CAT 320 vs. Hyundai HX220A L: Built for Depth or Built for Reach?

Two excavators in the same size class can carry nearly identical horsepower and weight and still dig a noticeably different-shaped hole. CAT's 320 and Hyundai's HX220A L are a clean example: both are standard-arm, standard-boom mid-size machines, and both post genuinely competitive working-range numbers -- they just prioritize slightly different things with the boom and arm geometry they ship as standard.

CAT's 320: Built to Dig Deeper

CAT's official specifications for the 320, running its standard 5.7 m (18'8") HD reach boom and 2.9 m (9'6") stick, list a maximum digging depth of 22 ft 1 in. (6,720 mm) and a maximum reach at ground line of 32 ft 4 in. (9,860 mm). Maximum vertical wall digging depth comes in at 17 ft (5,190 mm), and maximum depth cut for an 8-foot level bottom sits at 21 ft 6 in. (6,550 mm).

That 22-foot-plus digging depth is a meaningful number for anyone regularly working basement excavations, deep utility trenches, or foundation work that needs to get well below grade without switching to a longer, non-standard arm.

Hyundai's HX220A L: Built to Reach Further

Hyundai's official North American specifications for the HX220A L list a maximum digging reach of 32 ft 7.5 in. and a maximum digging depth of 21 ft 3.9 in. -- the mirror image of CAT's tradeoff. Hyundai's standard configuration reaches roughly 3.5 inches further out than the 320, while digging about 9 inches less deep.

Neither gap is enormous in absolute terms, but both are large enough to matter on a job where the specific dimension in question is the limiting factor -- a trench that's exactly at the edge of one machine's depth capability, or a reach across a wide ditch or water feature that one machine's boom geometry can clear and the other can't without repositioning.

The Side-by-Side

• CAT 320 (standard 18'8" boom, 9'6" stick): max digging depth 22'1"; max reach at ground line 32'4"; max vertical wall digging depth 17'0"

• Hyundai HX220A L: max digging depth 21'3.9"; max digging reach 32'7.5"

• CAT's edge: roughly 9 inches more digging depth

• Hyundai's edge: roughly 3.5 inches more reach

Why This Isn't an Accident of Engineering

Boom and arm geometry is a deliberate design tradeoff, not a byproduct of raw hydraulic power. For a given cylinder stroke and linkage design, a manufacturer can bias the standard configuration toward depth or toward reach, but rarely maximizes both simultaneously without lengthening the arm -- which then changes digging force, cycle time, and stability in its own ways. CAT and Hyundai have each made a slightly different bet about which dimension matters more to their typical mid-size excavator buyer, and both bets are defensible depending on the work.

It's worth noting that both manufacturers also sell longer-arm and longer-boom configurations as factory or dealer-installed options, so a buyer who specifically needs more of one dimension than the standard configuration provides isn't stuck -- it just means paying attention to which arm and boom combination is actually being quoted before comparing two machines' numbers directly.

Cutting Height and Loading Height Follow the Same Pattern

The depth-versus-reach tradeoff shows up again at the top end of each machine's working envelope. CAT's 320 posts a maximum cutting height of 30.7 ft (9,370 mm) and a maximum loading height of 21.3 ft (6,490 mm) with its standard boom and stick -- numbers that matter directly for truck-loading work, since loading height determines how high a dump truck's box can sit relative to the excavator without the bucket clipping the top rail on the way over. A contractor loading triaxle dump trucks with tall side boards wants to confirm this number against the specific trucks running on a given job, since a loading height that works fine for a standard dump bed can come up short against a raised-rail or tandem-axle box.

Hyundai doesn't publish cutting and loading height figures as prominently in its North American spec sheet, which is itself worth noting -- if truck-loading height clearance matters for your operation, ask the dealer directly for that number rather than assuming it tracks proportionally with the reach advantage Hyundai does advertise.

Named Trades, Real Geometry Decisions

A basement excavation or deep-foundation contractor working in tight urban lots, where the excavator often can't be repositioned easily, benefits more from CAT's extra digging depth -- getting to grade in one setup beats repositioning the machine mid-dig. A utility contractor trenching alongside a road or working around a drainage ditch benefits more from Hyundai's extra reach, since it means fewer repositioning moves to cover the same linear distance of trench.

A demolition contractor working around structures with unpredictable footprints may value reach more than depth in general, since clearing debris at a distance safely matters more than any specific depth figure.

How Auto Dig Boost Changes the Force Side of the Equation

It's worth noting that geometry and force aren't entirely separate stories. CAT's 320 spec sheet lists a standard bucket digging force (ISO) of 150 kN (33,811 lbf), rising to 163 kN (36,709 lbf) with its Auto Dig Boost function engaged -- a roughly 9% increase available on demand, similar in concept to Komatsu's Power Max. function covered elsewhere on this blog. A contractor who needs both CAT's extra depth and extra digging force for a specific tough-ground application has that boost available; one who's satisfied with standard force but wants Hyundai's extra reach doesn't need to think about it at all.

What Happens When You Need Both

If a job genuinely needs both maximum depth and maximum reach simultaneously, the honest answer is that no mid-size excavator's standard configuration gives you both at their individual peak -- you're choosing which dimension to prioritize, or stepping up to a longer arm option that typically trades some digging force for the added length. Before specifying a longer arm on either brand, confirm with your dealer exactly how much digging force and cycle speed you're giving up, since that tradeoff is rarely printed as prominently as the headline reach number.

Tail Swing Radius: A Geometry Number Rarely on the Headline Spec Sheet

Hyundai's published spec sheet for the HX220A L also lists a tail swing radius of 9 ft 5.8 in. -- the distance the rear counterweight sweeps out from the machine's centerline during a swing. That number matters enormously on a tight urban lot or a job working close to an existing structure, fence line, or parked vehicles, since a wider tail swing means the operator has to account for more clearance behind the machine on every single rotation, all day, every day. It's a dimension that gets far less marketing attention than reach or depth, but for a contractor working confined sites, it can matter just as much as either of the two numbers this article focuses on -- worth asking both brands' dealers to quote directly before committing to either machine for a tight-lot job.

Why Neither Number Appears on a Billboard

Reach and depth figures rarely headline a manufacturer's marketing the way horsepower or bucket capacity do, even though they shape day-to-day productivity more directly for many applications. A trenching crew that has to reposition the machine an extra time per hundred feet of ditch because of a three-inch reach shortfall loses real time over a job, even though no single repositioning feels significant in the moment. Reading past the headline specs to these working-range numbers is exactly the kind of diligence that separates a contractor who picks the right machine for their actual work from one who picks based on brand loyalty or whichever dealer called back first.

What to Measure on Your Actual Jobsite

Before assuming either machine's standard geometry fits your work, measure your actual typical excavation depths and reach distances over your last several jobs rather than assuming from memory. A contractor who thinks they need maximum reach but whose actual trenches rarely exceed 25 feet from the machine's centerline may find CAT's extra depth is the more valuable number day to day, and vice versa for a contractor who overestimates how deep their typical dig actually goes.

Resale Considerations: Geometry Doesn't Age, Hours Do

Unlike a worn pump or a tired undercarriage, a machine's standard boom-and-arm geometry doesn't degrade with hours -- a ten-year-old CAT 320 still digs to roughly the same 22-foot depth it did new, assuming the arm and boom haven't been bent or repaired off-spec. That makes geometry one of the more reliable things to compare when shopping used equipment from either brand, since it's a known quantity regardless of condition, unlike digging force or cycle time, which can genuinely degrade as hydraulic components wear. If reach or depth is the deciding factor for your work, a used machine from either brand should perform close to its original spec on that dimension specifically, even if other systems need closer inspection.

The Rent-vs-Own Angle

A rental yard stocks whichever standard configuration moves fastest in its local market, which may not match your specific depth-versus-reach priority. Owning the machine means specifying the exact boom, arm, and bucket combination that fits your actual work, rather than adapting your technique to whatever geometry happened to be available that week.

Financing the Right Geometry for Your Work

BFC writes excavator financing for both CAT and Hyundai, new or used, and can structure financing around a standard configuration or a longer-arm option depending on what your actual jobs call for. Measure your real depth and reach needs first, then let the financing fit the machine -- not the other way around.

For more on how these two machines compare on undercarriage and final drive, see our CAT 320 vs. Hyundai HX220A L final drive comparison and our digging force comparison against Komatsu's PC210LC-11 for the fuller picture on these machines.

If you're weighing excavator financing for your fleet, BFC Equipment Loans works with contractors nationwide on both new and used machines, good credit or bad. Start an equipment financing application in minutes, browse our current equipment for sale inventory, or subscribe to the newsletter for more comparisons like this one.