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YOU CAN 3D PRINT A WORKING EXCAVATOR THAT HAS NO MOTORS AND NO ELECTRONICS

A fully working excavator you print on a desktop 3D printer, with three levers, hidden linkages and no electronics anywhere.

by Manish (TorqueOn)

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Workshop

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●○○○
time
a weekend
license
license not specified
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a clever piece of mechanical design: three operator levers drive concealed linkages inside the body so the boom, arm and bucket move like a real excavator, and all three can be operated at the same time, without a single motor or battery. The whole machine is 3D printed on four plates; the print profile targets Bambu printers and is about 275 g of PLA and roughly 9 hours of printing. The only non-printed-looking parts are two lengths of filament used as control wires, cut to 219 mm and 301 mm with marked points. The catch is documentation. The one-page assembly PDF simply points to the build video on YouTube (about 16 minutes), so you follow the video, pausing and rewinding as you go. If you have never assembled a linkage-based print before, expect to spend time working out which part goes where and getting the filament wires exactly right. The designer, Manish (TorqueOn), released the files free on 22 August 2026. If you are comfortable working from video and have patience for mechanical tuning, this is an excellent weekend build.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —STL files are on MakerWorld, published 22 August 2026 and free to download under the platform's Standard Digital File License.
  • —The MakerWorld description lists the two filament wire lengths and print settings, but there is no bill of materials or written build manual; you work from the build video.
  • —No CAD source files (STEP, F3D) are provided, only printable STLs.
  • —The Standard Digital File License allows personal use only and forbids redistributing the files or selling prints; commercial rights are sold separately by the designer.
  • —No electronics, firmware or code — this is a purely mechanical design.

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Can I build this?

PrintAll parts: body, boom, stick, bucket, levers, gears and linkage components. PLA is fine; PETG if you want more durability outdoors.
BuyNothing beyond filament: the design is fully 3D printed, and the two control wires are lengths of filament (219 mm and 301 mm).
ToolsDesktop 3D printer (the designer's profile targets the Bambu X1 Carbon and lists other Bambu printers as compatible), flush cutters for support removal, and a ruler to cut the filament wires.
SkillsBasic 3D printing and mechanical assembly. You need to cut and mark the filament wires precisely and fit the linkages so they move smoothly without binding. If you have built a linkage-driven print before, this is straightforward; if not, plan extra time.
TimePrint time around 9 hours on the designer's Bambu profile (longer on slower printers), then assembly following the roughly 16-minute video. A weekend total if your prints go cleanly.
CostAbout 275 g of PLA for the designer's profile, plus a little extra filament for the control wires. No other hardware is needed.
SafetyNone beyond ordinary 3D printing precautions. No mains voltage, no batteries, no sharp blades, no lasers. Entirely mechanical.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

I Designed and 3D Printed a Fully Mechanical Excavator | It Actually Works16:36

Build walkthrough of about 16 minutes showing the printed parts, the filament-wire linkages and final assembly. The designer's one-page assembly PDF points to this video as the assembly guide.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download the STL files from MakerWorld (Published 22 August 2026, free to download. Note the two filament wire lengths in the description.)
  2. 2.Watch the full build video before you print (This is your assembly guide. Note what hardware goes where and how the strings are routed.)
  3. 3.Print all parts(PLA is what the designer recommends. Standard 0.2mm layer height, 15% infill, four pre-oriented plates. Print time roughly 9-10 hours on a Bambu printer.)
  4. 4.Assemble following the video(Assemble following the video, cut and mark the two filament wires to the listed lengths, then test each lever separately before using all controls together.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • There is no written step-by-step manual or formal bill of materials. The one-page assembly PDF on MakerWorld just points to the roughly 16-minute YouTube build video, so you build from the video, pausing and rewinding. If you need text instructions, this will frustrate you.
  • The filament wire lengths matter. If a wire is too short or too long, the levers will not move the arm through its full range or the joint binds. Cut them precisely and keep spare filament to remake them.
  • The control 'wires' are lengths of ordinary filament cut to exact sizes the designer lists (219 mm and 301 mm, with marking points). Cut and mark them precisely — a few millimetres off and the arm will not reach its full range.
  • This is a mechanical linkage, not a gear train. If a part warps or prints with dimensional errors, the arms may not move smoothly. Print dimensional test pieces if your printer tends to shrink PLA.
  • The model was only published on 22 August 2026, so troubleshooting posts and community build notes are still thin. You are on the early side of the adoption curve.
  • The Standard Digital File License is personal use only: you cannot share the files or sell printed excavators. If you want to sell prints, the designer offers a paid Commercial License Membership.

Do I need a multi-material or CoreXY printer?

No. The designer's print profile targets a Bambu X1 Carbon and is marked compatible with the A1, P1S and other Bambu printers; any desktop FDM printer with similar build volume should work. Single-material PLA is fine.

Can I scale it up or down?

Probably, but the linkage geometry and the filament wire lengths will change, and tolerances between moving parts will scale too. Start at 100% unless you have experience with mechanical scaling.

What if the boom does not move when I pull the lever?

Check the filament wire lengths and marked points first (219 mm and 301 mm), then make sure the linkage parts are seated and not binding. The build video shows the correct range of motion; if yours does not match, a part is likely misoriented or a print has warped.

Is there a way to motorise this later?

Mechanically yes — you could drive the levers with servos — but the designer did not include mounting points or control arms for servos. You would be designing that part yourself.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The whole machine runs on three levers and hidden linkages made of filament wire — no battery, no board, no code. If you have built linkage-driven prints before, what is the one thing you tune first to get smooth motion?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the MakerWorld page went live on 22 August 2026 and the files are free to download under the platform's Standard Digital File License — that means no commercial use and no remixing; selling prints needs the designer's commercial licence membership. There is no consolidated assembly manual: the roughly 16-minute YouTube build video is your guide, and it requires pausing and note-taking. The design is fully 3D printed — the hidden linkages are lengths of filament wire, 219 mm for the first arm and 301 mm for the second, with marked bend points listed on the page. The print profile is about 275 g of filament and roughly 9 hours over four plates on a Bambu printer. The biggest variable is getting those wire linkages cut and bent accurately: if they are off, the levers either do nothing or the joints bind. Plan time to iterate, and keep spare filament for remaking the wires. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Manish (TorqueOn)

The designer, Manish, publishes on MakerWorld and YouTube as TorqueOn. He designed this fully mechanical excavator 'to move and feel like a real one' and released the files free on MakerWorld on 22 August 2026.

Web

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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