400 hp, running the RH400 and its 14 hydraulic pumps, which hold up to 3400 gallons of fluid—enough to fill a small backyard pool.
With an $11 million price tag, it is best to leave as little downtime as possible when working the RH400 in a mine or oil sands. Bucyrus makes that continuous work easier on the driver by including a separate room behind the cab that can be outfitted with a refrigerator and a microwave.
When it's not appearing on the silver screen, the RH400 can be found in the Canadian oil sands in Alberta, where this three-story-high behemoth set a production record, excavating 9000 tons of earth in 1 hour. The RH400's shovel can hold up to 94 tons or 57 cubic yards in its shovel, which has what Bucyrus calls a clamshell design that opens at the bottom to empty its payload more quickly. Two 16-cylinder engines combined generate 4400 hp, running the RH400 and its 14 hydraulic pumps, which hold up to 3400 gallons of fluid—enough to fill a small backyard pool.
With an $11 million price tag, it is best to leave as little downtime as possible when working the RH400 in a mine or oil sands. Bucyrus makes that continuous work easier on the driver by including a separate room behind the cab that can be outfitted with a refrigerator and a microwave.
Read more: Extreme Machines Earth Movers Pictures - Giant Shovel Digging Machine Pictures - Popular Mechanics
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