Walking draglines for surface mining · bucket capacity, boom length and rated suspended load, hoist, drag, swing and walking motors, base and walking bearing pressure, working weight, AC IGBT drives, and relocation and upgrades
A dragline excavator hangs its bucket from a long boom on hoist ropes and moves it with separate drag ropes, each wound on its own drum. Large mining draglines remove overburden in surface mines and move around the pit on a walking mechanism. Ask three things first: what bucket size, boom length and rated suspended load the mine plan needs, what ground bearing pressure the pit floor can take, and how power supply, assembly and support will be provided.
Electric walking draglines for surface mining and their main specification data. Crawler crane draglines, hydraulic excavators and rope shovels are outside this page except where compared.
01
Caterpillar presents its draglines as continuing the Bucyrus line and states that more than 1,100 of them have been produced over the past century. Its archived specification pages for three models are summarised below. It describes the 8750 as its flagship for overburden removal at the lowest total cost per tonne, and as the first dragline equipped with AC IGBT drive systems. The 8200 is the same technology at mid-range size with a lower initial capital outlay. [1] [3] [2]
Caterpillar's application engineers size a new dragline from the digging environment, mine life, mine plan and annual production targets. Its upgrade work includes boom modifications to optimise rated suspended load, operating radius, digging depth and dumping height. [1]
| Item | Cat 8000 | Cat 8200 | Cat 8750 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucket capability | 24–34 m³ (31–44 yd³) [1] | 46–61 m³ (60–80 yd³) [2] | 76–116 m³ (100–152 yd³) [3] |
| Boom length | 75–101 m [1] | 100 m [2] | 109.7–132.5 m [3] |
| Working weight (approx.) | 1.77–1.988 million kg [1] | 3.8–4.1 million kg [2] | 5.8–7.5 million kg [3] |
| Rated suspended load | 71,000–102,100 kg [1] | Listed for a 300k RSL configuration [2] | Per configuration [3] |
Give the supplier the mine plan with bench heights, digging depth and dumping height and radius, the material and its density, the annual production target, the bucket size, boom length and rated suspended load required, the pit floor bearing capacity, the electrical supply (voltage, AC or DC), and whether the machine is new or relocated.
02
Caterpillar's specifications list separate hoist, drag, swing and walking drives. The 8000 has two 1,230 kW drag motors and two 1,230 kW hoist motors, and Caterpillar lists its walking drive as "Common shaft clutched off one drag motor". The 8750 has six to eight 1,230 kW drag motors and the same number of hoist motors, plus four 932 kW walking motors and water-cooled IGBT-AFE inverter cabinets. [1] [3]
Editorial calculation: walking bearing pressure is higher than base bearing pressure because Caterpillar calculates it at 80% of the working weight on the smaller combined area of the walking mounting (157.0 m² on the 8200, compared with a 298.9 m² base). Check the pit floor against the walking figure, not only the base figure.
| Item | Cat 8200 | Cat 8750 |
|---|---|---|
| Base bearing pressure | 131–144.8 kPa [2] | 137.9–147.5 kPa (22.9 m base) [3] |
| Walking bearing pressure (at 80% of working weight) | 191.7–208.5 kPa [2] | 256.5–268.9 kPa [3] |
| Circle rail diameter | 15.2 m [2] | 16.8 m [3] |
| Walking motors | 2 × 932 kW [2] | 4 × 932 kW [3] |
| Length of step (approx.) | 2.26 m [2] | Per configuration [3] |
03
UZTM-KARTEX, the Russian group that includes Uralmashplant, describes its walking draglines as designed for stripping operations “according to the transportless technological scheme”, and lists separate crawler-mounted draglines based on its EKG-5A and EKG-12A shovel series for mining and overburden work with dumping to spoil or loading to transport. [4] In a project report it states that erection of the first of five ESH 24.95 walking draglines built by Uralmashplant for Coal India Ltd. began at the Bina mine of Northern Coalfields Limited; under the contract the first machine is to be commissioned in 18 months, delivery of all five is to be completed in 2026, and the same order covers eleven EKG-20KM mining shovels, with spare parts and accessories supplied for 11 years from commissioning. [5]
Compare this with the Caterpillar (Bucyrus) models above: the order shows a dragline fleet bought together with loading shovels and a long spare-parts term, which belongs in the commercial part of a dragline specification. [1] [2] [3]
Editorial calculation: 5 draglines plus 11 shovels is 16 excavating machines in one contract; if the 18 months is counted from the start of erection, an 11-year spares term from commissioning runs to about 12.5 years after erection began.
| UZTM-KARTEX / Coal India order | Published value |
|---|---|
| Dragline model | ESH 24.95 walking dragline |
| Draglines ordered | 5 |
| Shovels in the same order | 11 × EKG-20KM |
| First site | Bina mine, Northern Coalfields Limited |
| Commissioning of first machine | In 18 months, per the contract (reported as erection began; the start point is not stated) |
| Spare-parts supply | 11 years from commissioning |
Ask each builder for the erection period at site, the commissioning plan and the length of the spare-parts and service commitment, as well as the bucket, boom and dumping-range data.
04
Each row cites the Caterpillar specification pages that list that system; the walking row draws on all three models because the 8000 clutches its walk off a drag motor while the 8200 and 8750 have dedicated 932 kW walking motors.
| System | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Boom and bucket | Reach and bucket capability; boom length sets operating radius. [1] [3] | Boom length; bucket size; RSL. |
| Hoist and drag drives | Lift and pull the bucket on ropes; drums and rope clamps. [3] [2] | Motor count and rating. |
| Swing | Swing motors; circle rail and swing gear. [3] [2] | Swing motors; circle rail. |
| Walking mechanism | Moves the machine in steps. [1] [2] [3] | Walking motors; bearing pressure. |
| Electrical drives | AC IGBT drives with water-cooled inverter cabinets. [3] | Supply voltage; AC or DC. |
05
The example values span three Caterpillar models, so read them against the model nearest your bucket size; the last row adds the erection and spares terms from the UZTM-KARTEX order.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Bucket | Examples: 24–34, 46–61, 76–116 m³. [1] [2] [3] | Bucket for your material. |
| Boom | Examples: 75–101 m; 100 m; 109.7–132.5 m. [1] [2] [3] | Radius, depth, dump height. |
| Rated suspended load | Example: 71,000–102,100 kg. [1] | RSL for the boom chosen. |
| Ground pressure | Example: walking 191.7–268.9 kPa. [2] [3] | Base and walking pressure. |
| Drives | Examples: 1,230 kW hoist and drag motors; 932 kW walking. [1] [3] | Power demand; supply. |
| Erection and spares terms | Example: first ESH 24.95 to be commissioned in 18 months under the contract, reported as erection began; spares for 11 years from commissioning (UZTM-KARTEX for Coal India). [5] | Erection time, spares period. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mine plan: [digging depth; dump height and radius; bench] Material: [type; density] Production: [annual target] Machine: [bucket; boom; rated suspended load] Ground: [pit floor bearing capacity] Power: [voltage; AC or DC] Scope: [new; relocation; assembly; training]
Manufacturer profiles associated with Dragline Excavator.
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
Caterpillar's archived specifications range from 24–34 m³ on the 8000 to 76–116 m³ on the 8750. [1] [3]
The 8750 lists an approximate working weight of 5.8–7.5 million kg; the 8000 lists 1.77–1.988 million kg. [3] [1]
Caterpillar says its application engineers consider the digging environment, mine life, mine plan and annual production targets. [1]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. The Caterpillar pages are archived copies (2013) of the maker's own dragline specifications, and UZTM-KARTEX describes its own draglines and its Coal India order; check current offerings with each maker.
Ask for use case, specification boundaries, supplier type, and RFQ preparation information for this product.
Compare manufacturer profiles with relevant product and process capability.