Choosing between a TLB and an excavator

A TLB costs roughly half what a 20 ton excavator costs per day, which is why it is the default choice on residential and small civils work. But the day rate is only half the equation — what matters is how many cubic metres leave the site per shift, and how much of the work the machine can do without a second unit.

On trench work up to about three metres deep with backfill immediately behind it, the TLB usually wins outright. It digs, it loads, it backfills and it cleans up, all from one seat and one contract. Bringing an excavator plus a loader to the same job means two machines standing while one works.

The moment the job becomes bulk excavation, the maths flips. A 20 ton excavator moves material several times faster than a backhoe, and on a platform of any size the excavator plus tipper combination will finish days earlier even at the higher rate. Standing time on a site programme is far more expensive than the difference in hire rates.

Our rule of thumb: under 500 cubic metres with services and backfill involved, hire the TLB. Over that, or where you are loading trucks continuously, hire the excavator and match it to the right truck size so neither machine waits for the other.