Hydro Excavation
Expose Utilities Without Damage. Dig Precisely. Stay Compliant.
One strike on a buried gas line or fiber optic cable can cost hundreds of thousands in repairs, plus fines, lawsuits, and project delays. Hydro excavation lets you expose underground utilities with precision, using pressurized water and vacuum instead of a backhoe blade. No guesswork, no damage, no risk.
Sound Familiar?
- Risk of hitting buried gas, electric, or fiber lines with mechanical digging
- Costly damage claims and project shutdowns from utility strikes
- Regulations requiring non-destructive excavation near existing utilities
- Frozen ground in winter that stops conventional excavation
- Contaminated soil that requires careful removal and containment
Equipment That Delivers
- Cold weather packages with boilers for year-round frozen ground excavation
- Telescoping booms that reach 20+ feet from the truck to confined sites
- Debris tanks up to 15 yards so you haul more and dump less
Demos at your job site. Application-specific recommendations. Service and parts support across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Hydro Excavation Products
Not sure which hydro excavation equipment fits your operation? Consider your typical job scope, crew size, and budget. Our equipment consultants can help you match the right machine to your specific applications.
Talk to a SpecialistHydro Excavators
5 products from 1 brand
HX-12
Full-size hydro excavator with 12-yard debris tank, DIG DEEP telescoping boom with 18 to 23 ft reach, and greater payload capacity than comparable units in a shorter overall package.
HX-6
Mid-size hydro excavator on a standard truck chassis with 6-yard debris tank and DIG DEEP telescoping boom. Lower GVW for easier permitting and broader road access.
HX-3
Compact hydro excavator with 3-yard debris tank designed for utility potholing, daylighting, and precision excavation in tight residential and urban environments.
HX-9
Nine-yard debris tank hydro excavator sized between the HX-6 and HX-12. Built for utility crews that need more capacity than the HX-6 without going to the full-size HX-12 chassis.
HX-15
Largest Ramvac hydro excavator with a 15-yard debris tank. Built for high-volume excavation programs and contractors running multi-shift operations on major utility, pipeline, and infrastructure projects.
Truck-Mounted Units
1 product from 1 brand
Trailer-Mounted Units
1 product from 1 brand
Attachments
Organized by type. Drill into any item for specs, applications, and pricing.
Build Components / Options
4 optionsRotating Nozzles
1 option
Cleaning Nozzles
1 option
Lance Handles
1 option
Nozzles
1 option
13 hydro excavation units for sale
Equipment ready for delivery from our seven Midwest locations. Click any unit for specs, photos, and a direct quote request.
2026 Sewer Equipment HX-12 27" Hydro Excavator
New unit with 2,582 miles and 77 chassis engine hours • 12-yard debris tank
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Truck Non CDL
Demo unit with 5,009 miles and 157.57 chassis engine hours • 800-gallon debris body, truck-mounted
2025 Hydro-Spade 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
600-gallon debris tank • Dual 120-gallon side-mounted water tanks
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Truck Non CDL
800 gallon debris body, truck-mounted • 8 GPM at 3,000 PSI water system
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Truck Non CDL
Demo unit with 4,317 miles and 130 chassis engine hours • 800-gallon debris body, truck-mounted
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Truck Non CDL
800-gallon debris body, truck-mounted • 8 GPM at 3,000 PSI water system
2025 Hydro-Spade 800 Truck Non CDL
800-gallon debris body • 8 GPM at 3,000 PSI water system
2024 Hydro-Spade 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Used unit with 356.4 chassis engine hours • 600-gallon debris tank
2024 Hydro-Spade 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
600-gallon debris tank • Dual 120-gallon side-mounted water tanks
2024 Hydro-Spade 600 Gallon Hydro Excavation Trailer
Used unit with 309 miles and 309.6 chassis engine hours • 600-gallon debris tank
2024 Sewer Equipment HX-12 27" Hydro Excavator
12-yard debris tank • DIG DEEP telescoping boom with 18 to 23 ft reach and 320 degree working radius
2020 Sewer Equipment HX-12 18" Hydro Excavator
Used unit with 29,040 miles and 4,678 chassis engine hours • 12-yard debris tank
2027 Sewer Equipment HX-12 18" Hydro Excavator
12 yard debris tank • DIG DEEP telescoping boom with 18 to 23 ft reach and 320 degree working radius
Side-by-side: which hydro excavation equipment fits your operation?
| Equipment Line | Brand | Type | Key Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| HX-12 | RAMVAC by Sewer Equipment | Hydro Excavator | 12-yard debris tank |
| HX-6 | RAMVAC by Sewer Equipment | Hydro Excavator | 6-yard debris tank |
| Easy Grip Lance System | Dig Pig | Hydrovac Nozzle & Lance | Ergonomic grip reduces wrist strain |
Describe Your Problem. We'll Match the Equipment.
Tell us what you're dealing with: pipe size, job conditions, crew size, budget. We'll recommend specific equipment. We can also demo on your site so you see results before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hydro excavation?
Hydro excavation is a non-destructive digging method that uses pressurized water (3,000–24,000 PSI) to break up soil and a powerful vacuum (up to 6,000+ CFM) to remove the slurry into a debris tank. It is the safest way to expose buried utilities like gas, electric, and fiber without risk of damage from mechanical digging.
How much does a hydro excavation truck cost?
New hydro excavation trucks range from $250,000 to $500,000+ depending on debris tank size (6–15 cubic yards), water capacity, pump PSI, and chassis configuration. Trailer-mounted hydro excavators start around $60,000–$120,000 and are a lower-cost entry point for departments with lighter workloads.
Should I buy a trailer or truck-mounted hydro excavator?
Trailer-mounted units are more affordable, easier to transport with existing fleet trucks, and work well for potholing and small daylighting jobs. Truck-mounted hydro excavators carry larger debris tanks (10–15 yards), longer booms, and handle high-volume excavation where fewer dump trips matter. Brown Equipment Company can demo both configurations on your job site.
What is the difference between potholing and daylighting?
Potholing creates a small test hole (typically 12–18 inches wide) to verify the exact location and depth of a buried utility before construction begins. Daylighting exposes a larger section of a buried utility so crews can visually confirm its condition, material, and routing for repair or tie-in work.
Can hydro excavation work in frozen ground?
Yes. Hydro excavation trucks equipped with cold weather packages use onboard boilers to heat water to 140–180°F, allowing effective excavation in frozen ground conditions. This makes hydro excavation one of the only viable non-destructive digging methods during Midwest winters.
What size hydro excavation truck do I need?
For utility locating and potholing, a trailer unit or truck with a 6–8 yard debris tank is sufficient. For large daylighting jobs, pipeline exposure, or high daily volume, a 12–15 yard truck with a telescoping boom (20+ feet of reach) will reduce dump trips and increase daily productivity.
Ready to Find Your Hydro Excavation Solution?
Get pricing, schedule a demo, or talk to a specialist. We cover Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
