Mini Diggers

[The Seeker]

Evening all, Im looking for a smallish digger 360 type whats a good size to have handy on the farm. Please no 17 tonn beasts or micro diggers. I think the lowest I could go would be 1.5 ton .. handy for my trailer and perhaps up to 5 ton but with a budget of around 5k what can I realistically expect to be buying for that kind of money? or should I just hire?

 

[nick...]

You will only buy a load of rubbish for your budget.these machines work at their limit all the time and wear accordingly.ive been told 1.5 ton machines want moving on at a thousand hours but I normally keep mine till 2000hours but only me using it and never abused and well cared for.hire machines get abused all the time.ive seen some horrendous abuse on hire machines and drivers don’t care.if you are only an occasional user hire is the way to go and you will get a modern machine for a price that is very very cheap.there are machines about at your budget but I’d avoid at all costs.good luck.
Nick...

 

[Lincs Lass]

5 k will get you a 1.5 but it will need 2k spending on it ,,king pins and bushes,bucket pins and bushes ,tracks maybe

 

[Mursal]

Hire until you can spend a bit more, unless you can work the spanners.
But from what I can see, like for like, they seem to be rising in value as time goes by.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Just an example ,,Jewsons change their fleet on 3 rolling program ,,across the country they have 800 1.5 tn diggers at any time ,,Ive hire from them and believe me ,some of their machines at 800 hrs need alot of work ,,everybody hires them ,nobody knows what a grease gun looks like ,pins are feecked ,tracks are worn,,they ship them of to china wholesale to get rid ,the running costs and repairs are staggering if they go wrong

 

[Lincs Lass]

Set up an account with a plant hire company and you will be surprised how cheap you get a 5 tn machine for ,,Buildbase have quoted me for a 2.8t,,£195+vat per week

 

[Dave W]

My 2002 3t jcb was only a fraction over that budget. Good machines are out there if you're prepared to trawl the auction yards

 

[Hesston4860s]

My 2002 3t jcb was only a fraction over that budget. Good machines are out there if you're prepared to trawl the auction yards

Yet my 2004 3.5 ton machine was double his budget plus another 3.5k !.

 

[biggles]

As @Dave W says there are machines out there, ive got 3 jcb 803's and a jcb 805.2 all around the 2000yr vintage, think the lowest hours is about 7000. one has gone past 10000. ive put probably the last 50% of the hours on them, bought them a bit rough ex hire but right price and they keep on going, beauty of jcb stuff is bits are generally cheap and plenty of local dealers. lots of non gen and second hand parts available. all have only needed the usual repairs. if your handy on the spanners these machines can be kept going on a minimal budget,

 

[Dog&stick]

I had budget of 5/ 6 k for 3 ton machine 4 years ago, looked at few all in need bit of tlc; moved a takeuchi tb125 to try a kubotu, ending spending 9k on the takeuchi. Buy the best you can afford on the day , been good investment.

 

[Sharpy]

The 3 ton class diggers are in demand. Legal to tow on an Ifor is the main reason. 4 +5 tonners are not as popular so may offer better value for money.

 

[dowcow]

A cheap digger is a bloody handy thing to have around though. You ain't going to hire a digger in for many small jobs as and when they arise, but having a digger of your own on site makes tackling them so much easier. Quick post hole, rip up a bit of concrete or level a bit of soil around a gateway... You can always hire in something bigger or better if you have a weeks ditching to do, but if you have the budget to have one on site then go for it. Might just need to spend another few k to get something with all its glass intact, tracks are consumables like tyres and not as expensive as they used to be.

 

[essexpete]

Whether or not you own or hire would depend very much on the pattern of work to be expected. If you have a designated project it might pay to hire. On the other hand you can with care buy an older 2nd hand machine but you might expect some unforseen bils. It is true that 2k hours can seem like a very worn out machine when compared to a large excavator.

 

[The Seeker]

Thanks for all the tips so far, as most will know work patetrs on a farm can change from hr to hr so i never really know when i have time to investigate the field drain or scrape around the sheds ect.. i realistic i think a 1.5 town would do the jobs i have in mind diging strainer posts, light water channels / scrapes plus i already have a trailer to suit so getting it around the farm fast is a bonus. theres no doubt a larger machine is better but at a cost. i also have a 1 acre wood full of 30-40cm beech trees to fell and stack its not a massive task tho i do think a 3 tanner might be better for that sort of work

 

[Lincs Lass]

If you go for a 1.5 tn get one with an expanding track frame,, much more stable

 

[B R C]

I would say 1.5t is too small round a farm, I share a 3.5t with neighbour and it is just much better than 1.5 as it has the weight to do some proper work but small enough to get round buildings etc rarely do I wish I had a smaller one and on the off chance you need to go smaller for a day they are very cheap to hire. I am more likely to want a bigger one, I did hire an 8t for a couple of days in summer to clear an area for concreting.
Only downside is can’t be moved behind landover but then it’s not likely to get pinched either!

 

[essexpete]

Thanks for all the tips so far, as most will know work patetrs on a farm can change from hr to hr so i never really know when i have time to investigate the field drain or scrape around the sheds ect.. i realistic i think a 1.5 town would do the jobs i have in mind diging strainer posts, light water channels / scrapes plus i already have a trailer to suit so getting it around the farm fast is a bonus. theres no doubt a larger machine is better but at a cost. i also have a 1 acre wood full of 30-40cm beech trees to fell and stack its not a massive task tho i do think a 3 tanner might be better for that sort of work

Sounds like a plan. There are always large numbers of 1.5t machines to choose from. If you go to about 2.7t I think they carry slight premium being about the largest towable behind pickup. Do a little home work on reach etc. Some 2t not much more than 1.5t. As LL said expanding track is handy on a small machine.

 

[Campbell]

I am borrowing a 5 ton digger at present and find it does most jobs easily. Just hiring a 1.8 t for work inside a building and small yard. As mentioned, I'd go for the bigger machine purchase option and hire in a mini when required.

 

[Thomas5060]

A mini digger is much more capable than people realise

 

[TripleSix]

Got her for nowt.

Not quite as handy as a mini digger but better than a spade.