Komatsu PC850: one excavator, two different jobs

What happens when you replace a Komatsu PC850's standard boom with a 16 m boom and 12 m stick? You get a machine that can reach 26 m and dig up to 20 m deep. But does that make it a better excavator? Not if you're loading blasted rock into dump trucks all day.

The standard PC850 is about digging force and fast production cycles. The long boom PC850 gives up some of that close-range performance to work much farther from the machine.

Both configurations are available on Makana, including two Japanese-built PC850 excavators in its November machinery auction in Dubai. Here's what actually changes between them.

Komatsu PC850 standard for quarrying and bulk excavation

The difference starts with the boom, not the engine. The Komatsu PC850 standard excavator listed on Makana is a 2018 model weighing around 80 ton. It has a 7.1 m boom, a 3 m stick, and a 487 hp Komatsu engine. That shorter boom gives the machine an advantage when digging hard material close to its tracks.

Komatsu's official PC850 specifications show why the shorter front matters. Its 7 m SE configuration delivers up to 470 kN of bucket digging force, compared with 400 kN for the factory configuration using an 8 m boom. That's approximately 19% more force under the specified Power Max conditions.

These are factory figures for two conventional boom configurations, not measured results from the used machine. But they show how much boom geometry affects digging performance, even before moving to a long boom.

The standard PC850 also benefits from Komatsu's Swing Priority Mode. Operators can direct more hydraulic flow to the swing motor during repeated 180-degree loading cycles, helping improve the movement between digging and dumping.

There is another important detail: bucket size.

Makana's standard PC850 is listed with a 2 m³ bucket, but Komatsu's factory PC850 specifications include larger bucket configurations of 3.5–4.3 m³. The actual bucket fitted to the machine therefore matters as much as the model name when comparing production capacity.

For quarrying, bulk excavation, and loading large dump trucks, the standard PC850 keeps the digging work closer to the machine, where its shorter front provides an advantage.

Komatsu PC850 long boom for marine and deep-reach work

Now consider a contractor working beside a canal in Abu Dhabi. The excavator is positioned on stable ground, but the material is 20 m away. A standard PC850 cannot cover that distance from the same position. The long boom changes the job completely.

Makana's Komatsu PC850 long boom uses a 16 m boom and 12 m stick, giving it a 25 m maximum digging reach and 20 m maximum digging depth.

That's around 14 m more reach than the standard PC850 SE configuration. Instead of repeatedly moving the excavator closer to the digging area, the operator can cover a much larger working area from one suitable position.

This makes the long boom useful for jobs such as canal dredging support, removing sediment from waterways, shaping embankments, and reaching deep excavation areas.

The 2023 long boom PC850 on Makana weighs 85 ton and uses the same 487 hp engine as the standard example. Its extended front is the major change, rather than an increase in engine power.

For more detail, Makana's Komatsu PC850 long boom technical specifications cover the working range, hydraulics, digging depth, and other technical measurements.

Standard vs long boom: reach, digging force and stability

Here's the interesting part: Makana's standard and long boom PC850 examples both list a 2.1 m³ bucket and 487 hp engine. So why aren't they equally productive?

Because the same bucket and engine behave differently when the front equipment changes.

Twice the reach doesn't mean twice the output

Komatsu's factory 7.1 m SE configuration has a maximum digging reach of about 12.3 m and a digging depth of 7.13 m.

The long boom configuration extends those figures to 26 m of reach and 20 m of digging depth.

That's more than double the reach and almost three times the digging depth.

But the long boom moves the bucket much farther from the machine. At extended reach, the longer front changes the forces acting on the boom and reduces the practical loads that can be handled within the machine's operating limits.

For example, a 2.1 m³ bucket full of dense material creates a very different load on the excavator at 20 m compared with the same bucket working close to the tracks.

This is why equal bucket capacity does not mean equal production or lifting ability across the two configurations.

The shorter boom wins at heavy digging

When digging compacted soil or loading blasted rock, the standard boom arrangement has the advantage of stronger close-range digging performance.

A long boom is designed to reach distant material, not replace the standard setup's heavy digging cycles.

The difference also affects production. On a quarry site where material is already close to the machine, the extra reach offers little benefit and can make the loading cycle less efficient.

The longer boom changes machine positioning

The long boom PC850 weighs around 85 ton, compared with approximately 80 ton for the standard machine.

That extra operating weight does not mean it can handle the same bucket loads at maximum reach.

The extended boom creates greater leverage as the bucket moves farther away, making machine position and working radius especially important.

For marine work and deep excavation, this trade-off makes sense because access to the material is often more important than maximum digging force.

Where each PC850 setup fits on UAE jobsites

The decision becomes clearer when looking at the work rather than the excavator's size.

A quarry in Fujairah: A standard PC850 digging and loading rock can make better use of its shorter boom, digging force, and repeated swing cycles. A 26 m long boom adds reach that may not improve production at the loading face.

A canal project in Abu Dhabi: The long boom PC850 can reach material much farther from its tracks, making it useful for sediment removal and bank maintenance where the excavator must remain back from the water.

A large construction site in Dubai: Both configurations may be useful, but for different stages. The standard PC850 handles bulk excavation and truck loading. The long boom can reach deeper or more distant sections that cannot be accessed efficiently with a conventional front.

For contractors already operating a standard PC850, a long boom is therefore not simply a bigger or more powerful upgrade. It expands the range of projects the fleet can handle, particularly deep-reach and waterfront work.

Find Komatsu PC850 excavators for sale in the UAE on Makana

Makana offers both Komatsu large excavators and Komatsu long boom excavators for different earthmoving applications.

Two PC850 configurations are included in Makana's upcoming November 2026 machinery auction in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

• 2018 Komatsu PC850-8R1 standard excavator: Approximately 80 ton, with a 487 hp engine and conventional digging arrangement. Bidding starts at $53,000.
• 2023 Komatsu PC850-8R1 long boom excavator: 85 ton, with a 26 m digging reach, 20 m digging depth, and 487 hp engine. Bidding starts at $100,000.

The difference in starting bids should not be treated as the price of upgrading to a long boom. These are different used machines, from different years, with their own conditions and equipment configurations.

Both are reserved lots, so the highest closing bid requires seller approval before the sale is confirmed.

Makana's November machinery auction runs from November 1–10, 2026. Registration is free, and buyers can activate a bidding limit through card verification without paying an upfront security deposit.

For buyers looking beyond this auction, Makana also offers Komatsu excavators for sale, with inspection reports, operating videos, photos, and detailed specifications.

If you need a particular PC850 configuration, Makana's machinery procurement service can help source equipment based on your project requirements.

FAQs about Komatsu PC850 excavators

How much farther can a long boom PC850 reach?

The 26 m long boom configuration reaches approximately 14 m farther than the standard PC850 SE configuration, which has a maximum digging reach of about 12.3 m.

Does the Komatsu PC850 long boom have more engine power?

No. The two PC850 examples on Makana both use a 487 hp Komatsu engine. Their main difference is the front equipment, which changes digging reach and how the machine handles material.

Can a long boom PC850 replace a standard PC850 in a quarry?

A long boom PC850 can perform excavation work, but it is not designed to match the standard configuration's close-range digging force and repeated heavy loading cycles. Its main benefit is extended reach.

Why do both PC850 configurations have a 2.1 m³ bucket?

The standard and long boom PC850 machines featured by Makana are both listed with 2.1 m³ buckets. However, the same bucket size does not mean identical digging performance, particularly when working at different radii.

Where can I buy a Komatsu PC850 in the UAE?

Makana offers standard and long boom Komatsu PC850 excavators through its Dubai equipment marketplace and machinery auctions, depending on availability.