Yantai Makers Push Dual-Cylinder Excavator Shears Abroad

Manufacturers in Yantai, Shandong are gaining export traction with dual-cylinder hydraulic excavator shears—heavy-duty front attachments that mount on 6- to 40-ton carriers and cut steel, rebar and reinforced concrete in one clamp-and-shear cycle. Unlike single-cylinder models, the dual symmetric cylinders deliver synchronized bite force, reducing blade skew and improving single-pass success on H-beams, truck frames and concrete-embedded steel.

Product and features

A typical Yantai-built unit pairs an integral cast-or-welded Hardox/NM500 body with two large-bore synchronized cylinders, heat-treated alloy blades (often reversible), 360° hydraulic rotation, speed valves for 2.5–3 s open-close action, and overload relief valves. Models for 20–30 t excavators weigh 2–3 t, open 540–1,069 mm, and rate root crushing force from 80 to 156 t depending on class. CE and ISO 9001 certification, OEM/ODM painting, and Qingdao-port shipment are now standard for export-oriented shops.

Use scenes and industries

Primary jobs are scrap-vehicle dismantling, steel-structure plant demolition, bridge-deck and rebar cutting, shipbreaking, and steel-mill scrap pre-cutting to furnace size. In urban renewal, crews pair the shear with a pulverizer to separate steel from rubble on site, cutting truck hauls and landfill fees. Emergency teams also use it to sever collapsed steel in rescue work.

Market trajectory

Backed by Yantai’s port logistics and attachment supply chain, local factories report about 45 day lead times, annual outputs in the tens of thousands of sets, and 40%+ sales from exports to Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Demand is lifted by stricter ELV-recycling rules, aging infrastructure removal and contractor preference for one-carrier versatility. Distributors say the 20–30 t class is the volume sweet spot, while 360° rotating dual-cylinder shears are the fastest-rising SKU in 2026 rental fleets.

As one Yantai engineer noted at a recent trade briefing, “The excavator is no longer just the arm—with a dual-cylinder shear it is the cutter, the separator and the recycling gate.” For mid-size demolition and scrap fleets, the attachment is shifting from optional upgrade to first-buy front tool.