Learn to run an excavator before you touch the sticks

Ten scored levels in a real 3D excavator simulator — from your first boom movement to precision trenching with grade control. Runs in your browser. No download, no diesel, no waiting for the machine to free up.

Free to start · Level 1 opens instantly · No credit card

Scored levels
10

Scored levels

Downloads needed
0

Downloads needed

Fuel burned
$0

Fuel burned

ExcavatorSim 3D simulator showing a yellow excavator tracing a scored path with touch joysticks
Level 2 — straight-line trace, scored on drift

Seat time without the machine

Every rep on iron costs fuel, wear and a supervisor's attention. Build the muscle memory in the browser first, then show up ready.

Scored, not guessed

Reaction time, path deviation, attack angle and cycle time are all measured. You see exactly which function is letting you down.

A real progression

Single functions, then two, then three, then production work. The same order a good trainer would teach it in — at your pace.

Diagram of twin excavator joysticks with the right stick pulled back to raise the boom

Control coaching

Every prompt shows you the stick, not just the word

Beginners lose time translating "raise boom" into a hand movement. Each drill pairs the instruction with a live joystick diagram, so the mapping becomes automatic. Switch between ISO and SAE patterns any time and the coaching follows you.

  • Reaction time measured to the millisecond
  • Overshoot and correction counted per function
  • Touch, keyboard and gamepad input supported

The curriculum

Ten levels from first movement to production digging

Each level isolates one skill, scores it, and only opens the next once you hold tolerance.

Level 1Foundation

Isolated boom, stick & bucket

Control familiarity

One function at a time. An arrow calls out a segment, you move it — we measure your reaction time and overshoot on every prompt.

  • Arrow-prompt reaction drills
  • Per-function accuracy scoring
  • Left/right pattern (ISO & SAE)
Level 1.5Foundation

Gross movement quadrants

Spatial mapping

The work area splits into quadrants. Drive the bucket into the called quadrant fast and clean to build a mental map of the machine's envelope.

  • Quadrant call-outs
  • Envelope awareness
  • Speed vs. control balance
Level 2Coordination

Coordinated boom + stick

Two-function blending

Trace a dead-straight line, then a wave, a square and a circle. Deviation from the path is scored in millimetres of drift.

  • Straight-line trace
  • Wave & circle paths
  • Square corners without stalling
Level 3Coordination

Quadrant intercepts

Speed under pressure

Guitar-hero style: oncoming targets stream toward you and the bucket has to be in the right quadrant on time. Rhythm builds instinct.

  • Timed intercepts
  • Combo streaks
  • Escalating tempo
Level 4Coordination

Boom, stick & bucket together

Three-function blending

Cut a level line while the teeth hold a constant attack angle. Then trace the full figure set without letting the bucket roll off spec.

  • Flat grade cut
  • Constant attack angle
  • Figures with angle lock
Level 5Production

Loading & unloading a trailer

Machine handling

Approach, ramp alignment, tracking on and off, and a safe tie-down position — the moves that cause real-world damage.

  • Ramp approach
  • Track alignment
  • Shutdown position
Level 6Production

Picking up & handling loads

Load control

Lift, swing and place with a suspended load. Swing momentum and load charts become something you feel, not read.

  • Suspended load swing
  • Placement tolerance
  • Momentum control
Level 7Production

Pipe placement in a trench

Precision placement

Set pipe to line and grade in a live trench with tight clearances and a spotter's sight lines to respect.

  • Line & grade tolerance
  • Clearance discipline
  • Bell-end alignment
Level 8Production

Travelling & positioning

Site movement

Track the machine across broken ground and set up square to the work — the setup that makes every later pass easier.

  • Slope travel
  • Set-up geometry
  • Repositioning economy
Level 9Production

Bench loading a haul truck

Cycle production

Bench height, swing angle and pass count scored on cycle time and spillage. This is where operators earn their rate.

  • Cycle-time scoring
  • Pass matching
  • Spillage penalties
Level 10Production

Precision trenching with ExcaVision

Grade control

Dig to design with on-screen grade guidance. Cut/fill readouts turn every bucket into measurable, gradeable work.

  • Cut/fill readout
  • Design-surface trenching
  • Overcut penalties

How it works

01

Open the sim

Runs in any modern browser on desktop or tablet. Nothing to install.

02

Run the drill

Each level gives you a target, a timer and a tolerance to hold.

03

Read your score

Reaction, drift and cycle time logged per attempt so progress is visible.

04

Unlock the next level

Hit the pass threshold and the next skill opens up.

Questions

Put in the reps tonight

Level 1 takes four minutes. By the end of it you'll know which function you're slowest on — and you'll have a score to beat.