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Mini Digger Hire - Jewsons?
motorcycle_mayhem - 24/9/13 at 10:14 AM

Has anyone hired a mini-digger from the main players? What worked for you?

I've looked at a few options, the Jewsons option seems (on paper) to be the easiest to get going. Some hire companies insist on certification of the operator, a VAT registration of the hirer and other things, none of which I have.

The digger isn't going to have a hard weekend, simply many small-mid tree stumps, skipping a few yards of topsoil and clearing a channel for drainage.

If you've hired a digger from Jewson and have enjoyed the experience please let me know.

coyoteboy - 24/9/13 at 11:54 AM

I struggled endlessly trying to find a mini digger for hire in Glasgow, half the folk wouldn't rent it for less than a week, those that would wanted a 3K deposit and proof of insurance. Gave up, shifted 9 tons of soil by hand.

ken555 - 24/9/13 at 01:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by motorcycle_mayhem
Has anyone hired a mini-digger from the main players? What worked for you?

The digger isn't going to have a hard weekend, simply many small-mid tree stumps, skipping a few yards of topsoil and clearing a channel for drainage.




Look for your "Local" digger/roads company and ask about weekends,
I got a digger (and Man) for a lot less the Big players wanted for a hire. Job was done in a few hours by the expert, would have taken the whole weekend myself with a mini digger.

TimEllershaw - 24/9/13 at 01:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ken555

Job was done in a few hours by the expert, would have taken the whole weekend myself with a mini digger.


But then you don't get the fun of playing in a big toy for the weekend

ken555 - 24/9/13 at 06:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TimEllershaw
quote:
Originally posted by ken555

Job was done in a few hours by the expert, would have taken the whole weekend myself with a mini digger.


But then you don't get the fun of playing in a big toy for the weekend


You do, plus you get an expert to show you how to do it.

Best trick was getting all the wheels high off the ground using both digger bits.

coyoteboy - 24/9/13 at 07:10 PM

quote:

would have taken the whole weekend myself with a mini digger.


Do you have parkinsons, or a very very large digging job?

Irony - 25/9/13 at 12:18 PM

Do not underestimate the level of skill of a professional digger driver. I can drive a JCB. I know what all the levers do anyway. I once dug a 100ft trench 2ft wide by 4ft deep. Took me over a day. The next day the proper driver turned up, couple of hours and he'd done more than me.

TimEllershaw - 25/9/13 at 01:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
Do not underestimate the level of skill of a professional digger driver. I can drive a JCB. I know what all the levers do anyway. I once dug a 100ft trench 2ft wide by 4ft deep. Took me over a day. The next day the proper driver turned up, couple of hours and he'd done more than me.


Yes, I quite agree.

I guess it depends on what you enjoy and how much of a hurry you are in. When we borrowed one it was exactly the same : I spent a whole day "playing" and then the owner came back the next morning and dug twice what I had done in a couple of hours. He was very skilled and I was slow and inefficient, but I enjoyed doing it.

Jon Ison - 25/9/13 at 02:27 PM

just don't do what I did



JoelP - 25/9/13 at 02:39 PM

I got a man in with his own digger. Initially came in the one tonne one, decided to come back with his 3 tonne one. So starting at 10am, we pulled 12 concrete fence posts out, leveled the garden, and spread and packed 4 tonnes of hardcore. All done by 2pm, let him go at that because there really was nothing else I could think to do. It cost me 130 all in, which I thought was a blinder. Much better than me driving and having a lad to help anyway.