best mini excavator on the market current opinions opinions reviews ranking

[V8Druid]

the problem here @barracane is that:-
we are limited to 3500kgs Max Gross trailer Weight, towing with anything that is not a commercial vehicle (lorry) ...
some pick ups, vans & land rovers have the capacity to tow the max. but many don't....
Running a lorry here has so many restrictions or difficulties (and costs) that many try very hard to stay away from having to run them ....
Tractors are for forestry/arboricultural, horticultural or agricultural work only ....
and need to be used on site as part of the operation that they tow the machine to ....
this is flaunted massively, especially with the fact that they pay no road duty, no road fuel duty, have no special license, no operators license, no tachograph, no annual roadworthiness test, no 6 weekly maintenance regime, nothing that the commercial hauliers have to comply with ...
they are a hugely contentious issue, that the authorities on the whole ignore, much to the annoyance of any and all who do it properly and comply with the law.

 

[barracane]

I live in a hillside village out of this world with few inhabitants, along the country and mountain roads, there are few users, therefore with a little attention and prudence you can move freely around the country, clearly if you go to the main roads where the checks are more widespread you have to follow the rules and circulate with the right documents, the right authorizations, the trucks insured and overhauled, we don't even joke around, but in the surroundings of the country that is like hazzard, you understand well that you are more free and autonomous, but you must always be cautious and careful not to cause damage and to ruin the road, perhaps by walking with tracked self-propelled vehicles.

 

[doobin]

Thats exactly where I am today. But as I am discovering, its a lot of trips to and from a job to get all the kit there!

Know the feeling! What are you towing with, have you considered a decent tipper with a 7t train weight?

 

[V8Druid]

Know the feeling! What are you towing with, have you considered a decent tipper with a 7t train weight?

would need a C & E, LGV license to get a 7t Train weight though Doob and everything that goes with running a 'heavy'

 

[Smiffy]

would need a C & E, LGV license to get a 7t Train weight though Doob and everything that goes with running a 'heavy'

No 7t train can be done on b +e 110 hicaps can be 7t train weight as can alot of ivecos and Isuzu 3.5t vans

 

[pettsy]

No 7t train can be done on b +e 110 hicaps can be 7t train weight as can alot of ivecos and Isuzu 3.5t vans

Can also do it with sprinters if it’s been specced from new (I guess possible to retro-upgrade via sv tech too)

 

[V8Druid]

No 7t train can be done on b +e 110 hicaps can be 7t train weight as can alot of ivecos and Isuzu 3.5t vans

but still only 3.5t trailer cap, so no further forward for Ollie and his 8026 ... I'd assumed Doob had meant 7t behind the towing tipper ... Ollie obviously has a vehicle capable of towing his max 3.5t now

 

[Smiffy]

but still only 3.5t trailer cap, so no further forward for Ollie and his 8026 ... I'd assumed Doob had meant 7t behind the towing tipper ... Ollie obviously has a vehicle capable of towing his max 3.5t now

Yeah but pickups can't tow 3.5t and have any load atall or are overloaded. By having a 3.5t van and 3.5t trailer you can either put buckets in the tow vehicle or a track dumper or even a micro digger whilst still towing full weight

 

[V8Druid]

Yeah but pickups can't tow 3.5t and have any load atall or are overloaded. By having a 3.5t van and 3.5t trailer you can either put buckets in the tow vehicle or a track dumper or even a micro digger whilst still towing full weight

OK ..... follow the reasoning now .... so what is your average pick up (navara/ranger/etc. type vehicle's) GVW then? ... obviously not 3.5t ?? thought they were classed as 1t - ish pick ups and go circa 2+t to start with empty ??

 

[Monkeybusiness]

OK ..... follow the reasoning now .... so what is your average pick up (navara/ranger/etc. type vehicle's) GVW then? ... obviously not 3.5t ?? thought they were classed as 1t - ish pick ups and go circa 2+t to start with empty ??

They tend to be 6 tonne train weight - they can legally tow 3.5 tonnes but only with Kate Moss driving and an empty fuel tank!

 

[Lancs Lad]

They tend to be 6 tonne train weight - they can legally tow 3.5 tonnes but only with Kate Moss driving and an empty fuel tank!

They seem to be able to tow at least 3.8t plus a breaker in the back and upteen cans of cherry round here

 

[doobin]

They seem to be able to tow at least 3.8t plus a breaker in the back and upteen cans of cherry round here

I saw a pickup with a triaxle Ifor plant trailer behind it the other day- and a TB235 plus buckets on it! Couldn't believe it. People really don't seem to give a flying f**k.

Had to be over 4.5t behind the pickup.

 

[TiltyShaun]

Thats exactly where I am today. But as I am discovering, its a lot of trips to and from a job to get all the kit there!

You don’t have the right tow vehicle then. Going with the Iveco it gives me so much more ability to stick buckets and bits in the back. 7000 kg gross vehicle weight doesn’t take much to get up to with tools and toys!

 

[Lancs Lad]

I saw a pickup with a triaxle Ifor plant trailer behind it the other day- and a TB235 plus buckets on it! Couldn't believe it. People really don't seem to give a flying f**k.

Had to be over 4.5t behind the pickup.

Oooh triaxle plant trailers carry more didn't you know best when it's a vivaro towing one!

 

[Storrsy]

Know the feeling! What are you towing with, have you considered a decent tipper with a 7t train weight?

This is probably the only real way of getting round towing the max weight digger. Stick it on the trailer bare and the rest on the truck- at least it adds a bit of ballast to the tow vehicle too which is never a bad thing.
Id do it but trouble is for me it's rare I don't need 4x4 on the job too- jobs tend to be the arse end of nowhere and Iveco et Al would mean not having all my tools near to hand that I normally carry about in the disco with me. Plus slippery tight steep lanes which sometimes need diffs locked in on the Landy to keep it going up the hill. Not ideal it has to be said.

 

[Smiffy]

I saw a pickup with a triaxle Ifor plant trailer behind it the other day- and a TB235 plus buckets on it! Couldn't believe it. People really don't seem to give a flying f**k.

Had to be over 4.5t behind the pickup.

There is a bloke down in east Sussex Who plasters all over social media how overloaded he runs.
Seen pictures of 2.5t machine and 2 one tone hightip track dumpers on an ifor trailer
A 3.5t machine and a bomag 80 on an ifor
6 builders bags on a twin cab transit.
Even seen a pic of a quadbike tied to the roof of a transit

 

[Gunners]

Guys, buckets aren't my problem - I have too many machines!
My Navara is 6130kg GTW. Of all the pickups, its one of the lightest (along with the Dmax) because the Datsun is made of the thinnest tin and the engine is French so consists of cheese and baguettes. This gives me 540kg of capacity in the vehicle including fuel and myself - so around 100kg for each gives me 300kg. By the time you put your spare coat, lunch, and a few tools, its possible to stay within it but not that easy.
The Ford Ranger 3.2L is the worst for this as its so heavy, think you are down to 200kg and that's got to include yourself! Add a truckman/ roller shutter etc and of course the obligatory wide wheel arches that no Ranger owner would be without - and you are over on train weight.
I have considered getting a tipper but they give the wrong vibes, aren't that nice to drive and I cant take my Nan out in it. The Navara does a great job of being a car and a work truck. As I said, buckets for the digger aren't a problem, they go in my dumper which would be a 2nd load no matter how you look at it.
What I really need is a vehicle to fit the two machines, dumper, roller, track mats, site office, mixers, wacker plates, attachments, buckets etc in one trip.

 

[Gunners]

There is a bloke down in east Sussex Who plasters all over social media how overloaded he runs.
Seen pictures of 2.5t machine and 2 one tone hightip track dumpers on an ifor trailer
A 3.5t machine and a bomag 80 on an ifor
6 builders bags on a twin cab transit.
Even seen a pic of a quadbike tied to the roof of a transit

Whats this guys number, he sounds like the answer to my problems

 

[Smiffy]

This is probably the only real way of getting round towing the max weight digger. Stick it on the trailer bare and the rest on the truck- at least it adds a bit of ballast to the tow vehicle too which is never a bad thing.
Id do it but trouble is for me it's rare I don't need 4x4 on the job too- jobs tend to be the arse end of nowhere and Iveco et Al would mean not having all my tools near to hand that I normally carry about in the disco with me. Plus slippery tight steep lanes which sometimes need diffs locked in on the Landy to keep it going up the hill. Not ideal it has to be said.

Bit dear but the land cruisers are 7t train weight as are the 4x4 iveco dailys
Another option is a landrover 110
Or pickup with the train weight uprated

 

[barracane]

excuse me if I intrude, but what kind of vehicles do you usually use for the transport of machinery? we call trailers "flatbed"( CARRELLONE A PIANALE RIBBASSATO), that is dedicated and specific vehicles set up for the transport of heavy and agricultural earthmoving machinery. crane, depends on the equipment and needs of the user company.