The action form of shovel. It is characterized by "forward upward, forced soil cutting". The front shovel has a large excavation force and can excavate the soil above the shutdown surface. It is suitable to excavate the dry foundation pit with a height of more than 2m, but the up and down ramps must be set. The bucket of the front shovel is larger than that of the backhoe with the same equivalent. It can excavate the first to the third kind of soil with water content no more than 27%. It can cooperate with the dump truck to complete the whole excavation and transportation operation, and can also excavate large dry foundation pit and soil mound. According to the relative position of the excavation route and the transportation vehicle, the excavation method of the front shovel excavator can be divided into the following two ways: forward excavation and lateral unloading; forward excavation and reverse unloading.

　　Compared with other shoveling forms, it is as follows:

　　(1) backhoe: the excavation is characterized by "backward downward, forced soil cutting". Its excavation force is not small, and it can excavate class I to III soil below the shutdown surface. It is suitable for excavation of foundation pit, foundation trench and pipe trench with a depth of no more than 4m, as well as wet soil, soil with a large water content and below the groundwater level and soil with a higher groundwater level. Backhoe excavators can be operated in two ways: end excavation and side excavation.

　　(2) dragline: the excavation is characterized by "backward downward cutting with self weight". Its excavation radius and depth are large, and it can excavate the soil below the shutdown surface. It is suitable for excavation of large and deep foundation pit or underwater excavation.

　　(3) grab shovel: the excavation is characterized by "straight up and straight down, self weight cutting soil", which is suitable for excavation of narrow and deep foundation pit or water silt, especially suitable for underwater excavation. When the soil is hard, grab shovel cannot be used for construction.