A chain-type multi-bucket excavator for lateral excavation. The bucket excavates the soil layer along the slope, and the excavation surface is formed by the excavator moving back and forth along the tunnel working surface. The entire excavator consists of a bucket frame, a bucket chain with a bucket (moving along the bucket frame), a suspension and a body. The lower part of the bucket frame is hinged to fix a flat member, which is used by the excavator to remove small earth tombs when transferring the working surface. Because the excavation surface is repeated by the excavator, the bucket frame must be lowered to a certain angle when cutting new layers. This cutting method is called the fan method. There is also a parallel cutting method, which uses special components to make the bucket frame suspended on it move parallel to the fuselage.

Large bucket wheel excavators are also used for horizontal excavation, often combined with transporters, rubber trough transporters, and cable cars into a unit for continuous mining and construction. Bucket wheel excavators are generally composed of bucket wheels and their transmission devices, bucket wheel arms, output belt conveyors, and body (including upper transmission devices and lower walking devices). The arm frame is lifted by a wire rope or pushed by a hydraulic cylinder. The transmission mode is mostly powered by an electric generator set controlled by a thyristor, and multiple DC motors are driven separately. When working, put the king wheel on the working surface and start the bucket wheel drive motor to excavate. The moving working surface depends on the crawler walking mechanism.

Special trenchers generally use longitudinal excavation. Military trenchers are mostly chain-type, and pipeline trenchers are bucket wheel type. A wire rope is hung on the bucket wheel frame, and the output tape passes through the bucket wheel frame. Crawler tractors are mostly used as chassis for centralized transmission. When working, the wheel frame equipped with buckets is driven to rotate through the transmission system, thereby cutting the soil. With the walking of the crawler, the formed trenches can be dug out. The working size of this excavator (groove width × groove depth) is determined by the diameter of the bucket wheel and the width of the bucket.