I've got the sudden urge to buy a digger!!
It's looking like the farm I was hoping to buy is getting further out of my price range by the day. My house has lost £130k in the past three years so if I sell it, I'll still be a few £k short! That means that I'l be forging ahead with converting my garage into a house in an attempt to sell two houses and if the farm is still on the market, I can almost afford it.
And the digger???
I can almost justify one because I'll need it for the work on the garage and any work on any future project properties (espescially a farm).
I full size JCB type unit is too big to move around and store (and I have the use of one of those anyway) but having spent a few hours playing around with a couple of Kubuta tractors, one with a front loader, I've decided I want one!
I remember a few of the ex-military yards selling them and they weren't too expensive but I'm struggling to find any now. There are a few on Ebay but they seem to fetch silly money or are at the other end of the country!

So suggestions folks? A Kubuta (type?) mini tractor with a back-hoe and a front bucket for a couple of grand. Any colour will be OK.....

ask your local farmers / builders if they know of one.....

Auto trader in their plant section.

Try bte plant sales linky

regards roger

MVS, sell ex mod diggers, they have sealed bid auctions so you may get one or more quite cheaply.

I have a large digger (MF 50B) and have driven most sizes of 360 machines you can use on a house plot. I'd actually say the larger 360 ones with a dozer shovel on the front are the most useful for house building about 3.5 - 5 tons is about right. Anything with wheels needs 4WD btw but tracks are the best by far. don't be to bothered about how much the machine initially costs as within a few months it will have payed for itself and you'll always get more than you payed when it comes to selling.

look in the local papers for one, their very heavy and expensive to transport. If buying from a farmer make sure they have maintained the hydraulic's. Lift the machine partly or completely of the ground depending on its type with the engine running and see if it holds the pistons in position, if not then the seals are fecked and you should walk away.

Cheers folks!
I'm only after a small machine as I already have the use of a few 3CX + 360!