Heavy equipment operators: would you trade an engineering career to run equipment

I’m 22 and from Sweden. I’m three years into a four-year Marine Engineering degree, but I’ve realized I’m far more interested in excavators and heavy equipment than working as an engineer.
I’m seriously considering heavy-equipment training instead, possibly working in construction/mining and eventually owning my own machine.
For those who’ve operated equipment for years: if you were in my position, would you finish the engineering degree first, or start operating while you’re young? And does running equipment still feel satisfying after 10–20 years?