The invention provides an excavator control method and a control device. The excavator control method according to an example of the present invention wherein X-direction movement control (horizontal position control) of a bucket (6) is executed, whilst maintaining the height of the bucket (6), by the operation of a lever (26B) in the forward and backward directions, or Z-direction movement control (height control) of the bucket (6) is executed, whilst maintaining the horizontal position of the bucket (6), by the operation of a lever (26A) in the forward and backward directions.