Hiring out a mini digger
Author
Discussion

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Hi
I need to hire out a mini digger

Actually what I want it for is shifting turf and rubble from back garden to front of house

I need the absolute smallest size. Less than 1m wide.

Does anyone know how much they can take at a time and how to get hold on one for a day?

Some people have said I need the diesel for it - is this just normal disel from a petrol station?


Also I need a machine that can scoop and drop as opposed to one I have to manually fill up

any help???

Mattt

16,664 posts

240 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
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Mojooo said:
I need the absolute smallest size. Less than 1m wide.
Does not compute. Why specify the right tool for the job, when you can have something large, manly and unusable?

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

270 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Normal diesel.

Most small mini-diggers have tracks that pull in to go through narrow entrances, you can widen them before you start digging. If you've not used one before, don't be afraid to tell the delivery driver this, and make sure that he explains what lever does what, and don't let him go until you're happy.

Some drivers will drop the thing off and beetle off to the next drop/collection before you've even realised you can't find the filler cap!

Most important, DON'T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH, TOO SOON! Try a few trial digs away from buildings etc, to get the hang of it. Even better if you can do this with somebody to watch you, just in case.

Have fun.

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
It seems some companies offer the digger AND the driver

presumably i will have to pay the driver the best part of 100 notes if not more to do the job?

Trevelyan

729 posts

211 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
It seems some companies offer the digger AND the driver

presumably i will have to pay the driver the best part of 100 notes if not more to do the job?
Does not compute. Surely the real point of the exercise is to have a day playing in a mini digger? The actual job needing do is for justification only. Or is that just me?

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Trevelyan said:
Mojooo said:
It seems some companies offer the digger AND the driver

presumably i will have to pay the driver the best part of 100 notes if not more to do the job?
Does not compute. Surely the real point of the exercise is to have a day playing in a mini digger? The actual job needing do is for justification only. Or is that just me?
No, I could really do without this hassle TBH

I would do it manually but cannot due to dodgy leg and I need it does to a tight timetable.

If you want to come and do all the work then feel free....

hidetheelephants

33,387 posts

215 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
If you're shifting lots of muck hire a power barrow/skiploader with it, as diggers are rubbish and slow at transporting. Alternatively, is the stuff already dug/in a big pile? You could be better off with a bobcat skidsteer thingy instead, as they have bigger buckets and faster too.

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Yes it is all in a pile

thing is I am moving it to my front lawn where I would prefer to put it all into builders bags so it doesnt go loose all over the pavement etc

with those skip loaders can you scoop stuff up onto them? they look like you shovel stuff on and then move it/tip it.

they also seem a bit top chunky to be dropping stuff into a builders bag!

shirt

25,014 posts

223 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
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I'm looking at this as I need my back garden levelling. Like you I would prefer it to come with an experienced operator. Playtime is one thing, actually having a level garden at the end of that playtime is another!

I've seen a conpany in S.Wales who hire out various bobcats for £14-16/hr with driver and delivery.

Closer to home I'm having trouble. Gumtree has a couple of people on there who charge £100-150/day all in. I should be getting some of them round to do me a full quote in the next week.

Your local tool hire shop should do rent out the small stuff. I presume 1m wide is for access? You can go wider if it's going to be delivered by Hi-ab.

hidetheelephants

33,387 posts

215 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Perhaps investigate whether you could use the digger to load the bags in the back garden, sling them from the digger arm(assuming those 1 ton bags with lifting loops builders merchants deliver sand and aggregate in) and carry them round to front garden.

shirt

25,014 posts

223 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
is there access to the rear of your house? maybe worth looking at hippo bags. they come in 1, 1.5 and 2t sizes. buy them from b&q, fill it, then ring hippo who come and lift/dispose of it.

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
No access to the back, i am going to have it taken by a grab lorry when its at the front

i have the equivalent of about 10 hippo sized bags to take out

max width is approx 80cm


anonymous-user

76 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
It seems some companies offer the digger AND the driver

presumably i will have to pay the driver the best part of 100 notes if not more to do the job?
Be careful that's a lot cheaper than pulling out your Cable/water/phone/gas/eleccy or chipping a waste pipe etc eek, Check where they are and the depths smile

TheEnd

15,370 posts

210 months

Thursday 6th May 2010
quotequote all
the biggest bucket on a minidigger is a lot smaller than a wheel barrow, and they move pretty slow, especially down a corridor.

you can hire conveyor belts, but i think filling the bags, and lifting them would work, but 1 ton will be a bit much to lift for a 1 ton minidigger

dave_s13

13,973 posts

291 months

Friday 7th May 2010
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Mojooo said:
....

max width is approx 80cm

http://www.cphire.com/index.php?type=2&groupid...

Just a suggestion but, use the above to fill your Hippo bags then hook the bag on the front and carry it out to the front. These things go at a snails pace so it's not practical to move your stuff one bucket at a time.

dave_s13

13,973 posts

291 months

Friday 7th May 2010
quotequote all
TheEnd said:
the biggest bucket on a minidigger is a lot smaller than a wheel barrow, and they move pretty slow, especially down a corridor.

you can hire conveyor belts, but i think filling the bags, and lifting them would work, but 1 ton will be a bit much to lift for a 1 ton minidigger
Sorry I just repeated what you said...but with a picture smile

There's no max load info for that machine, might be an issue as you say.

boobles

15,251 posts

237 months

Friday 7th May 2010
quotequote all
My friend owns a company called "nelson plant hire" based in Andover Hampshire.
Ofcourse, if you live in Scotland then this info is useless. biggrin

Mojooo

Original Poster:

13,287 posts

202 months

Saturday 8th May 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies

As suggested on here I spoke to a guy and he suggested I get the excavator and the dumper as the dumper needs loading and can move fast whereas the excavator is slow and cannot carry much.

i cannot find a dumper under 800mm either

In the end i have decided to barrow it out slowly over a week and probably just lay it loose on my front garden until its picked up

hidetheelephants

33,387 posts

215 months

Saturday 8th May 2010
quotequote all
Mojooo said:
Thanks for the replies

As suggested on here I spoke to a guy and he suggested I get the excavator and the dumper as the dumper needs loading and can move fast whereas the excavator is slow and cannot carry much.

i cannot find a dumper under 800mm either

In the end i have decided to barrow it out slowly over a week and probably just lay it loose on my front garden until its picked up
This and this and this. Other plant hire companies are available.

Henry-F

4,791 posts

267 months

Saturday 8th May 2010
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Is it just me?

If find it amazing that people begrudge paying a person a couple of hundred quid / expect it to be £50 and a bag of nuts, to come and work for them for half a day or a day, provide equipment that costs well over £10,000 and needs constant maintenance, (I've just spent £3-400 on a single track for my digger), deliver said equipment to the job and also remove it afterwards. Oh, and throw in fuel for all the engines involved. Not only that but if something goes wrong during the dig which disrupts one of the services they will expect the chap to make amends.

Keep smiling.

Henry smile