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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 6:25 pm
by Esio Trot
I have this waste land next to our office and have finally agreed with a neighbour to gain vehicular access to this.

The site is around 60' by 80' (yes, I know it's not metric, but my mind can "see" feet and inches with reasonable accuracy.) The intention longer term is to look at using this as car parking. However the first object is to see what is there!

I have been in over the last couple of days and cleared some working space. (using a mattock mostly - and hard work it was). It looks as though the rest is the same: brambles and self-seeded buddlias. Most appear to have branches under 3", but for any significant ones I have a 16" chainsaw.

A friend has recommended a 3 tonne digger to rip out the rest of the jungle. Trouble is I can't hire one easily because of the capital value of the kit and that I don't have an account. I can hire get a 1.5 tonne version though without a problem.

So, members, do you think the 1.5 will be able to clear the site? Is there a better bit of kit that I should look at instead?

Thanks,

David

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 1:41 pm
by Tony McC
A 3 tonner will do the job in a quarter of the time it would take a 1.5 tonner, but if you fancy playing around on a mini-digger for a weekend, go for it!

Would it not be better to ask a local contractor or Plant Hire co to send in a JCB for half-a-day? You've a lot of handling and hay-making with a mini-digger, whereas a JCB can grade off with the back-acter and load the crap into skips/wagons with the front bucket in next to no time.

Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:04 pm
by Thanks for Advice
Thank you for your input.

I went for a 3 tonner in the end - from a local guy who I found through a plumber I know. He let me have it for the weekend with no deposit, and cheaper than the big guys.

I see what you mean about the JCB - the front bucket would have been really useful. So I've got clearing to do - mostly green stuff which should burn up quite nicely. Shame I missed Guy Fawkes Night. Once we are ready for something for the base, I'll definately need a bucket to move stuff around.