• These are the world's top 10 biggest man-operated machines in the world.
  • They include a monster bulldozer and a piece of machinery known as 'Big Bertha'.

These are the top 10 biggest man-operated machines in the world:

10. Komatsu D56A Dozer


(Komatsu/YouTube)


It's 4.8 metres tall, and operating at 1,150 horsepower, the D575A is the world's biggest bulldozer. The D575A is mostly used in mining operations, and can move 70 cubic metres per pass.

9. P&H L-2350 Loader


The L-2350 loader, from American earth-moving machinery manufacturer LeTourneau Inc., holds the Guinness World Record for Biggest Earth Mover. (Vehicle Channel/YouTube)


Also made by Komatsu, the P&H L-2350 Loader holds the world record for "biggest earth mover." This loader can lift 65,300 kilograms of material as high as 7.3 metres in the air.

8. Liebberr 9800 Mining Excavator


The Liebherr mining excavator: driven by two 1,492 kW/2,000 HP 16-cylinder V-engines, the Liebherr R 9800 boasts a 42 m³ bucket capacity. (Liebherr/YouTube)


Also popular in the mining industry is the Liebherr 9800, which can easily clear 42 cubic metres at once. But that kind of strength isn't surprising for a machine that weighs nearly 907,184 kilograms. 

7. Belaz 75710


The BelAZ 75710 is an ultra-class haul truck by Belarusian manufacturer BelAZ. It's the world's largest, highest payload capacity haul truck. (Equipment Machines/YouTube)


The Belarussian Belaz 75710 recently became the world's biggest and most powerful dump truck. It's 8.22 metres tall, with four 2,300 horsepower engines, the Belaz 75710 is strong enough to carry 408,233  kilograms.

6. CAT 6090 Hydraulic Shovel


The CAT 6090 FS Excavator Hydraulic Mining Shovel. (YouTube)


In 2012, Caterpillar unveiled the largest hydraulic mining shovel ever built. The CAT 6090 is also energy efficient, as it stores power during swing deceleration. 

5. P&H 4100XPC Electric Rope Shovel


The P&H 1900AL Electric Rope Shovel in operation. (YouTube)


Komatsu strikes again with a gigantic electric rope shovel that lets one man lift up to 67 cubic metres. Of course, this shovel's operator gets plenty of help from the efficient design of this 98,883 kilograms.

4. Big Muskie


The Big Muskie. (YouTube)

Once the world's largest mobile-earth moving machine, the Big Muskie could lift two Greyhound buses at once. Due to environmental restrictions, the R1.4 billion ($113 million) machine was sold for R9.2 million ($700,000) in scrap metal in 1999. 

3. NASA Crawler-Transporter


The crawler is tasked with transporting NASA's rockets. (NASA/YouTube)


These 34.74 metres tall platforms have the important mission of moving NASA rockets to their launch pads. Even at R185 million a piece, speed is not their selling feature, since they move at about one-and-a-half kilometres per hour.

2. Big Bertha


The $80 million drill Big Bertha. (CBS/YouTube)


The world's largest tunnel boring machine is called "Big Bertha," after Seattle's first female mayor. At 17.37 metres in diameter, "Big Bertha" was built to dig a 3.2 kilometre long roadway under downtown Seattle.

1. Bagger 293 Bucket Wheel Excavator


The Bagger 293 is a giant bucket-wheel excavator built in Germany in 1995. It requires a crew of five to operate and can move over 8.5 million cubic feet of earth per day. (National Geographic/YouTube)


The Bager 293 is the largest land vehicle in world history. It stands 96 metres tall, weighs 14 million kilograms, and can move 240,000 cubic metres of soil per day.

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