Caterpillar draglines are the giants of the mining world, built to move incredible amounts of material at the lowest possible cost per ton. Unlike standard excavators, these massive machines use a complex system of ropes and chains to "drag" a huge bucket toward the machine, filling it with earth before swinging it away to a dump pile. They are mostly used in large-scale surface mining to strip away layers of rock and soil and reach coal or minerals deep underground. Because they are so large, they don't move on wheels or standard tracks; instead, they "walk" slowly across the site using massive mechanical feet. These machines are designed to operate around the clock for decades, with heavy-duty components built to withstand constant tension and weight.