The Most Expensive Piece Of Equipment Used On Gold Rush Sites

Mining is an expensive business. That's probably not too shocking a statement for fans of the Discovery Channel series "Gold Rush," which focuses on the trials, successes and tribulations of miners working in Canada's Yukon region. The miners dredge water sources and try to pan up fortunes — a process that has paid several miners quite handsomely as the series has progressed. On the other hand, they have also suffered hardships and setbacks as the series has progressed — everything from being forced to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, to dealing with unemployment and losing mines due to late payment claims.

A fact that's definitely true is that one does have to spend money to earn money. According to a clip released ahead of the premiere of the 12th season of "Gold Rush" in September of 2021, featuring the steady and patrician miner Tony Beets, the cost for fresh equipment is amazingly steep. What's the most expensive piece of equipment used by the series' stars?

Per the clip posted by the Discovery Channel Twitter, Beets spent a "couple million bucks" on equipment to prepare for the latest season of work, but the hauls the mines pull in justify the expense. "If we have to spend about 7 million bucks, then we can justify doing it," he says. Viewers are then shown new bulldozers and excavators, all heading toward his mine. 

While Beets never states which vehicle is the most expensive, research shows that bulldozers can cost a buyer $10 thousand to $30 thousand dollars apiece, according to Cost Owl. Also per Cost Owl, excavators can cost anywhere from $100 thousand to $500 thousand. The cranes seem to be the most likely culprits here — they cost anywhere from $125 thousand to $525 thousand each, per Trust Capital USA. With nearly every piece of required equipment totaling over $500 thousand apiece, you can see how a miner can easily spend millions of dollars buying new machines. 

That doesn't even include any cost incurred by replacement parts or repairs. It's a good thing that Beets and his colleagues are very good at what they do, and that they know how to make their money work for them — and for the loyal viewers of "Gold Rush," for that matter.