In Northern Minnesota construction, equipment choice is about more than horsepower. Whether we’re breaking ground on a new commercial complex or trenching utility lines at a smaller site, matching the right excavator size to the project is key to staying efficient, staying safe, and staying on schedule.
At Kaski Inc., we use three primary sizes of machines depending on scope and access: Mini excavators, like the Kubota KX057-4, Midsize like the John Deere 135, and Full Size like the Hitachi 450 and Deere 350. Each has its strengths, and each plays a role in the wide variety of job sites we serve across the region.
Mini Excavators
Best choice for tight access, light trenching, and residential site work
We hardly have any equipment on a jobsite and do not bring along the Kubota KX057-4. This machine shines in smaller, more constrained spaces. It’s perfect for jobs where access is limited, such as working alongside existing structures, alleyway utility repairs, or trenching between footings on a tight buildout. Couple that with the different attachments, and you start to see why these machines are always close by.
For residential contractors, the mini is a great fit when adding on to homes, prepping garage foundations, or cleaning up grading in a backyard without tearing up the whole property. But even on commercial sites, we’ll often bring in the mini for interior slab cuts, trenching close to buildings, or handling delicate final grading around finished concrete. Not just for digging, but mini excavators are incredibly helpful for moving smaller equipment in and out of trenches or places where a skid steer might not make sense.
Its size makes it easy to move between jobs, and it’s especially useful in early spring or late fall when the ground is soft and a heavier machine could cause unnecessary damage.
Mid-Size Excavators
Best choice for most commercial foundations, site development, and utility work
The Mid-size is truly the workhorse for the majority of commercial projects. It offers a strong balance between digging power and maneuverability. On jobs like new offices, improved city parks, or light industrial facilities, this machine can handle trenching, footing prep, and even modest demolition without requiring oversized access routes or heavy transport coordination. At Kaski Inc., we use the John Deere 135, and this machine wears a lot of hats for us.
It’s also useful on mixed-use sites where you might have limited room to operate but still need the reach and capacity to keep a job moving. The reduced tail swing makes it safer to use near roads, sidewalks, or existing buildings, which is something we frequently encounter in commercial infill projects.
In short, if you’re building something mid-sized or planning a site with moderate access, this machine checks the boxes.
Full-Size Excavators
Best choice for mass excavation, truck loading, and large-scale commercial projects
When we roll the Hitachi 450 or Deere 350 onto a site, we’re usually moving thousands of yards of dirt. These full-size excavator are made for big jobs such as sports complexes, mass grading for cemeteries, large commercial pads, or even loading at a gravel pit where production speed is a priority.
The full size is not a machine you’d bring to a residential backyard, but for wide-open job sites with cut-and-fill work, truck loading, or heavy foundation excavation, nothing beats it. We’ve used this size class on everything from industrial concrete pours to public facility site prep, and it helps us stay ahead of schedule when the window for earthwork is short.
Northern Minnesota’s freeze-thaw cycle limits our digging season. When we need to get in, get down, and get compacted before the frost, machines like the 450 are what make that possible.
Choosing Excavators Based on Access, Timeline, and Terrain
Across both commercial and residential jobs, ground conditions play a big role in machine selection. Frozen fill, soft topsoil, rocky glacial debris—every site up here tells a different story. Mini excavators are great when you need a light footprint. Mid-sizes work well for versatility. Full-sized machines shine when power and depth matter most.
At Kaski, we don’t just pick machines based on size. We look at your scope, your site, and your timeline to make the right call. And if your job changes midstream, as they often do, we’ll scale up or down to match. We like to take on some challenges of all shapes and sizes, and we need equipment to be as flexible as we are. Thus, we have a fleet of excavators to be able to support the needs of any job.
Built for the Northland
Whether we’re prepping ground for a multi-unit building or digging a tight trench in a downtown alley, the right equipment helps us do better work. From the Kubota U57 to the Deere 135 to the Hitachi 450, we rely on the full range to keep our projects moving across all seasons and soil types. If you’re planning a project and wondering what kind of equipment you’ll need, get in touch with us. We’re happy to help you plan, and we’ll bring the right machine for the job, whether it’s big, small, or somewhere in between.
