1 tonne mini/micro digger advice for newbie

[tsf]

I'm looking for a small excavator for garden landscaping. Light duty - drainage, moving dirt, retaining wall foundations.

I would be using it over a 3 month project, then intend to sell on.

I have no experience.

What woud you suggest?

These super-budget diggers are tempting. In stock, both around 7-8K inc vat. Certainly feel easier than trying to navigate the second hand market.

Carter CT-08
Rock Machinery RD Micro

I'm in In Manchester.

Any help approeciated.

 

[doobin]

No, no, no. And no again.

Just hire when you need one. They are not much money per week, no more than you'd loose on depreciation with such a crap machine at least!

 

[Thomas7740]

Would rather a clapped out known brand than a new Chinese make

 

[tsf]

Thanks. One thing I should have mentioned is access. I suppose my main reason for considering purchase rather than hire is that getting into the garden is a 1hr, 1 mile trek across farmland. So frequent hire & return is difficult.

Can you advise why those machines are so rubbish, compared to more established brands? I don't even know what I don't know. Buying a second hand established brand sounds great.. but given my inexperience, that isn't likely to end well either. (I think I saw somewhere that 50% of plant on ebay is scam..)

 

[doobin]

Whats going to take three months?

 

[Brendan]

Thanks. One thing I should have mentioned is access. I suppose my main reason for considering purchase rather than hire is that getting into the garden is a 1hr, 1 mile trek across farmland. So frequent hire & return is difficult.

Can you advise why those machines are so rubbish, compared to more established brands? I don't even know what I don't know. Buying a second hand established brand sounds great.. but given my inexperience, that isn't likely to end well either. (I think I saw somewhere that 50% of plant on ebay is scam..)

Poor design, questionable build quality/lifespan.
Better off with something used for similar money or just hire one for a week or two

 

[Monkeybusiness]

You'll struggle to sell one of those Chinese things second hand once you've finished with it without practically giving it away (I think they struggle to sell new ones tbh!). Put the same or more money into any known-brand second hand digger and you'll get back pretty much what you paid for it when it's time to move it on.
Don't buy anything you aren't physically looking at in the flesh, and take someone with some mechanical knowledge with you. Check serial numbers are in place and don't appear to have been tampered with.
Plant is dear and scarce at the moment unfortunately so it is a seller's market.
Ideally plan the job in such a way that you can do the digger work in blocks, and just hire in for a week or two at a time would be the least painful and least expensive way of doing this IMO though.

 

[hiluxman]

If it was my money I'd buy a used jcb 8008, it will be well worn but will still put a good shift in and has some power. If anything does break dealer's are plentiful and you can sell on when your ready.

 

[JD450A]

the Ching chong micro diggers have final drives without integral brakes apparently.... they like to roll away so i'm told

 

[Russell]

Good god what a load of rubbish I wouldn't touch a China digger. A crappy £100 Chinese breaker/ drill is one thing but £7000 plus on a digger you will want to sell, no way.
Will the farmer let you pull it across the field with a pickup? If you have no intention of keeping I would find a way to make renting work unless you can find something used for a sensible price.

 

[Furniss]

Buy from a decent established dealer and you wont risk getting your leg lifted.

Sandhill Plant for instance

 

[Gunners]

You might be able to negotiate a decent deal for long term hire with a local hire company (I say local i.e. not a national firm as they will probably be less likely to be interested negotiating your hire). Have you got hired plant insurance? If not it will make the hire much more expensive than having your own in place.
I've had quotes recently for hire firms keen for business of a 1.5t excavator for £125/week. To me that's stupidly cheap, you need one for 12 weeks, £1500 isn't bad and saves you sourcing a machine, cost of transport, the inevitable maintenance (something will go wrong/ need servicing) and your time selling it at the end. I don't think 3 months is long enough to need one for to justify the hassle of buying and owning one.
You might even get it cheaper than that if you explain your situation and that it wont be used 5 days a week. Its a competitive market, companies are keen to secure hires. Worth asking?

 

[doobin]

And if your taking it through a field, why do you need a micro? Use a 1.5 tonner.