Micro diggers - Worthwhile ?

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

Evening all,

Does anybody on here own a micro digger and if so do you hire it out as well as use it for your own projects ?

We spent 2 or 3 days last week digging out by hand not realising that there was access to the work through a hidden doorway in an outside shed and it got me thinking about Micro's and there usability.

I dont know of many firms round here who hire them out daily except of course the usual players and wondered if anybody had or is in this game and what there thoughts are ?

Cheers Dave.

[darrenba]

Hi Dave,

I've recently purchased one for the project I'm currently working on. It's been worth its weight in gold. The access to the rear was extremely resticted (800mm width). In addition I needed to get to the bottom of the garden down a very steep slope which resulted in a scaffold ramp being constructed (see pics below). Nothing bigger than a micro could have done the job. Combined with a Muck Truck the machine as been invaluble.







I'm considering hiring it out locally at the moment.

[Dave_L]

A very good combination there Darren. Very useful in the right circumstances.

Expanding tracks I take it? So, so useful. We don't own one, we just hire one in when and as we need them. When you take into account the costs of hand-digging vs a Micro and a bit of jiggery-pokery getting the machine in on-site, it's a no brainer.



Edited By Dave_L on 1216797364

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

Great pics Darren, i was thinking of hiring the machine out with a driver when its not in use by ourselves and getting an auger attachment, for those pesky fence post holes. Good work.

[Dave_L]

Is that ramp as steep as it looks? :rock:

It's not the slope that would worry me when tracking the machine up & down it, it's the large expanse of dirty cold water that awaits at the bottom!!!!

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

I think its not quite as steep as it appears Dave, the last picture doesnt look as bad as the first.

[darrenba]

It was steep enough especially on the way down the 1st time and the tracks start slipping

[Mikey_C]

Whereabouts in Dorset is that Darren, it looks familiar, is back on to the stour in bournemouth/christchurch

[darrenba]

Hi Mikey,

Well spotted, yes it is the Stour, near Wimborne.

[Digbits]

Micro diggers generally perform far better than people expect in terms of digging/loading capabilities.

A few years back my then next door neighbour hired one to dig a pond, found he couldn't drive it, and persuaded me to use it (for a few cold tinnies as I remember) to load wheel barrows that he then carted to the front of the house.

Basically, the poor bloke - he was after finishing the job over a single weekend - nearly gave himself a hernia trying to keep up.

For what it's worth, the big downside with most smaller minis and micros, which gets worse the smaller the machines are is stability. Novices do need to proceed with a bit of caution. If it's not woroking on gradients that catch people out then it's swinging and/or reaching on soft ground.

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

Cheers Marcus, i'm thinking niche that doesnt appear to have been spotted around these ways, i may be wrong, but i guess i wont know till i try and i will always get a few quid back if all else fails.

[Dave_L]

Basically, the poor bloke - he was after finishing the job over a single weekend - nearly gave himself a hernia trying to keep up.

Oh dear, I know what that's like - had to do a few barrow out jobs myself!

We soon conceded defeat and hired in a tracked dumper. Much more fun!

[ambient]

we hire one in now and again costs £40 +vat a day if you collect its worth every penny

[Mikey_C]

I find the most knackering, back break demoralizing way is to drive a 3Tonn'er your self load two wheel barrows (placed next to each other) and then get out, run them up a skip ramp to the top of an 8yd. Whilst the power barrow sits idly by because you haven't got the ramp that fits the skip. Best done with at least two people watching. Long story which I may one day get round to posting the photos from.

That is a steep ramp from the photo and knowing what floats about in Stour you would catch me risking it.

[darrenba]

Well, the ramp has gone now and 6 tons of ballast, a ton of pea shingle, around 70 9" hollow concrete blocks and a load of cement later we have a retaining wall and platfrom for fishing / boating from





And I didn't end up with the digger upside down in the river either.