Avant 8.4s

[doobin]

Used i guess you would, i thought it would be about 40 inc cab and bucket.
I was looking for 2t dumper not available until mid next year. 3t swivel I can get but its on the limit of my trailer 21k new.
This would do a lot and is still trailer proof. But it's a big cost

It depends upon what sort of work you do. It won't replace a 3 t dumper for 'bulk' muck shifting unless it's just around the corner. But often it's quicker for landscaping type work- just windrow the material with the digger and then scoop it all up. You can push up heaps for lorries with it. It can replace a second digger on the stockpile loading a dumper, lay the stone out where it's needed much more accurately than a dumper, carry materials onto site, lay out fencing without double handling into a dumper, fetch the diesel bowser from the truck, unload a lorry at the roadside, the list is endless.

Do you need to go so big? I think this new 11 series is aimed at those needing max lift, but it might well be a bit big for a lot of jobs. You'd get an 8.4 for around £30k. They are seriously useful bits of kit. I've been skeptical for years, but I've had mine maybe two months and put 140 hours on it.

It will make your quoted jobs so much more profitable. And for longer term day rate jobs, it doesn't take the client long to see the value. I've been charging £500 plus VAT per day for myself, 2.7t digger, loader and a 2t tracked dumper. Plus a bit for transport, which is the ballache but I only work locally. I drive the loader or the digger and will let the client drive the dumper if they like, so it's not like the main machines are racking up the hours either as I can only be in one at once. For one off lifting jobs, the loader is great- charge around £200 plus VAT for something like driving ten miles to move a couple of stone troughs, usually only takes a couple of hours and barely ten minutes on the loader clock.

I like it- it's not going to set the world on fire, but it's so much less hassle than employing gangs of lads. If you're going to bust a gut you need to be aiming to be biiiig- otherwise what's the point in having the stress?

 

[6feetdown]

It depends upon what sort of work you do. It won't replace a 3 t dumper for 'bulk' muck shifting unless it's just around the corner. But often it's quicker for landscaping type work- just windrow the material with the digger and then scoop it all up. You can push up heaps for lorries with it. It can replace a second digger on the stockpile loading a dumper, lay the stone out where it's needed much more accurately than a dumper, carry materials onto site, lay out fencing without double handling into a dumper, fetch the diesel bowser from the truck, unload a lorry at the roadside, the list is endless.

Do you need to go so big? I think this new 11 series is aimed at those needing max lift, but it might well be a bit big for a lot of jobs. You'd get an 8.4 for around £30k. They are seriously useful bits of kit. I've been skeptical for years, but I've had mine maybe two months and put 140 hours on it.

It will make your quoted jobs so much more profitable. And for longer term day rate jobs, it doesn't take the client long to see the value. I've been charging £500 plus VAT per day for myself, 2.7t digger, loader and a 2t tracked dumper. Plus a bit for transport, which is the ballache but I only work locally. I drive the loader or the digger and will let the client drive the dumper if they like, so it's not like the main machines are racking up the hours either as I can only be in one at once. For one off lifting jobs, the loader is great- charge around £200 plus VAT for something like driving ten miles to move a couple of stone troughs, usually only takes a couple of hours and barely ten minutes on the loader clock.

I like it- it's not going to set the world on fire, but it's so much less hassle than employing gangs of lads. If you're going to bust a gut you need to be aiming to be biiiig- otherwise what's the point in having the stress?

View attachment 29270View attachment 29271View attachment 29272

I need to look at the lifting capacity of the lower ones possibly.

 

[Bri963]

You get some interesting jobs, Doob. Ever thought about a small CTL?

 

[doobin]

You get some interesting jobs, Doob. Ever thought about a small CTL?

Can't see any use for one in my line of work, I'm very rarely proper muck shifting.

 

[Bri963]

That’s a fair old matchstick on the forks in the last picture.

 

[doobin]

That’s a fair old matchstick on the forks in the last picture.

The incredible thing is that it picked it off that bank to the left at full stretch, and at the ends of the forks! Couldn't believe it. Didn't dare lift it any more than I needed to to boom and crowd back, but impressive.

It must look really unsafe to a casual observer how often these things lift a wheel. But it's designed with no side pivot in the middle as that way the load is always counterbalanced, although obviously less when turning. Often I'm wrestling something heavy and I can feel the arse end is up in the air, but I also feel totally in control. Very odd feeling.

 

[Grahams]

If you have a mini loader and a few attachments it is amazing how much you will find to do with it. Often only adding minutes to the hour counter but saving labourers wages or your back. I wouldn’t be without one. A lot of money up front, but a lot of savings long term. Huge amount of attachements off the shelf and you can obviously make your own as well.
I have forks, bulk bucket, four in one, 8foot fixed broom , bulk bag lifter, front tow ball for moving trailers, adapter for picking up S40 so I can use my grading beam or rotary sieve and a snow plough that was too cheap not to buy. It has also proved a great investment as it hasn’t snowed enough to use it since I bought it.

 

[Bri963]

The incredible thing is that it picked it off that bank to the left at full stretch, and at the ends of the forks! Couldn't believe it. Didn't dare lift it any more than I needed to to boom and crowd back, but impressive.

It must look really unsafe to a casual observer how often these things lift a wheel. But it's designed with no side pivot in the middle as that way the load is always counterbalanced, although obviously less when turning. Often I'm wrestling something heavy and I can feel the arse end is up in the air, but I also feel totally in control. Very odd feeling.

It’s not picking the back up, it’s how you put it back down that can cause the damage. I’ve been on a Weidemann about the same size as your Avant. The cab was on the back end, and it was the easiest thing in the world to lift the back end up. I think It would have struggled with that log, it struggled with the supplied bucket until I cut it down.

 

[doobin]

If you have a mini loader and a few attachments it is amazing how much you will find to do with it. Often only adding minutes to the hour counter but saving labourers wages or your back. I wouldn’t be without one. A lot of money up front, but a lot of savings long term. Huge amount of attachements off the shelf and you can obviously make your own as well.
I have forks, bulk bucket, four in one, 8foot fixed broom , bulk bag lifter, front tow ball for moving trailers, adapter for picking up S40 so I can use my grading beam or rotary sieve and a snow plough that was too cheap not to buy. It has also proved a great investment as it hasn’t snowed enough to use it since I bought it.

I forgot the broom. I bought it for the yard forklift but it’s a really handy thing to take to site.

 

[doobin]

So useful

 

[V8Druid]

So useful View attachment 29308

bet you're so pleased you bought that ...... every time you use it

 

[doobin]

bet you're so pleased you bought that ...... every time you use it

Pretty much. Just took it to fetch a couple of buckets -much quicker than getting the digger off the bank. About to clear some more grindings now that I’ve put a path down the side of the hill to the dump site.