Output force or velocity polytopes are usually used as an index of the manipulability of robot. This paper discusses the relationship between the actuator force and the variation of the output force capacity polytope and proposes the output force capacity polytope method for the selection of actuator forces of a three degrees of freedom excavating manipulator with the requirement that the output force on the end effector is a set of all possible forces rather than a single force. In this paper, the method to calculate capacity polytope is introduced with the consideration of gravity effect. With the concept that the required output force space should be within the output capacity polytope, the output force capacity polytope approach for selecting actuator forces is proposed.