Mini Digger driving

cyclonebri1

Anyone any experience of driving a hired mindigger for the 1st time, (that they aren't too embarrassed to repeat)?

I have the foundations for a free standing conservatory type build to do, just considering the econmics of hiring the digger against the digger and it's driver. £165 per week for the digger seems very attractive and would allow us to work at our pace, not sure if having the driver would be cost effective as we've got to shift the stuff a fair way.

Any experiences??;)

bobhawke

Everyone should drive one at least once
Take your time getting used to the controls, move all the controls slowly so it doesn't jerk and so you don't end up speeding away forwards into a ditch when you meant to go backwards. When you think you have found a spot to sit and dig for awhile make sure everything is clear around you, it is easy to forget your surroundings, spin around too quickly and hit something. If you are going to be digging for awhile find somewhere local where you can buy a jerry can of red diesel so you save on fuel costs.

Kiran

They are very easy to drive and quite frankly lots of fun! Just get the person who delivers it to give you a bit of familiarisation training.

capeverde

I drove mini diggers for years and if you want to play about for a bit, go for it. Bear in mind to price in for a few fence panels, downpipes etc or whatever else you might knock over. Joking aside, it takes a few months to totally get the hang of operating one. I used to dig out the average conservatory base in a couple of hours down to about 800mm, so its probably better to get an experienced person in and it will all be done quickly. Also with experience you get to 'feel' pipes, cables etc that you may not know were there. Only takes a second to slew the bucket the wrong way and put it through your patio door glass and make a proverbial pigs earhole of it. They are good fun though!!

jcr16

we hired one a few years back. We only needed it for the day but for a weekend it was about £40. the chap delivered it and gave instructions on how to use it. hubby wasn't completely new to it tho as he has worked on sites and driven all sort's.

i didn't see him for a whole day he was wizzing about all over the garden in it. getting all the jobs done we needed to. he loved it. our chidlren loved watching daddy. fun for whole family.

cyclonebri1

H'mmmm?

I don't think there could be any obstructions as this will be a free stander in a big garden so nothing to hit (touch wood), of which there isn't much as I've removed the tree and shrubs.

Best plan then maybe to get the digger and bloke for a day to "pile" the soil/subsoil/clay and remove at our leisure. We do have the space for that.

Final question;

The conservatory needs/will have decent footings for a 7mtr x 5mtr dwarf wall construction, plus a trench up the middle to take the span.
Will one man and his dog/digger do that in a day???

Thanks for the help:T

capeverde

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

H'mmmm?

I don't think there could be any obstructions as this will be a free stander in a big garden so nothing to hit (touch wood), of which there isn't much as I've removed the tree and shrubs.

Best plan then maybe to get the digger and bloke for a day to "pile" the soil/subsoil/clay and remove at our leisure. We do have the space for that.

Final question;

The conservatory needs/will have decent footings for a 7mtr x 5mtr dwarf wall construction, plus a trench up the middle to take the span.
Will one man and his dog/digger do that in a day???

Thanks for the help:T

Yes, quite easily. Obviously depending where the soil is going, the people with barrows will need to keep up with the digger driver. Assuming he'll use a 450mm bucket, it fills most barrows in 2 scoops. Dont forget, with footings, you will need to get down past any clay. Also any pipes will need to be bridged with lintels. If you have the room, its best to pile the soil out the front and get a grab truck to take it away. (no pushing barrows up into skips) If you have two or three fit people with barrows and a digger driver it will be done in a couple of hours and all the soil removed within a day!! Dont forget, soil volume once excavated is 3 times that of it compacted in the ground so jst making a pile behind the conservatory is perhaps not the best idea and it will all have to be moved twice then!!

Tucker

Have a look around as there will be companies that dig out and remove with a mini dumper.

A local farmer did mine and used a dumper to drive the waste out to his trailer and remove from site. I had footings dug and half my garden levelled in a day. Probably in the region of 30+ tonnes removed.

Very reasonable price too for two men and machines. I'd never contemplate shifting it by hand and if you use skips, it will be costly.