Heavy gear is needed in mining for examination and growth, to remove and stockpile overburden, to break and remove rocks of various hardness and toughness, to process the ore and for reclamation efforts after the mine is closed. Bulldozers, drills, explosives and trucks are all necessary for excavating the land. In the case of placer mining, unconsolidated gravel, or alluvium, is fed into machinery consisting of a hopper and a shaking screen or trammel which frees the favored minerals from the waste gravel. The raw materials are then concentrated using sluices or jigs. Large drills are used to sink shafts, excavate stops and obtain samples for analysis. Trams are used to convey miners, minerals and waste.

Lifts carry miners into and out of mines, as well as moving rock and ore out, and machinery in and out of subversive mines. Huge trucks, shovels and cranes are working in surface removal to move large quantities of overburden and ore. Processing plants can utilize large crushers, mills, reactors, roasters and other gear to merge the mineral-rich fabric and extract the desired compounds and metals from the ore.