Let's talk about draglines Draglines are well suited for excavating large quantities of overburden, gravel, and waste. Although their material transporting ability is limited, draglines with booms up to 70 ft long are capable of acting as the sole piece of mining equipment. As with the bulldozer, draglines can excavate overburden and pay gravel, load the mill, and remove tailings; however, draglines are relatively inefficient at bedrock cleanup, and do not handle difficult digging as well as bac