Respecting the Iron That Built the Industry

Don’t forget the equipment that usually starts at a jobsite and often does a lot of the heavy lifting

Aug 28, 2025 | by Cory Dellenbach |

Dig0925 Below Surface Yellowiron 01 — Two Komatsu excavators sit at an excavation site where a new sewer line is being installed and the road is being redone. It’s important to remember that while vacuum excavators, directional drills and trenchers drive your companies, traditional tools like excavators are just as important.

At Dig Different, our mission has always been to spotlight the evolving world of excavation — especially the innovative, trenchless and noninvasive methods that are reshaping how underground infrastructure work gets done. Technologies like vacuum excavation, horizontal directional drilling, pipe bursting and CIPP have become more than buzzwords — they’re essential tools of utility contractors today.

With all our enthusiasm for the latest advancements, it’s also important to remind ourselves — and our readers — that the heart of the industry is still built on iron.

Excavators, backhoes, skid-steers and track loaders might not be the flashiest players on the job site, but their importance hasn’t faded. In fact, these traditional machines are often the first pieces of equipment to show up and the last to leave. They set the stage for precision work, support trenchless operations and handle the heavy lifting — literally and figuratively — day in and day out.

Let’s be honest, even the most advanced vacuum excavator can’t always do what a 30,000-pound excavator can. Most trenchless jobs start with exposing utilities, grading access areas, moving trees and other debris, or lifting heavy pipe — and for those jobs, you’re going to want a skilled operator in the cab of a traditional machine.

We’ve talked to countless contractors over the years who rely on both sides of the equation. They’ll use hydroexcavation to expose a gas line and then dig the rest of the trench with a mini-excavator. Or they’ll pull in a new sewer main using pipe bursting methods, but still use a backhoe to set manholes and prepare connections. It’s not about one being better than the other. It’s about knowing when and how to use each method to get the job done right, safely and efficiently.

IN LOUISVILLE

A great opportunity to see many of the new machines comes up early this month at The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s one of my favorite shows to attend because you can see the equipment working and even try some of it out yourself. The show has everything from the traditional iron to those vacuum excavators, drills and a whole lot more!

Keep an eye on our social media for updates and photos from the show!

IN THESE PAGES

Much like the Shop Talk in this issue, you’ll continue to see iron on the pages of Dig Different. We may lead with trenchless technologies and low-impact excavation methods, but we never forget where this industry started or what still holds it together.

The skilled operators behind those machines — whether they’re pulling levers or controlling touchscreens — are all part of the same mission: building and maintaining critical infrastructure in smarter, safer and more sustainable ways.

So here’s to the crews who use every tool available — from high-tech to high horsepower — to keep things moving underground. At the end of the day, whether you’re pushing a bucket or pulling a drill head, you’re part of a bigger system that only works when all the parts come together.