This is the most authentic aspect of the Chinese construction machinery market in 2025. Data shows that from January to October, the overall sales volume of domestic excavators increased by 19.6%, but the structural differentiation is alarming: the sales volume of small excavators increased by 24.0%, while the growth rate of large excavators, which represents the activity of large-scale infrastructure, was only 1.0%. On the surface, the construction machinery industry is ushering in spring.

From January to November, domestic excavator sales increased by 18.6% year-on-year, ending years of decline. The optimistic headline of 'mild recovery of the industry' can be seen everywhere. Going deep into the front line, what I see is a fragmented picture. Water conservancy, farmland, and municipal pipeline renovation projects are blooming everywhere, and these projects with scattered working faces and fragmented engineering quantities are the stage for small excavators. In sharp contrast, projects such as railways, highways, and large-scale commercial real estate that require medium to large excavators continue to have low operating rates.

A senior salesperson described it as "pushing small digging, showing customers already started rural projects with high transaction rates. Pushing big digging, only discussing 'possible future' national projects, and customers shaking their heads after listening." This kind of "biased" recovery is also evident in the number of working hours. Due to scattered demand, small excavators only start working for 4-5 hours per day on average, but it does not delay the explosive orders of small excavators; Under normal circumstances, Large excavator can operate for more than 10 hours a day in large-scale projects, but the sales of new machines have frequently cooled down.