Micro diggers - Worthwhile ?

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

Great job Darren.

[Rich H]

I have Kubota K008 micro which I bought in 2006. It doesn't have the expanding tracks but goes through a garden gate no problem.

It works every week. Because I own it it gets used on jobs where you wouldn't normally bother to hire one. I also have the bonus of being able to have it on site all the time rather than compress all the excavation into the length of the hire.

The down side is that you never know when a track might go, at considerable cost (£120+) and inconvenience. You also have the odd hose blow, and of course it needs to be regularly maintained, greased, etc.

All in all though, it paid for itself in the first year. I accounted for it by charging the equivalent hire rate to the job, so since then I'm effectively hiring it to the job at a profit.

I did also buy a 0.5t skip loading tracked dumper, so the two work hand in hand. The dumper volume is about three big barrows and of course you don't need ramps as the rams lift the bucket up to tip straight into the skip.

[Dave_L]

Brilliant plant combination there Rich.

[yourgardenworks.co.uk]

Cheers Rich, they definately seem worth while.

[dig dug dan]

had a k008 from new (with expanding tracks) since 2002
Never ever dug by hand since.
Mines fitted with a grip talon, and i have a rake and a ripper, which is great for tearing through tree stumps
Coupled with the tracked dumper, it makes light work.

Well, the ramp has gone now

Tried to get several scaffold firms to price me for one of these a few years back and no one was interested. I couldn't quote for the job in the end. How much did they charge you for this?

[darrenba]

How much did they charge you for this?

Cost me £200 and had it for 2 weeks. I think in the present climate the firms are after all the business that they can get.

[Dave_L]

£100/wk is well worth it for access like that.

[msh paving]

i own a kobelco sk009 ,had it since new 5 years old last month,
very good machine,no problems,goes through 750mm door,

i hire it out £60+vat self drive

save so much work in back gardens,even just loading barrows :laugh:

[James.Q]

just hired a 1t jcb £100 for the week plus vat prices are dropping fast oop north that includes drop off and collection
if i wanted could have had a 1.5t for £130

[msh paving]

that sort off price is killing plant hire,how can you hire a 11/12k machine for 20 quid aday,all mine go a 60day 1-3ton self drive,full tank fuel full on return or charged at 65p litre+delivery+vat

very little money to play with at 60day,
concrete crusher is 160day

[ambient]

just hired a 1t jcb £100 for the week plus vat prices are dropping fast oop north that includes drop off and collection
if i wanted could have had a 1.5t for £130

must have been an old clapped out knacker for that money theres no way it was new nobody in their right mind would put a good machine out for 20 a day

[GB_Groundworks]

i just got a quote of arnold plant hire for brand new takeuchi 3 toner 230 +vat for the week, it must be getting competive the whole plant hire game.

[James.Q]

millie its a new 1t jcb only a couple of years old. not some clapped out piece of crap. plant hire firm has a branch in bolton but this machine was hired through thier blackburn branch. also picked up a 110 volt breaker for £20 till the end of the week :p
its a jcb micro it came with 3 buckets 18"30" and 9"
its even got the tracks that move in to get through tight spaces. Will post pictures tomorrow if I remember.

[ambient]

youll have to give me the number i paid £60 quid for one last week did the job but didnt rate it

[Mikey_C]

I am guessing there are companies around with expensive plant and nobody to hire it to, some money is better than none?