Hydro-Spade
Simply Built. Simply Better.
Designed with your work in mind. Super versatile. Easy to operate. Easy to maintain.
×Compact Hydro Excavation From Brown Equipment
Hydro-Spade builds compact hydro excavation trucks and trailer-mounted units sized for utility crews, telecom contractors, and municipalities that need precision dig capability without committing to a 30,000-pound vac truck. The 600 trailer tows behind a pickup with no CDL. The 800 puts a self-contained dig unit on a single-axle chassis. Brown Equipment supports sales, parts, and service across our Midwest network.
Designed with your work in mind. Super versatile. Easy to operate. Easy to maintain.
Hydro-Spade fills the gap between handheld utility-locate tools and full-size 30,000-pound hydro excavation trucks. The platform spans trailer-mounted units sized to tow behind a half-ton or three-quarter-ton pickup, plus smaller truck-mounted configurations that mount on a non-CDL chassis. The promise is precision dig capability for utility-locate work, daylighting, slot trenching, and stormwater catch-basin cleanout without the capital and operating cost of a full Ramvac, Vactor HXX, or Vac-Con HVX.
The lineup is built around 600-gallon debris tank configurations with 1,200 CFM blower packages, 10 GPM water systems at 2,900 PSI, and 250-foot electric-rewind hose reels. Trailer-mounted units fit the non-CDL slot for small utility crews and telecom contractors that need precision dig on individual jobs. Truck-mounted configurations step up to higher debris and water capacity for municipal stormwater and longer-duration excavation work. Cold-weather options include a 420,000 BTU diesel-fired boiler for breaking through frozen ground, plus antifreeze kits for shoulder-season operation.
Brown Equipment Company is the authorized Hydro-Spade dealer. We sell new units, stock the wear parts, and run factory-trained service. The platform sits alongside Ramvac in our hydro excavation lineup, with Ramvac covering high-volume municipal stormwater and large utility daylighting, and Hydro-Spade covering precision dig and non-CDL contractor work.
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Indianapolis, IN
- Manufacturer Site
- Visit
- Non-CDL trailer-mounted hydro excavation, towable behind half-ton and three-quarter-ton pickups
- 600-gallon debris tank with 1,200 CFM blower for serious vacuum on wet spoils
- 10 GPM water system at 2,900 PSI with 250-foot electric-rewind hose reel
- 420,000 BTU diesel-fired boiler option for frozen-ground excavation
- Antifreeze kits for shoulder-season operation in cold climates
- Authorized dealer with factory-trained service and stocked wear parts at BEC
- Hydro-Spade 600 Gallon Trailer-Mounted Hydro Excavator
- Hydro-Spade Truck-Mounted Hydro Excavator
- Hydro-Spade Cold-Weather Boiler Kit
Why Hydro-Spade?
Right-Sized for Daily Work
Most utility crews run two or three excavation jobs per week. Hydro-Spade is built for that workload: a trailer or single-axle truck instead of a tandem-axle vac truck that costs more to run than the work requires.
Pickup-Towable Option
The 600 trailer tows behind any pickup with a Class IV hitch. No CDL, no dedicated chassis, no separate parking spot. Any licensed crew member can deploy it to the next job.
Safer Than Hand-Digging
Non-destructive water excavation around live utilities. Your crew exposes gas, electric, and telecom lines without the strike risk that hand-digging carries every shift.
Simple Hydraulics
6-way hydraulic articulating boom, wireless handheld control on the 800. No electronic control panels to troubleshoot in the rain. Your own shop maintains the unit without dealer-only diagnostics.
Every Hydro-Spade model we sell
Browse the complete lineup, including inspection, components, and software solutions.
Hydro-Spade 800 Truck
Truck-mounted hydro excavator built on a single-axle Freightliner chassis with an 800-gallon debris body. Right-sized for departments running daily utility locates, potholing, and small excavations that do not justify the cost and complexity of a tandem-axle vac truck.
Hydro-Spade 600 Trailer
Trailer-mounted hydro excavator sized to tow behind a pickup your fleet already runs. 600-gallon debris tank and dual 120-gallon water tanks handle a full day of utility locating and daylighting without a refill trip. No CDL required.
Hydro-Spade For Sale
We have 17 Hydro-Spade units across our Midwest locations.
2026 Hydro-Spade 800 Hydro Excavator, Non-CDL Truck
Operate without a CDL, opening the driver pool for your crew • Work tight residential streets and easements with a Class 5/6 chassis footprint
2026 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Run a full potholing cycle with 240 gallons of onboard water across dual 120-gallon side tanks • Haul behind a pickup with no CDL required thanks to tandem-axle trailer design
2026 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Run the truck with any licensed driver on a non-CDL Class 5/6 chassis • Reach tight residential and easement digs with a 6-way articulating boom
2026 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Drive it with a standard license: non-CDL Class 5/6 chassis widens your operator pool • Work residential streets and tight easements with a turning radius built for the job
2025 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Dig and daylight utilities without a CDL driver or dedicated vac truck • Run a full day on 600 gallons of debris capacity before dumping
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Operate with a non-CDL driver pool on a Class 5/6 chassis • Reach tight residential and easement work with a 6-way articulating boom
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Put non-CDL drivers on a hydro excavation truck and widen your hiring pool • Work residential streets and tight easements with a chassis built for a small turning radius
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Hydro-excavation capability for safe digging around underground utilities • Non-CDL chassis allows operation without commercial driver's license
2025 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Put a two-person crew on potholing and daylighting work without adding a CDL driver • Tow behind a pickup you already own, no dedicated chassis required
2025 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Run longer between dump cycles with a 600-gallon debris tank • Tow behind a 3/4-ton or 1-ton pickup, no CDL required
2025 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Put any licensed driver behind the wheel: no CDL required to tow • Reach into tight backyards and easements with a 6-way articulating boom
2024 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Get 600 gallons of debris capacity without stepping up to a CDL-class vac truck • Reach tight residential and easement work a full-size hydrovac can't access
2024 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Move it with any licensed driver: no CDL required, tows behind a pickup • Reach into tight residential lots with a 6-way articulating boom
2024 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Dig potholes and daylight utilities on tight residential lots without staging a full vac truck • Tow with a 3/4-ton or 1-ton pickup, no CDL required for the operator
2024 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Tow behind a 3/4 or 1-ton pickup with no CDL required • Reach tight residential and right-of-way digs with a 6-way articulating boom
2024 Hydro-Spade 800 Non-CDL Hydro Excavation Truck
Operate with any licensed driver: non-CDL chassis keeps the truck in rotation across your crew • Dig year-round with a 420,000 BTU boiler for frozen ground and cold-weather potholing
2024 HYDRO-SPADE 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Run a full day of daylighting without a CDL driver or dedicated chassis • Cut frozen Midwest ground with a 420,000 BTU diesel-fired boiler included
Keep Your Hydro-Spade Running
We stock OEM parts and our technicians are factory-trained on Hydro-Spade equipment.
Hydro-Spade: Common Buyer Questions
Answers to the questions municipal fleets and contractors ask most often before specifying Hydro-Spade equipment.
- What is the difference between Hydro-Spade and Ramvac?
- Hydro-Spade fills the non-CDL trailer-mounted slot for precision utility-locate work, daylighting, and contractor jobs. Trailer units tow behind a pickup, no CDL required, lower capital and operating cost. Ramvac fills the high-volume municipal stormwater and large utility daylighting slot with full-size trucks (HX-9, HX-15). Most departments end up with one of each: a Ramvac for the heavy work, and a Hydro-Spade trailer for the precision and second-crew coverage.
- Do I need a CDL to tow a Hydro-Spade trailer?
- No. The 600-gallon Hydro-Spade trailer is built to be pulled behind a pickup with the proper hitch and tow rating, no CDL required. That's the central design promise: a department or a contractor can add hydro excavation capability without committing a CDL operator to the equipment full-time.
- What is the cold-weather boiler option?
- The 420,000 BTU diesel-fired boiler heats the water in the supply tank to break through frozen ground and frost-line conditions that stop cold-water operation. Standard kit on Midwest fleets that run winter utility-locate work, paired with an antifreeze kit and a 5-gallon antifreeze tank for the pump protection side.
- What jobs is Hydro-Spade best for?
- Utility-locate work, daylighting before tie-ins, slot trenching for fiber runs, stormwater catch-basin cleanout on smaller routes, and any precision excavation where a mechanical excavator carries strike risk. The platform isn't sized for high-volume municipal stormwater or large-diameter utility daylighting; that's where Ramvac HX-9 or HX-15 fits better.
- Does BEC sell Hydro-Spade as new or used?
- Both. We sell new Hydro-Spade trailers as part of our hydro excavation lineup, and we also list used units (typically late-model trades) on the for-sale inventory side. Both come with BEC factory-trained service and stocked wear parts.
- What service and parts support does BEC offer for Hydro-Spade?
- Authorized dealer with factory-trained service across our seven Midwest locations. Wear parts (water-system seals, vacuum-system gaskets, boiler components) stock at our service centers. Most stocked items ship same-day upon request from our Indianapolis distribution center.
Talk to BEC About Hydro-Spade
Have a BEC Equipment Consultant contact you.
Pricing, demos, financing, parts. Whatever you need on Hydro-Spade, leave your name and we will call.
Prefer to call? (800) 747-2312