Yanmar ViO Series

Yanmar brought this principle to market in 1993 with the ViO line, making it the first manufacturer with a true production zero-tail-swing excavator. Because the usual rear counterweight overhang was gone, engineers had to relocate the counterweight elsewhere in the chassis to avoid losing lift capacity — a concept still carried forward today, now in its seventh model generation.

Zero tail swing made the ViO line the standard tool for work along building walls, in trenches next to traffic, or in tight courtyards, where a conventional excavator would clip something while swinging.

For a used ViO excavator, pay particular attention to the slew bearing and the condition of the counterweight balancing system; beyond that, track wear and cylinder seals matter as on any mini-excavator.

In short: reading "ViO" means buying the zero-tail-swing principle Yanmar invented over 30 years ago, not primarily a size class.