Recommendation on cheap mini digger hire.

Recommendation on cheap mini digger hire.

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Discussion

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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I have roughly 89 foot of privet around the border of my garden it stands at about 10 foot high, very wild and out of control. It's time to come out and after reading up on the hard labour im thinking of chainsawing it down and pulling out with a mini digger.

Is this a good approach? and as the title says where is a good place to hire in the manchester area.

Any suggestions or even someone in this field of work with equipment at the ready able to give a ballpark figure.

Thanks.


shimmey69

1,525 posts

178 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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It's certainly one way of doing it!

Personally would look at a stump grinder rather than mini digger as then doesn't leave you with big holes.

Other thing to think about is disposal of cuttings etc! Might be an idea to get a tree surgeon in to clear it all as they will have chippers and can dispose of it all.

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
quotequote all
Thanks shimmey

I do have the disposal side sorted, i know a local council guy who has a tipper with a chipper in tow. Very handy

I will have a look into these stump grinders you speak of. Not to sure how they work with regards to different size stumps and such, i take it they are adjustable?.

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
quotequote all
Ok scratch that last question, the stump grinder looks like the tool to have but cost wise it is an extra £50! A mini digger comes in at £150 for 7 days and the grinder at £200. Not sure if there is any hidden costs on the mini digger tho.

With the mini digger i was thinking that i could strap the stump to the bucket and just yank it out. If this is possible i may opt for the digger and worry about the holes later. thumbup


TVR keith

1,342 posts

222 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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I hired a mini digger for a day. It took most of that time to get any good at all in using it.
Next time I would go for one with an operator

It's fixable...

468 posts

205 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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Watch it when hiring a mini digger, make sure you get one with enough grunt to do what you ask it to do.

We hired a small one for a day to clear out the garden and it struggled mightily.

Next time we'll get the biggest one we can get in rather than the smallest and cheapest.

davidd

6,452 posts

284 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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We have a chap with a mini digger clearing part of our garden, it is about 40m x 30m, a few stumps to pull up and a load of bushes to pull out as well as a fair bit of levelling to do. £250, they think it will take a day or two..

D

Aviz

1,669 posts

169 months

Thursday 30th June 2011
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I'm trying to find an excuse to hire a mini digger. Might dig a pond. She'll hate it and then I can hire it agin to fill the pond in!

dave_s13

13,814 posts

269 months

Friday 1st July 2011
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I did my foundations myself with zero previous experience and a healthy dose of "how hard can it be?".

I actually found it pretty easy to get to grips with the thing, if you can play the Xbox then you can fly a digger.

You'd be suprised how tough tree roots and the like are though. I'd say you would need a 3 tonner to make sure you've the required grunt. That's what I used and got it through a pal with an account at a plant hire place. Cost £250 for a week iirc. Thery are good fun but the novelty won't stretch the length of your privet hedge.

Oh and don't let any excited 4yr old have a go.... I nearly lost the back of my house...."don't touch that......WOAAHHH!!!!!."

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Friday 1st July 2011
quotequote all
The mini digger in question is this one http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/Mini-Digger...

You think a 1.5T won't have the grunt? I have been told by a few people to go for that as it is probably the cheapest i would find.

I also have a friend who is contacting his workmate as he has his own digger and thinks he could get it done one evening after work. If he quotes more than that digger above i may aswel just hire that and have some fun. I'm sure i would have enough friends willing to help if i got bored drivingcool

barney123

494 posts

211 months

Friday 1st July 2011
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Handie Andy said:
The mini digger in question is this one http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/Mini-Digger...

You think a 1.5T won't have the grunt? I have been told by a few people to go for that as it is probably the cheapest i would find.

I also have a friend who is contacting his workmate as he has his own digger and thinks he could get it done one evening after work. If he quotes more than that digger above i may aswel just hire that and have some fun. I'm sure i would have enough friends willing to help if i got bored drivingcool
I own a digger - bought it for some jobs 6 years ago and still have it. I would not get anything bigger - its very easy to damage stuff with these things (including gas pipes :-( but anyway.....) Mines only a 1 tonne and it will do most jobs - apart from maybe very large tree stumps.

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Friday 1st July 2011
quotequote all
barney123 said:
I own a digger - bought it for some jobs 6 years ago and still have it. I would not get anything bigger - its very easy to damage stuff with these things (including gas pipes :-( but anyway.....) Mines only a 1 tonne and it will do most jobs - apart from maybe very large tree stumps.
Cheers barney that's good to know, i enquired about the digger and it comes in at £275.00 for a week. That is delivery, collection, fuel, vat, and cover for accidental damage to the machine.


Chrisgr31

13,474 posts

255 months

Friday 1st July 2011
quotequote all
Handie Andy said:
The mini digger in question is this one http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/Mini-Digger...

You think a 1.5T won't have the grunt? I have been told by a few people to go for that as it is probably the cheapest i would find.

I also have a friend who is contacting his workmate as he has his own digger and thinks he could get it done one evening after work. If he quotes more than that digger above i may aswel just hire that and have some fun. I'm sure i would have enough friends willing to help if i got bored drivingcool
The digger you show there is the sort of thing a neighbour has recentky used to rip out a hedge of his. If its privet the stumps should be ok, its not going to pull out significant sized oaks or beech etc.

netherfield

2,678 posts

184 months

Friday 1st July 2011
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Don't mess about,get one of these.

Well I did anyway.

Handie Andy

Original Poster:

371 posts

166 months

Saturday 2nd July 2011
quotequote all
Thanks chris it is privet so i will go ahead and hire the 1.5T fully in the know that it will do the job.

Hey netherfield fancy bringing that round to mine and leveling my garden wink

shimmey69

1,525 posts

178 months

Saturday 2nd July 2011
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One thing I will say about small digger especially if they have a cab is watch your head!!! You will soon realise what I mean when you get a tough root and rock the whole digger!!! hehe

netherfield

2,678 posts

184 months

Saturday 2nd July 2011
quotequote all
Handie Andy said:
Thanks chris it is privet so i will go ahead and hire the 1.5T fully in the know that it will do the job.

Hey netherfield fancy bringing that round to mine and leveling my garden wink
Love to if I still had the beast,as soon as the job was done I sold it on but for 18 months I really enjoyed playing on it.