Eli5: Why do some excavators have wheels?

Question

I’ve always seen excavators running on tracks, but this morning while driving through a major highway upgrade I saw 3 excavators which were running on wheels. What constitutes the need for wheels, and how does it limit the machine in terms of where it can go/what it can do?

In: 2

Answer 1

Generally speaking, wheels are faster and lower maintenance, but they provide less traction so they are generally used for loaders and transporters