This is the jump from a serious residential machine to a production machine. The R22 handles nearly everything a small contractor sees; the R32 handles it faster and reaches deeper.
The decision usually turns on transport. Once you cross into the 3-ton class, the truck and trailer requirements change.
Small crew doing mixed residential and light commercial work: R22. Production digging where hours per day is the limiting factor and you already tow heavy: R32.
It digs footings, sets utilities, loads a trailer and still fits on a residential lot without tearing it apart. For a one- or two-person crew, it is usually the right amount of machine.
If you are running out of daylight rather than capability, the bigger machine pays. Larger buckets, deeper reach and a heavier frame mean fewer repositions and less feathering on every cycle.
It also handles hydraulic breakers and augers without the machine hopping, which is where operators lose the most time.
The 3-ton class plus a trailer is a real load. Confirm your truck's rating and your trailer's deck capacity — the sticker difference between machines is often smaller than the cost of upgrading the tow package.
Not for open lots and new construction, but it is a lot of machine for finished backyards. If half your work is behind fences, the 2.2-ton class is the safer buy.
Machine plus trailer generally puts you in 1-ton truck territory. Confirm your gross combined rating before you buy — it is the most commonly missed cost in the upgrade.