Ever since they were introduced in North America a decade or so ago, bobtail excavators have been gaining pop-ularity. The reason is simple: A shorter tail swing lets them work in areas where standard excavators with prominent counterweights can’t.Available in compact up to midsize machines, this design minimizes the amount of counterweight and, in some cases, the front corners of the cab that protrude beyond the tracks when swinging the upper structure. And there is little if any loss of power digging performance or lifting capacity, manufacturers say.Case describes its CX225 minimum-radius excavator as having “the performance of a 20-metric-ton
