Updated August 2026

The Giant Excavator Pit is the closest thing Rust has to a money printer. There is no keycard puzzle and no wall of heavy scientists. You clear a handful of guards, pour Diesel Fuel into an engine, pick a resource, and a machine the size of a monument digs out bulk sulfur, metal, stone or high quality metal for you. One full tank can hand you tens of thousands of resources, which is why controlling the excavator on a busy wipe is basically controlling the map.

This Giant Excavator Rust guide covers all of it: what the monument is, how to run the excavator step by step, exactly how much you get per diesel and per full tank, where to find diesel fuel (and why you cannot craft it), the scientists and radiation, the RF 4777 tell that quietly rats you out to every raider nearby, and whether the whole thing is even worth your time. Every number here is checked against current in-game data, not a six-year-old launch video.

The Giant Excavator Pit monument in Rust at sunset in the desert, the huge diesel powered bucket wheel excavator, lead image for the giant excavator rust guide
The Giant Excavator Pit: a diesel-powered mining monument that farms bulk resources for you.
TL;DR The Giant Excavator is a large desert Rust monument with no keycard puzzle. Kill the scientists (about a dozen, no heavies), put Diesel Fuel in the engine room tank, hit the startup panel, then use a control room to pick HQM, Sulfur, Stone or Metal Fragments. One diesel runs a 2 minute cycle and the tank holds 20, so a full tank runs about 40 minutes. Per diesel you get 10,000 stone, 5,000 metal fragments, 2,000 sulfur ore or 100 HQM ore. Diesel is loot only (the Dome, Junkyard, Oil Rigs and more) or bought at Outpost for 300 low grade. Radiation is mild, there is 1 recycler on site, and it is not a safe zone. Starting the engine broadcasts on RF 4777, so expect company.

What is the Giant Excavator Pit in Rust?

The Giant Excavator Pit, sometimes called the Giant Excavator or the Large Excavator, is a huge Rust monument in the desert biome built around a working bucket-wheel excavator. Facepunch added it in the Excavator Update on 1 August 2019, and unlike almost every other high-value monument, it is not about a puzzle or a loot room. It is a machine. You supply the fuel, you flip the switches, and it mines raw resources on an industrial scale.

That makes the excavator a different kind of target from the card monuments. There is no green, blue or red keycard involved, no electric fuse, and no timed door sequence. The barrier to entry is simpler and, in some ways, harder to hold: you need diesel, you need to clear the scientists, and you need to survive long enough out in the open desert to actually collect what it digs up. Get all three and the excavator out-produces every other resource source in the game by a wide margin.

Giant Excavator Rust quick facts: large desert monument added 2019, powered by diesel fuel, about 15 scientists, 1 recycler, low radiation, around 18 crates, not a safe zone
The numbers that decide how you run the Giant Excavator.

Giant Excavator quick facts

Here is the full stat line for the monument, pulled from current in-game data rather than an old wiki snapshot.

StatValue
Monument typeLarge, desert biome
Added1 August 2019 (Excavator Update)
Keycard puzzleNone (fuel and operate)
Powered byDiesel Fuel (not craftable)
Fuel tank capacity20 diesel (one full stack)
Run time~2 minutes per diesel, ~40 minutes per tank
ResourcesHQM, Sulfur, Stone or Metal Fragments
ScientistsAround a dozen (no heavies)
RadiationMild (median around 11)
Recyclers1 on site
CratesAround 18, including up to ~10 military
Safe zoneNo, full PvP
No-build area152,053 m²
Special tellEngine broadcasts on RF 4777
Patrol Heli can crash hereYes

Two numbers stand out. First, the fuel tank holds exactly 20 diesel, which is one full stack, so a single stack of diesel is one uninterrupted 40 minute run. Second, there is no card and no fuse, which means anyone who can find fuel and win a fight can run the excavator. That low barrier is the whole appeal, and also the whole problem, because everyone else on the server knows it too.

How to use the Giant Excavator

Running the excavator is a five step loop, and the order matters because the machine sits out in the open where anyone can push you. Here is how to use the Giant Excavator in Rust from arrival to loot.

How to use the Giant Excavator in Rust: clear the scientists, add diesel fuel to the engine room tank, hit the engine startup panel, pick HQM sulfur stone or metal in the control room, then collect the output from two drop points
The Giant Excavator loop: clear, fuel, start, select, then guard both drop points.
  1. Clear the scientists. Around a dozen scientists patrol the pit and the catwalks. They are regular scientists, not the heavies you meet at Oil Rig, so a decent rifle, some armour and a few syringes clear them without much trouble.
  2. Fuel the engine room. Head into the engine room and drop your Diesel Fuel into the large fuel storage tank. It holds a maximum of 20, and because diesel stacks to 20, one full stack fills the tank completely.
  3. Hit the Engine Startup panel. Climb the stairs and interact with the Engine Startup panel to power the machine. This is the moment the engine begins broadcasting on RF 4777, so the clock on other players noticing you starts now.
  4. Pick a resource in a control room. Walk the catwalk to one of the two control rooms beside the bucket wheel. Hold E on the control panel to open the selection wheel and choose HQM, Sulfur, Stone or Metal Fragments. The arm swings to the matching pile and starts digging.
  5. Collect both drop points. The mined resources are deposited in equal amounts at two separate drop points at the end of the conveyor. Bring friends and cover both, because a solo player physically cannot watch both piles at once, and thieves know it.
The lit engine room and control room buildings and catwalks of the Giant Excavator monument in Rust, where you add diesel and select a resource to mine
The engine room and control rooms sit in the industrial structure beside the wheel.
Fuel first, fight second A common mistake is starting the engine before you have cleared the area and stashed a fallback. The engine keeps running whether you are alive or not, so if you die after startup, you have just fueled a free excavator for whoever kills you. Clear first, fuel second, and only start the engine once you are confident you can hold the pit for a couple of cycles.

Giant Excavator Rust rates: what one diesel gets you

This is the part everyone actually searches for. The excavator burns one diesel per 2 minute cycle and produces a fixed amount of your chosen resource each cycle. Pick the resource in the control room, and every diesel in the tank turns into the same haul until you run dry or switch. Here are the confirmed Giant Excavator rates.

Giant Excavator Rust rates: one diesel yields 10,000 stone, 5,000 metal fragments, 2,000 sulfur ore or 100 HQM ore, and a full 20 diesel tank yields 200,000 stone, 100,000 metal fragments, 40,000 sulfur ore or 2,000 HQM ore
Output per diesel and per full 20 tank. HQM and sulfur come as ore, so smelt them.
ResourcePer 1 diesel (2 min)Full tank (20 diesel)Note
Stone10,000200,000Ready to use
Metal Fragments5,000100,000Ready to use
Sulfur Ore2,00040,000Smelt into sulfur for explosives
HQM Ore1002,000Smelt into High Quality Metal

A few things to know before you pick. HQM and Sulfur come out as ore, so you still have to smelt them in a furnace, while Stone and Metal Fragments are ready to use straight away. For most players the answer to “what should I mine?” is sulfur, because 40,000 sulfur ore a tank smelts into enough sulfur to fund a serious raid. If your base is hungry for build resources instead, stone and metal come out so fast that a single tank tops up a whole clan.

To turn that sulfur into an actual raid, feed it into the Rust raid calculator and work backwards. A full tank of sulfur is a stack of C4 and rockets, which is exactly why controlling the excavator so often decides who wins the back half of a wipe.

Diesel Fuel: where to get it and why you can’t craft it

The excavator is only as good as your diesel supply, and diesel is the real bottleneck. Diesel Fuel is not craftable. There is no recipe, no tech tree node and no way to make it from low grade at home. It is a pure loot item that stacks to 20 and despawns in an hour, and its only jobs in Rust are powering the Giant Excavator, the mining quarries and pump jacks. If you are sitting on diesel and wondering what to do with it, the excavator is the answer.

Where to get diesel fuel in Rust: the Dome, Junkyard, Small and Large Oil Rig, Power Plant, Water Treatment and Radtown, or buy it at the Outpost Resource Exchange for 300 low grade fuel each, diesel is not craftable
Diesel is loot only. These are the reliable spawns, plus the Outpost exchange.

Because you cannot make it, you gather it. Diesel spawns in fixed amounts at a handful of monuments, and there is one vendor exchange if you would rather pay for it.

SourceDieselNotes
The Dome2 barrelsUp top, quick grab if you can climb it
Junkyard3 barrelsReliable, close to the desert excavator
Small / Large Oil Rig2 / 3 barrelsOn top of the crate and card runs
Power Plant2 barrelsAround the monument
Water Treatment3 barrelsAround the monument
Radtown1 barrelOccasional single spawn
Outpost Resource ExchangeBuyAround 300 low grade fuel per diesel

The vendor route matters more than it looks. If you are drowning in low grade fuel from a refinery run but short on diesel, the Outpost Resource Exchange will trade you diesel for roughly 300 low grade each. Prices in Rust drift with the dynamic vendor system, so treat 300 as a ballpark rather than a fixed rate, but it is a genuine way to top up a tank without touching a single monument. Note that diesel is a completely different fuel from the low grade your minicopter and tools burn, so do not confuse the two.

Scientists, radiation and the RF 4777 tell

The excavator is one of the easier monuments to clear on paper, but it has a few quirks that catch people out. The real danger is rarely the PvE.

Giant Excavator Rust dangers: about a dozen regular scientists, mild radiation so bring a hazmat suit, and the engine broadcasts on RF frequency 4777 which tells raiders you are there, it is not a safe zone
Easy PvE, real PvP. The scientists are light, but the RF tell brings players.

Scientists. Around a dozen scientists guard the monument, spread across the pit floor and the catwalks. They are standard scientists rather than heavy scientists, so they go down to normal rifles and shotguns. It is a much softer fight than Oil Rig or Launch Site, and a competent solo can clear it, but the numbers mean you should bring enough ammo and meds to win several small fights rather than one.

Radiation. Radiation at the excavator is mild by modern standards, with a median reading around 11, and it is nowhere near as punishing as older 2019 guides make out. A Hazmat Suit makes the whole monument a non-issue, but if you would rather fight in combat armour, a road-sign kit plus a few anti-rad pills is enough to hold the pit while you work. Do not over-invest in rad gear here; spend the budget on meds and ammo instead.

RF 4777 tells the whole server The single most important thing to know about the excavator: starting the engine broadcasts a radio signal on frequency 4777. Anyone with an RF receiver tuned to 4777, and experienced players keep one, gets pinged the moment you fire it up. Combined with the open desert location and the fact that it is not a safe zone, that broadcast is why excavator runs so often turn into third-party fights. Run it with a team, watch the horizon, and have an exit plan.

Loot, the recycler and what else is on site

The mined resources are the reason you come, but the monument has ordinary loot too. There are around 18 crates scattered across the pit and buildings, including up to roughly 10 military crates, plus food boxes and a few cave-style crates down in the dig. There are no elite crates and no hackable crate, because the excavator is a resource monument, not a card run.

Giant Excavator Rust loot: around 10 military crates and 18 total crates plus food boxes, one recycler on site, no keycard puzzle, and enough sulfur to craft C4 and rockets
Crates and a recycler on top of the mined haul. No cards, no elite crates.

The genuinely useful extra is the recycler. There is one on site, near the engine startup console, which means you can smash the crates, recycle the components straight into scrap on the spot, and leave lighter without a detour to a safe zone. While a tank is running, popping the crates and recycling as you go is a tidy way to spend the 40 minutes. The monument also has an underground tunnel entrance, so you can slip in and out through the rail network if the surface is hot.

One feature almost nobody uses is the airdrop terminal next to the generator. If you feed it diesel, it charges toward 100%, and a full charge (which costs around 5 diesel) lets you call in an airdrop right onto the monument. It is a niche trick, but if you already have a stack of diesel and you control the pit, spending five of them to summon an airdrop is a cheap way to squeeze extra loot out of a run you are already defending.

Stockpiling before a wipe? All those resources, blueprints and stashes only matter until the monthly force wipe resets the map. Time your big excavator run for the days before, not after, so the sulfur actually gets used.

Check the wipe countdown

Is the Giant Excavator worth using?

Ask the question honestly, because plenty of players do: is the Giant Excavator actually worth running? The answer depends entirely on whether you can hold it. As a raw resource source it is unmatched. Nothing else in Rust hands you 40,000 sulfur ore or 200,000 stone in 40 minutes from one input. For a clan that can post lookouts and defend both drop points, it is the single best farm in the game and a straight shortcut to a raiding stockpile.

For a solo or a duo it is a harder sell. The RF 4777 broadcast, the open desert sightlines and the two-pile collection problem all work against small groups, and it is very common to lose half a tank to a third party who heard the engine. Compared with a quiet Train Yard loop or a mining quarry you can tuck away, the excavator trades safety for raw output. Run it when you have the numbers and the map presence to defend it, use the haul to fund your explosives and your push on the red-card monuments, and skip it on the nights you are playing alone and quiet.

Giant Excavator FAQ

How do you use the Giant Excavator in Rust?
Clear the scientists, then go to the engine room and put Diesel Fuel into the fuel storage tank (it holds 20). Climb the stairs and hit the Engine Startup panel to power the machine, then walk to one of the two control rooms beside the bucket wheel, hold E on the panel and select HQM, Sulfur, Stone or Metal Fragments. The excavator mines your chosen resource and deposits it in equal amounts at two drop points, which you then collect. Each diesel runs a 2 minute cycle.
How much do you get from the Giant Excavator per diesel?
Per diesel (a 2 minute cycle) you get one of: 10,000 Stone, 5,000 Metal Fragments, 2,000 Sulfur Ore, or 100 HQM Ore, depending on which resource you selected. A full 20 diesel tank gives 200,000 Stone, 100,000 Metal Fragments, 40,000 Sulfur Ore, or 2,000 HQM Ore. HQM and sulfur come out as ore, so you still need to smelt them.
How much sulfur do you get per diesel at the Giant Excavator?
You get 2,000 Sulfur Ore per diesel, so a full tank of 20 diesel yields 40,000 Sulfur Ore. Smelted down, that is enough sulfur to craft a serious stack of C4 and rockets, which is the main reason players farm the excavator before a raid.
How long does one diesel last in the Giant Excavator?
One Diesel Fuel powers a single 2 minute mining cycle. The tank holds a maximum of 20 diesel, and since diesel stacks to 20, one full stack runs the excavator for about 40 minutes of continuous mining before you need to refuel.
Where do you get Diesel Fuel in Rust?
Diesel Fuel is loot only. It spawns in fixed amounts at several monuments: the Dome (2), Junkyard (3), Small and Large Oil Rig (2 and 3), Power Plant (2), Water Treatment (3) and Radtown (1). You can also buy it at the Outpost Resource Exchange for roughly 300 low grade fuel each, though vendor prices drift with the dynamic pricing system.
Can you craft Diesel Fuel in Rust?
No. Diesel Fuel is not craftable and has no recipe or tech tree node. You cannot make it from low grade fuel or crude oil at home. The only ways to get it are looting it from monuments or buying it at the Outpost Resource Exchange. Its only uses are powering the Giant Excavator, mining quarries and pump jacks.
Can you get stone from the Giant Excavator?
Yes. Stone is one of the four resources you can select in the control room, and it is the highest-volume option at 10,000 stone per diesel, or 200,000 stone for a full 20 diesel tank. Stone comes out ready to use, so unlike HQM and sulfur you do not need to smelt it.
How many scientists are at the Giant Excavator?
Roughly a dozen scientists guard the monument, spread across the pit and the catwalks (sources put the count somewhere around 12 to 18 depending on the wipe). They are standard scientists, not heavy scientists, so it is a much lighter fight than Oil Rig or Launch Site and a geared solo can clear it.
Do you need a Hazmat Suit for the Giant Excavator?
Not strictly. Radiation at the excavator is mild by modern standards, with a median around 11. A Hazmat Suit makes it a non-issue, but a road-sign armour kit plus a few anti-rad pills is enough to hold the pit while you fight in combat gear. Older guides overstate the radiation, so prioritise meds and ammo over heavy rad protection.
Is there a recycler at the Giant Excavator?
Yes, there is one recycler on site, near the engine startup console. It lets you recycle crate components straight into scrap without leaving the monument, which is handy for the 40 minutes a tank is running.
Can you call an airdrop at the Giant Excavator?
Yes. There is an airdrop terminal next to the generator that charges as you feed it diesel, and a full charge (around 5 diesel) calls an airdrop directly onto the monument. It is an optional extra rather than the main draw, but if you already control the pit and have diesel to spare, it is a cheap way to pull in more loot.
What is RF 4777 at the Giant Excavator?
RF 4777 is the radio frequency the excavator broadcasts on whenever the engine is running. Any player with an RF receiver tuned to 4777 gets notified that the excavator is active, which is effectively an alarm that tells nearby raiders and roamers you are there. It is the biggest reason excavator runs attract third parties, so run it with a team and watch your surroundings.
Is the Giant Excavator a safe zone?
No. The Giant Excavator is full PvP with no safe-zone protection, and its open desert location makes it easy to push and easy to snipe from. Combined with the RF 4777 broadcast, that is why holding the excavator usually takes a group rather than a lone player. There is also a large no-build zone around it, so you cannot wall it off.
Is the Giant Excavator on console Rust?
Yes. The Giant Excavator Pit is present on Rust Console Edition as well as PC, and it works the same way: fuel the engine with diesel, pick a resource in the control room and collect the output. As with any large monument, it only appears on bigger map seeds, so very small maps may not include it.
Does the Giant Excavator have camera codes?
There are no widely published fixed CCTV camera codes for the Giant Excavator, unlike Oil Rig which has a well-known set. If your server runs cameras at the monument they would be server-specific rather than a universal code, so there is nothing standard to memorise here.
What map size do you need for the Giant Excavator to spawn?
The Giant Excavator is a large monument, so it only spawns on bigger procedural map seeds and is skipped on the smallest maps that do not have room for it. It also requires a desert biome to place in. If you do not see it on your wipe, check the server map or a monument viewer, because the seed may simply be too small.
Giant Excavator or a mining quarry, which is better?
For raw output, the Giant Excavator wins easily. A single tank produces far more than a mining quarry can in the same time, and you can pick exactly which resource you want. The trade-off is safety: a mining quarry can be tucked away and run quietly, while the excavator is a public monument that broadcasts on RF 4777 and cannot be defended without numbers. Use a quarry for steady, safe income and the excavator for a big, guarded push.
Is the Giant Excavator worth using?
For a group that can defend it, absolutely. Nothing else farms bulk sulfur, stone or metal as fast, and one tank can fund an entire raid. For solos and duos it is riskier, because the RF 4777 tell and the two collection points make it easy to lose half your haul to a third party. Run it when you have the numbers and the map presence to hold it, and use the resources to fund your explosives and endgame push.

Sources