Other machines that do well on owner operator basis.

[6feetdown]

They are about 1m by the looks of it, so will go anywhere a mini digger will go.

They look quite handy in the range of materials they will lift/shift but not totally efficient at moving any single item.

I think the problem is most builders on jobs that size would rather just pay a dogsbody to do it.

I would like to have a loader for my own groundworks jobs but don't know if I could make it pay either.

Wouldn't be without our avant now, game changer for moving stuff

 

[Russell]

The other end of the spectrum but what about diamond core drilling like the ones they did that bank job with? You could spam the local stove installers but I can't think who else, maybe plumbers?

 

[doobin]

A drill rig for doing ground source heat boreholes might pay off. Might.

 

[pettsy]

The other end of the spectrum but what about diamond core drilling like the ones they did that bank job with? You could spam the local stove installers but I can't think who else, maybe plumbers?

Can’t imagine there’s many plumbers on domestic side that haven’t got a basic core drill and bits for flues/soil pipes etc. Commercial drilling through thick concrete etc maybe

 

[Russell]

A drill rig for doing ground source heat boreholes might pay off. Might.

I did a job at a house a while back where they had that. He told me there was £3000 of auger still down there because it got stuck.

 

[bobthebuilder]

Can’t imagine there’s many plumbers on domestic side that haven’t got a basic core drill and bits for flues/soil pipes etc. Commercial drilling through thick concrete etc maybe

granite boys i use have built the jig ,bolt it on the wall and it drills on the angle for flues

 

[Richard Hunton]

I did a job at a house a while back where they had that. He told me there was £3000 of auger still down there because it got stuck.

I wonder who picks the tab up for that? Operator error or risk of the job?

 

[Russell]

granite boys i use have built the jig ,bolt it on the wall and it drills on the angle for flues

My mate works for a stove fitting company and I'm sure he said they get a bloke into drill the hole for the flue. I've seen you can get vaccumm bases too. Not sure if that would work on brick though.

 

[6feetdown]

My mate works for a stove fitting company and I'm sure he said they get a bloke into drill the hole for the flue. I've seen you can get vaccumm bases too. Not sure if that would work on brick though.

Hilti 122mm diamond core x fitting now about £500 had a price 2 months ago not bought 1 yet!

 

[Russell]

Not cheap

 

[Regy53]

Robocuts .... big money

 

[doobin]

Robocuts .... big money

Market saturated IMHO. Every man and his dog has one. Small tree firms round there that I've never heard of are advertising their Robocut services on FB etc. Usually around £500 a day, not massive money for the investment.

An alpine will do a lot of what a robocut will do and it'll allow you to be a lot more selective about it also. Mulching gorse, brambles etc with a robocut 'cause safety duh' is all well and good underneath powerlines but on conservation work enriching the ground is the usually the last thing that you want, and people are waking up to it. Far better to be able to offer a cut and collect with an alpine tractor, or just quickly mulching it if that's all that's needed for a building site clearance.

 

[doobin]

We will see. It was the cheapest I’ve seen one and I got it for 8.5k plus vat. I have a lot of gutter refits etc coming up at a listed building conversion into flats that I do a lot of maintenance for. Plus some dead ash, awkward hedges and the like. I’ve also work to do on my folks place and mine when I get time. I reckon it will be like the alpine tractor which was similar money and made it back quickly. Will be very handy to leave it set up and do the job at leisure.

It’s the first machine I’ve had where my life is on the line in it though, so I’m keen to get it thoroughly examined and a loler on it! Hours are just shy of 300- apparently it was kept in reserve at a substation much of its life and I’m the third owner. Allseems tight and most of the paint is still on the sprockets but I’ve no experience of these.

Second photo is from the listing, not me!

 

[Grahams]

Saw a vacuum excavator today. First one I've seen that was a tracked self contained unit. The big truck mounts seem very popular, but if you could transport a self propelled one I guess there would be a niche hire for it as it would be a lot cheaper to purchase and run than a truck.
This type of thing:

Vacuum Excavation | Cardiff, Swansea, London | Integrated Vac Ex

Vacuum Excavation | Cardiff, Swansea, London | Integrated Vac Ex

integratedvacuumexcavation.co.uk

 

[Lee]

We will see. It was the cheapest I’ve seen one and I got it for 8.5k plus vat. I have a lot of gutter refits etc coming up at a listed building conversion into flats that I do a lot of maintenance for. Plus some dead ash, awkward hedges and the like. I’ve also work to do on my folks place and mine when I get time. I reckon it will be like the alpine tractor which was similar money and made it back quickly. Will be very handy to leave it set up and do the job at leisure.

It’s the first machine I’ve had where my life is on the line in it though, so I’m keen to get it thoroughly examined and a loler on it! Hours are just shy of 300- apparently it was kept in reserve at a substation much of its life and I’m the third owner. Allseems tight and most of the paint is still on the sprockets but I’ve no experience of these.

Second photo is from the listing, not me!View attachment 51807View attachment 51808

If that doesn’t work out useful doobin I’ll be interested if the time comes to move it on, niche but useful on own jobs and profitable occasional hire I would think.

 

[William127]

I c

We will see. It was the cheapest I’ve seen one and I got it for 8.5k plus vat. I have a lot of gutter refits etc coming up at a listed building conversion into flats that I do a lot of maintenance for. Plus some dead ash, awkward hedges and the like. I’ve also work to do on my folks place and mine when I get time. I reckon it will be like the alpine tractor which was similar money and made it back quickly. Will be very handy to leave it set up and do the job at leisure.

It’s the first machine I’ve had where my life is on the line in it though, so I’m keen to get it thoroughly examined and a loler on it! Hours are just shy of 300- apparently it was kept in reserve at a substation much of its life and I’m the third owner. Allseems tight and most of the paint is still on the sprockets but I’ve no experience of these.

Second photo is from the listing, not me!View attachment 51807View attachment 51808

Seems a smart buy but I can safely say this is one machine of yours that I'm not jealous of at all! Can't stand them in any spec at all, wheeled, tracked, vehicle mounted, no thanks, nope, not today thanks!
I can just about cope with scissor lifts- once did some work under the roof of the Excel center, about 60ft up. Access was via a scissor lift, then clip on and climb over a rail onto a walkway. All the way up I'm holding on for grim death, silent, not looking down...
The guy taking us round said to my mate- 'your mates going to hate it at the top, you have to clip on and climb out over the railings ' my mate said 'nope, you watch' .
Got up to the under the walkway, I clip my lanyards on, scramble over the basket, lean right back into my harness, outside the railings, hands off, happy as larry, chatting away while passing the tools over to a guy on the walkway.
Mateys looking at me with a full on WTF face, I just shrug and say no idea mate, can't explain it

 

[Storrsy]

We will see. It was the cheapest I’ve seen one and I got it for 8.5k plus vat. I have a lot of gutter refits etc coming up at a listed building conversion into flats that I do a lot of maintenance for. Plus some dead ash, awkward hedges and the like. I’ve also work to do on my folks place and mine when I get time. I reckon it will be like the alpine tractor which was similar money and made it back quickly. Will be very handy to leave it set up and do the job at leisure.

It’s the first machine I’ve had where my life is on the line in it though, so I’m keen to get it thoroughly examined and a loler on it! Hours are just shy of 300- apparently it was kept in reserve at a substation much of its life and I’m the third owner. Allseems tight and most of the paint is still on the sprockets but I’ve no experience of these.

Second photo is from the listing, not me!View attachment 51807View attachment 51808

Blimey- you really do offer the complete package don't you!

 

[6feetdown]

Saw a vacuum excavator today. First one I've seen that was a tracked self contained unit. The big truck mounts seem very popular, but if you could transport a self propelled one I guess there would be a niche hire for it as it would be a lot cheaper to purchase and run than a truck.
This type of thing:

Vacuum Excavation | Cardiff, Swansea, London | Integrated Vac Ex

Vacuum Excavation | Cardiff, Swansea, London | Integrated Vac Ex

integratedvacuumexcavation.co.uk

View attachment 51809

Not seen an air 1

 

[Vinpetrol]

We will see. It was the cheapest I’ve seen one and I got it for 8.5k plus vat. I have a lot of gutter refits etc coming up at a listed building conversion into flats that I do a lot of maintenance for. Plus some dead ash, awkward hedges and the like. I’ve also work to do on my folks place and mine when I get time. I reckon it will be like the alpine tractor which was similar money and made it back quickly. Will be very handy to leave it set up and do the job at leisure.

It’s the first machine I’ve had where my life is on the line in it though, so I’m keen to get it thoroughly examined and a loler on it! Hours are just shy of 300- apparently it was kept in reserve at a substation much of its life and I’m the third owner. Allseems tight and most of the paint is still on the sprockets but I’ve no experience of these.

Second photo is from the listing, not me!View attachment 51807View attachment 51808

What’s the payload doob ? Being as horizontal as I am I don’t think I’d need the down button looking at that pic

 

[Smiffy]

Market saturated IMHO. Every man and his dog has one. Small tree firms round there that I've never heard of are advertising their Robocut services on FB etc. Usually around £500 a day, not massive money for the investment.

An alpine will do a lot of what a robocut will do and it'll allow you to be a lot more selective about it also. Mulching gorse, brambles etc with a robocut 'cause safety duh' is all well and good underneath powerlines but on conservation work enriching the ground is the usually the last thing that you want, and people are waking up to it. Far better to be able to offer a cut and collect with an alpine tractor, or just quickly mulching it if that's all that's needed for a building site clearance.

That's the same with anything that tree surgeons cotton on to round here. Same stump grinders and the like. And then you have the problem that tree surgeons seem to like working for nothing