A Northumberland surface coal mine is the setting for the hydraulic excavator which is currently the largest in Britain and the biggest Terex model in Europe - the Terex O&K RH 200. It works with advanced noise- and dust-suppression technology to load nearly 50 tonnes a time with a 26 cubic metre bucket.

At work in a Yorkshire limestone quarry is the largest excavator Caterpillar currently has in Britain. Only four of these 5130s were ever brought into the country.

A Scottish coal mine yields examples of the R 9350, Liebherr's biggest excavator in Britain, working with the country's largest fleet of Terex TR 100 dump trucks and a big Cat 834H wheeled loader.

Other highlights of this exciting programme are a 340-tonne O&K RH170, the only one in Britain, and an old 480-tonne O&K RH 200 loading Cat 789 trucks. There is even a quick look at Chevington Collier, a decommissioned Bucyrus-Erie 1260W walking dragline.

As in his other acclaimed DVDs, Steven Vale supplies plenty of information about the machines in his enthusiastic and detailed script.

Approx 82 mins