mini digger

b21playa · 1 Sep 2008

Thinking about hiring one to dig the foundations for our garden shed/garage.

Need to dig depth of around 600mm, and around 20m in length.

How long will it take to learn how to use a mini digger and how long will it take to dig it?

While i got it, can use to dig a few old tree stumps out as well

Sailbadthesinner · 2 Sep 2008

Any good hire company should show you how to operate it when they deliver.
My experiance:
I hired one to dig a pond 20'x15' and remove an old rubble heap. To start with you move one control at a time til you get the hang of it then within half an hour you start doing two or three movements together. Even my 80 year old gran had a go and within five minutes was quite happy!
The rate of excavation is mostly down to where you are moving the waste our rubble heap filled two skips within an hour and a half because we parked the skips next to the heap and could just swing round and drop each bucket full. The pond took much longer as we had to drive each bucket load out to the skips. Still managed two more 8 yard skips that day.
It is good fun though!!!

JohnD · 2 Sep 2008

can you hire something like a miniature dumper to take the spoil to the skip?

I wouldn't want to barrow it.

b21playa · 2 Sep 2008

Im just going to put all spoil to one side of the garden. Will be using some of the good soil to level the garden out a bit

The only access where I can put a skip is at the front which means all spoil has to be barrowed out

noseall · 2 Sep 2008

b21playa said:
Im just going to put all spoil to one side of the garden.

i hope you have a large garden!

have you thought about using a grab-loader service? we rarely use skips for digging spoil these days.

b21playa · 2 Sep 2008

noseall said:
b21playa said:

Im just going to put all spoil to one side of the garden.

Click to expand...

i hope you have a large garden!

have you thought about using a grab-loader service? we rarely use skips for digging spoil these days.

Cant get access to the back garden for anything big

Garden is big enought to hold spoil, any extra will have to be barrowed away either into skip or onto drive for a grab loader

What do grab loaders charge?

noseall · 2 Sep 2008

here in staffs around £160 per load. they take almost double a skip load.

b21playa · 3 Sep 2008

noseall said:
here in staffs around £160 per load. they take almost double a skip load.

Will possibly do that.

Did see on ebay and auction which stated free hire of digger for one day only but delivery fee may apply.

Called them, only to find out that they want £45 each way for delivery, making it £90 which sounded expensive.

Is this a good price or not?

softlad1971 · 3 Sep 2008

Offer to pick it up yourself...

b21playa · 3 Sep 2008

softlad1971 said:
Offer to pick it up yourself...

Good idea

Can only really be a small trailer, got a tow bar on the end of the zafira.

b21playa · 3 Sep 2008

Just had a word with him and its company policy due to insurance that they have to deliver and collect.

Anyone know of a cheaper place to hire a digger from?

noseall · 3 Sep 2008

you can hire a digger for an entire week, including diesel and transport for £280.00, from my local.

b21playa · 3 Sep 2008

noseall said:
you can hire a digger for an entire week, including diesel and transport for £280.00, from my local.

Good price but only need for a day or 2.

Im hoping I can dig the footings in a day really to save on cost

There's someone on ebay in Wolverhampton that does it for £70, gonna see what his delivery charges are, and if he can provide this week

b21playa · 11 Sep 2008

how many days will I need a digger for roughly to dig as per sizes in original post?

Thermo · 12 Sep 2008

for an experianced driver with some guys doing the barrow wouldnt take long at all. On your own and if your not used to it then hire it for a weekend. If you hire it for a day most companies wont take it off hire till you tell them youve finished with it, so it doesnt matter if you need longer

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mini digger

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