Stein Expo Sights 2026

German heavy mining and quarrying equipment show Stein Expo recently took place at its spiritual home of Homberg/Nieder-Ofeiden, and our good friend, heavy equipment, operator, enthusiast and journalist Dirk Bömer was in attendance and has kindly shared some images from the event.

Described as Europe’s largest quarry and mining trade fairs, Stein Expo saw an increase of 10% in exhibitors, compared to the last show in 2023, with over 320 different brands exhibiting on the new quarry layout, which changes every tie the event is hosted in this real-life working basalt quarry.

Dirk reports that there was plenty of heavy end equipment to see, and naturally Liebherr had a significant presence at the event. This included the R 9150 G7 mining excavator, which I believe was an electric powered version. Built in Liebherr’s Colmar facility in France, the R 9150 tips the scales at 143 tonnes in backhoe configuration and has a maximum bucket capacity of 7.50m³.

On the demo area Volvo Construction Equipment were showcasing the latest 50-tonne class A50 articulated hauler, which is a big enough truck, but looked dwarfed by the manufacturers L350H wheeled loader, the largest in their wheeled loader range.

Also, at work on the demo quarry face courtesy of German dealers Zeppelin, was Caterpillar’s 395 hydraulic excavator in its face shovel variant. The Cat 395 FS which has an operating weight of 96,300kg (212,300 lb) was launched at the triennial machinery fest that is Bauma in Munich in 2025 as a new size class in the Caterpillar face shovel sector.

The German Hitachi-Landcross dealers Kiesel, presented the ZX530LCH-7 which was statically displayed in backhoe configuration. A consistently popular size class for medium to heavy mining applications the ZX530LCH-7 has an operating weight of around 55-tonnes and is powered by Stage V emissions compliant Isuzu 6-cyliner diesel engine offering a power output rating of 296kw (397hp), with bucket capacities ranging from 2.10 to 2.50m³.

Staffordshire based manufacturer JCB presented on static display, the 37-tonne class 370XLC which has proven to be a popular choice since its launch last year. It was also sharing stand space with a much smaller machine from the British manufacturer’s portfolio, in the for of the 270T compact tracked loader, which was sporting a Seppi mulching head.

Back on the demo quarry face Liebherr were demonstrating the all-new R 952 G8 hydraulic excavator, one of three new models in the 50-tonne class range, that were making their premieres at Stein Expo, slotting into the line up between the R 948 G8 and R 958 G8. The R 952 G8 is said to be the most versatile of the three, offering three undercarriage options, a wide choice of equipment configurations and increased engine power.

The Chinese manufacturers continue their assault on the European market, and one of the longest established in this market is LiuGong, who were another manufacturer showcasing a 50-tonne + hydraulic excavator, the 952F. This machine was demonstrated loading one of its ever-expanding electric powered machines, in this instance the DR50CE rigid dumptrucks.

Rounding off this selection of images with something rather different from another Chinese manufacturer who I had not heard of before, Tonly, who presented their 50-tonne class DTE95 electric powered 6x6 wide bodied rigid dump truck. Apparently one of these trucks is already in Europe and is being field tested by ŚGP INDUSTRI at thier Jaźwica dolomite mine in Poland.

One thing I would find rather annoying at this show, is the fact that visitors have to wear a hard hat, which does seem to be a little bit over the top, but apparently its the rules in Germany. 

We thank Dirk for sharing these images with us here on the Digger Man Blog.

Checkout this video report from the show, which is translated using AI.