Hiring a mini digger - 'Hired in plant' insurance

Rotor

Hi, I am planning to hire a mini digger for various jobs at my own property and have contacted some hire companies for a quote.

The first 2 have come back with a quote for weekend hire but both want ' hired in plant insurance' on top of a £1000 deposit for the machine ( I understand the £1000 deposit and that's not a problem)

I went to the JCB insurance site for a quote for this 4 day insurance - £74 (a big addition to the £175 inc. VAT and del/col of the digger)

Is this now normal and standard in the industry or do they perhaps assume I am a contractor?
Any damage I do will be to my own property and down to me to fix

Has anyone here recently hired one and did you have to get the insurance?


Thanks

Kiran

It's also about the damage you do to the plant. They're not cheap and if you use it incorrectly it isn't cheap to fix either.


I don't know where abouts you are but rounds my way day rate for machine and operator is £200ish. A pro will accomplish in a day what an amateur can do in a week. Also they come with their own insurance if they damage your property.


I know everyone loves playing with big boys toys but it can be a false economy

molerat

Rotor wrote: »

Any damage I do will be to my own property and down to me to fix

Or the water main .... or electricity cable ..... or the main sewer ........ or next door's fence ..... or next door's dog ....... or next door's child etc etc

Rotor

molerat wrote: »

Or the water main .... or electricity cable ..... or the main sewer ........ or next door's fence ..... or next door's dog ....... or next door's child etc etc

Electricity and phone is 20' up in the air , no mains sewerage, no gas to property or road we're on, water past the road is home owners responsibility anyway.

Damage to 3rd parties goes for any and all circumstances not just when I.ve hired something in.

Been about 10 years since I last hired one - then it was just " have you got one , how much , can you deliver on that date". Always borrowed my brothers since then but he's got rid now.

Times must have changed ; 'elf n safety suppose

Rotor

Kiran wrote: »

It's also about the damage you do to the plant. They're not cheap and if you use it incorrectly it isn't cheap to fix either.

B]Assume that is what the deposit is for and , short of overturning them, they're quite hard to wreck without being wilfully stupid
[/B]

I don't know where abouts you are but rounds my way day rate for machine and operator is £200ish. A pro will accomplish in a day what an amateur can do in a week. Also they come with their own insurance if they damage your property.


I know everyone loves playing with big boys toys but it can be a false economy

Crikey - you must be a slow operator

Kiran

Rotor wrote: »

Crikey - you must be a slow operator

I said amateur as you neglected to mention you had previous experience in your first post, but if you don't like the advice don't listen to it.


My skills on an excavator have nothing to do with how quick your work will get done!

Rotor

Kiran wrote: »

I said amateur as you neglected to mention you had previous experience in your first post, but if you don't like the advice don't listen to it.


My skills on an excavator have nothing to do with how quick your work will get done!

Yes LOL . it hasn't taken long for this thread to go off at a tangent

It doesn't really matter whether you or I think this insurance is a good or bad thing ; the thrust of the thread is - is it your opinion that this insurance is an industry wide standard ,or worse , a regulation?
If so, and you are correct, then there is little point me wasting time trying to find a hirer who doesn't want it to save myself £74

Or - is it a stipulation for contractors? Have people on here hired recently and not needed it . If o then I might dig a bit harder

Kiran

ok, back onto sensible conversation then. The short answer is no, there is no legal requirement for the insurance and no not all plant hire companies ask for it. There are companies who will hire without insurance but they are likely to be the ones with a smaller fleet. I know a couple locally who I've used but for me personally the difference between self drive at about £160 and £200 for machine and operator my personal opinion is that the extra £40ish frees me up to either work with the machine driver or do something else