At first, the excavator was manual, and it has been more than 130 years since its invention to 2013. During this period, it has experienced a whole process from steam-driven bucket rotary excavator to electric drive and internal combustion engine-driven rotary excavator, applying electromechanical-hydraulic integration technology. The gradual development process of automatic hydraulic excavators. The first hydraulic excavator was invented in Poclain, France. Due to the application of hydraulic technology, there were ground-mounted excavators equipped with hydraulic backhoes on tractors in the 1940s. In 1951, the first fully hydraulic backhoe was launched by the Poclain factory in France, thus creating a new space in the field of technical development of excavators. Azimuth hydraulic excavators and crawler full hydraulic excavators. The initial trial-produced hydraulic excavator adopts the hydraulic technology of aircraft and machine tools, lacks hydraulic components suitable for various working conditions of the excavator, the manufacturing quality is not stable enough, and the supporting parts are not complete. Since the 1960s, hydraulic excavators have entered a stage of promotion and vigorous development. The number of excavator manufacturers and varieties in various countries has increased rapidly, and the output has soared. From 1968 to 1970, the output of hydraulic excavators accounted for 83% of the total output of excavators, which was close to 100%.

The first generation of excavators: the emergence of electric motors and internal combustion engines made excavators have advanced and suitable electric devices, so various excavator products were born one after another. In 1899, the first electric excavator appeared. After the First World War, diesel engines were also used in excavators. This diesel engine (or electric motor) driven mechanical excavator was the first generation of excavators.

The second generation of excavators: With the extensive use of hydraulic technology, the excavator has a more scientific and applicable transmission device, and hydraulic transmission instead of mechanical transmission is a big leap in excavator technology. In 1950 Germany's first hydraulic excavator was born. Hydraulic mechanical transmission is the second generation of excavators.

The third generation of excavators: The wide application of electronic technology, especially computer technology, enables the excavator to have an automated control system, and also makes the excavator develop in the direction of high performance, automation and intelligence. The germination of mechatronics occurred around 1965, and the adoption of mechatronics technology on mass-produced hydraulic excavators was around 1985, when the main purpose was to save energy. Excavator electronics are the hallmark of the third generation of excavators.

Excavator industry manufacturers can be roughly divided into four categories. More than 70% of the domestic excavators are occupied by foreign brands, and the domestic brands are still mainly small excavators and medium excavators, but the share of domestic excavators is gradually increasing, with a year-on-year increase of 3.6% in 2012.