
In the game Factorio, the number of electric miners required to fill up a belt depends on various factors, including the type of belt, mining speed, and resource hardness. For example, for a yellow belt, some players suggest placing 26 miners in total, with 13 on each side. However, another player found that they only needed 20 electric mining drills to fully saturate a yellow belt with copper ore. The calculation for determining the number of miners needed considers the belt throughput per second, base mining output per second, and any productivity and speed bonuses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt | 26 per tier of belt, 13 each side |
| Number of electric miners needed for a red belt | 52 |
| Number of electric miners needed for a blue belt | 31 |
| Number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt (with copper mining speed of 0.525/s) | 25.39 (rounded up to 26) |
| Number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt (with copper mining speed of 0.525/s in Sandbox mode) | 20 |
| Number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt (without productivity research/modules) | 30 |
| Number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt (when mining green rocks without productivity research/modules) | 60 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- The number of miners needed depends on the type of belt and resource
- Belt balancers can reduce the number of belts needed
- Miners may be idle if there are too many for a belt
- The drill's mining speed and resource hardness affect the number of drills needed
- The number of miners needed for a yellow belt varies

The number of miners needed depends on the type of belt and resource
The number of electric miners needed to fill up a belt in the game Factorio depends on the type of belt and resource being mined. For example, to fill up a yellow belt, one source suggests that 26 electric miners are required per tier of the belt, with 13 miners on each side. Another source states that 20 electric miners were sufficient to fill up a yellow belt with copper ore.
However, the number of electric miners needed may vary depending on the type of resource being mined. For instance, when mining copper, iron, and coal, the mining speed is stated as 0.525/s, while for stone, the mining speed is 0.65/s. This discrepancy may affect the number of electric miners required to fill up a belt.
Additionally, the hardness of the resource being mined can also influence the number of electric miners needed. In general, the formula for determining the number of electric miners required is: Belt throughput per second divided by the base mining output per second, adjusted for any productivity and speed bonuses.
It's worth noting that some players opt to place as many miners as they can afford, even if it means having idle miners, and then upgrade the belts as they progress in the game. This strategy may not be ideal when resources are limited, especially in the early stages of the game.
The Skull's Impact: Distorting Brain's Electrical Signals
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Belt balancers can reduce the number of belts needed
Belt balancers are an important element of factory design in games like Factorio and Satisfactory. They are used to split or merge belts equally, ensuring that all downstream belts or buildings receive an equal amount of material. This can help to reduce the number of belts needed, as they can compress multiple input belts into fewer, full-capacity output belts. For example, a six-to-four belt balancer can be used to reduce six belts that are 2/3 full into four fully loaded belts. This prevents resources from thinning out and ensures that items are evenly distributed.
While belt balancers can help reduce the number of belts, they are not always necessary. If the item flow rates of the incoming belts are equal, there is no need to balance them, regardless of whether each belt is full or not. Additionally, belt balancers can take up a lot of space, so it may be more practical to use alternative strategies like manifolds or modular building styles for low-compression items.
In some cases, belt balancers may not be the most efficient solution. For instance, priority splitting in Factorio version 0.16.17 also allows for a reduction in the number of belts, although not necessarily evenly. Furthermore, belt balancers themselves can become throughput bottlenecks if not designed or utilised properly. It is important to ensure that the item flow rate on each segment of the belt does not exceed the belt's capacity, and to consider the number of inputs and outputs when designing a belt balancer.
The number of belts needed also depends on other factors, such as the type of resource being mined and the productivity and speed bonuses available. For example, in Factorio, filling a yellow belt may require 30 electric miners for blue, red, grey, and black rocks, but 60 electric miners for green rocks. Understanding these variables can help determine the optimal number of belts and whether belt balancers are necessary to reduce that number.
Solar Electrification Vote: Did It Pass?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Miners may be idle if there are too many for a belt
The number of electric miners required to fill a belt depends on various factors, including the type of belt, mining speed, and hardness of the resource being mined. For example, let's consider a yellow belt. The mining speed of an electric mining drill is given as 0.5 by the electric mining drill wiki for 0.16.51 vanilla Factorio. However, the wiki also mentions that it mines copper, iron, and coal at a rate of 0.525/s and stone at a rate of 0.65/s, creating some confusion.
Assuming a copper mining speed of 0.525/s and a yellow belt speed of 13.33/s, it would require at least 26 electric mining drills (two columns of 2x7 drills) to fully saturate the belt. However, one user reported that they were able to saturate a yellow belt with copper ore using only 20 electric mining drills (two columns of 2x5 drills). This discrepancy may be due to differences in game versions or other factors.
Another user suggests placing 26 miners total, 13 on each side of the yellow belt. They also mention that it is possible to place every miner you can afford and let some sit idle while upgrading the belts gradually. This approach may not be ideal if resources are limited, especially in the early stages of the game when every miner needs to be productive.
The number of miners required also depends on what you are mining. For example, blue, red, grey, and black rocks require 30 miners, while green rocks require 60 miners. Therefore, it is essential to consider the specific resources being mined and the belt speed to determine the optimal number of electric miners needed to avoid idle miners and maximize efficiency.
Electric Hob Plugs: What You Need to Know
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The drill's mining speed and resource hardness affect the number of drills needed
The number of drills or electric miners required for mining depends on several factors, including the mining speed of the drills, the hardness of the resource being extracted, and the type of belt used for transportation. Let's delve into the specifics:
Drill Mining Speed:
The speed of the drill plays a crucial role in determining the number of drills needed. Slower drills will naturally require a larger number to achieve the desired output. Conversely, faster drills with higher productivity can accomplish the same task with fewer units. In the context of a game like Factorio, the speed and productivity statistics of the drill directly influence its output.
Resource Hardness:
Different resources vary in hardness or density, which affects how efficiently a drill can extract them. Softer or less dense resources may require fewer drills since they are easier to extract. On the other hand, harder or denser resources might demand a higher number of drills to achieve the same level of productivity. For example, in the game, blue, red, gray, and black rocks require 30 electric miners, while green rocks demand 60.
Type of Belt:
The type of belt used in transportation also impacts the number of drills needed. Different belts have varying throughput capacities, which refers to the amount of material they can transport per second. A yellow belt, for instance, has a specific throughput that, when combined with other factors, determines the optimal number of drills required to fill it up.
It's worth noting that the equation for determining the number of drills needed considers not only the base mining output per second but also factors in any bonuses from productivity and speed. This calculation helps optimize the number of drills required to saturate the belt efficiently.
In summary, the interaction between drill mining speed, resource hardness, and transportation belt type collectively influences the number of drills or electric miners required for efficient mining operations. By taking these factors into account, players can make informed decisions to maximize their resource extraction and transportation processes.
Building Your Electric Skateboard: Battery Basics
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The number of miners needed for a yellow belt varies
It's worth noting that the number of miners per belt can be influenced by factors such as mining productivity research and the use of modules or beacons. As players progress in the game, they may need to adjust the number of miners accordingly.
Additionally, when considering belt compression, it's important to distinguish between stack compression and belt compression ratios. Stack compression refers to the number of stacks of input required to create one stack of output. For instance, Iron Plate has a stack ratio of 2:1, while Copper Cable has a ratio of 1:1. Belt compression, on the other hand, doesn't take stack size into account and focuses on the number of items transported by belts, inserters, and robots.
To optimize resource transportation, players should consider using trains for items with high compression ratios and belts or bots for items with low compression ratios. For example, Rocket Control Units involve high compression ratios, so it's more efficient to transport the inputs by train and craft the units near the Rocket Silo. On the other hand, items with low compression ratios, like Iron Plate, are more efficiently transported as the final product rather than the raw material.
In summary, the number of electric miners needed for a yellow belt in Factorio ranges from 30 to 60, depending on the resource being mined and the player's progress in the game. Belt compression and stack compression ratios also play a role in determining the optimal transportation method for different items.
Resetting Your LG Electric Dryer: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
You need 26 electric miners per tier of a yellow belt, 13 on each side.
The formula is (Belt throughput per second) / ((Base mining output per second) x (1 + Total Productivity Bonus) x (1 + Speed bonus)).
You need 52 electric miners for a red belt.









































