One man band - mini digger and attachments

[dan blocker]

3 minutes ago, dumper said:

Cat mini diggers made in China cording to cat

Well would you believe it🙄. Also they’re ever expanding naval boats seem to float quite well and they’re airforce are still flying in they’re fast jets with 5 years warranty?

[LGP Eddie]

9 hours ago, biscovey said:

The first scenario LPG Eddie, just want to find a niche/owner operator, im not interested into getting into projects of any size really where I need employees.

Keep it simple then, attachments are best when cutting labour out of price work or specialist hire.

I’d wait and see where the work takes you, it could be a Hydraulic Hammer or a Rotating Grab that you’re continually needing or hiring, and that leads you to a purchase.

 

A Ripper Tooth for the price, pretty much pays for itself with the reduction in strain put on the machine in some tasks, they really can make that much difference, so perhaps worth adding one to any bucket package.

 

If it’s just Arb work you’re after, I’d be down the rotating grab and bolster trailer with hitch on the blade route, they’re such a versatile setup.

 

It’s really a case of having a go, it’s incredible how attachments come and go with current trends and projects that come on, but generally if well looked after they fetch a good return when moving them on.

 

 

 

 

 

[drinksloe]

I'm not as experienced or knowledegable as most on this thread.

 

But 1 thing for the money is a thumb, nowhere near as good as a proper timber grab esp with a rotator, but still a bloody handy piece of equipment for general digging work for not a lot of money.

Maks it far easier to move roots, big stones etc with a smaller bucket

 

Do u also do tree work or already sub to a lot of tree/arb companies?

Just a lot of the ideas are arb related, not surprising on this site but not sure how much arb digger work they're is where they hire someone in?

Will be different for different areas depending wot the local companies already own or hire from a local hire company.

 

Another thing which is just as important as the toys u have on ur digger will be how good u are on it?

If ur a good operator a company might just sub u in FT hire with them.

 

 

I think ur right to try and find ur own niche for ur area in something u enjoy, but these will be very local dependant if someone already has filled that niche.

No good competeing with someone esp in quite a specialist field if u can avoid it, means u'll either be undercutting each other for work or not busy enough to justify ur machine.

 

 

Must admit i've tried a few 'niche' machine buys, not spent a lot of money on them and i'm still convinced they do fill a handy niche but u still have to convince others that they work.

Not always easy if ur thinking is a bit outside the box, but got to keep trying

[maybelateron]

Definitely agree about the thumb. I have a Bobcat E10 we use intermittently in my small domestic arb firm. In terms of cost/benefit the thumb is a real winner for moving/loading timber, and even holding sections while they are ringed up. Also agree a grab with rotator is superior but then it costs more.

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, drinksloe said:

I'm not as experienced or knowledegable as most on this thread.

 

But 1 thing for the money is a thumb, nowhere near as good as a proper timber grab esp with a rotator, but still a bloody handy piece of equipment for general digging work for not a lot of money.

Maks it far easier to move roots, big stones etc with a smaller bucket

 

Do u also do tree work or already sub to a lot of tree/arb companies?

Just a lot of the ideas are arb related, not surprising on this site but not sure how much arb digger work they're is where they hire someone in?

Will be different for different areas depending wot the local companies already own or hire from a local hire company.

 

Another thing which is just as important as the toys u have on ur digger will be how good u are on it?

If ur a good operator a company might just sub u in FT hire with them.

 

 

I think ur right to try and find ur own niche for ur area in something u enjoy, but these will be very local dependant if someone already has filled that niche.

No good competeing with someone esp in quite a specialist field if u can avoid it, means u'll either be undercutting each other for work or not busy enough to justify ur machine.

 

 

Must admit i've tried a few 'niche' machine buys, not spent a lot of money on them and i'm still convinced they do fill a handy niche but u still have to convince others that they work.

Not always easy if ur thinking is a bit outside the box, but got to keep trying

What niche machines have you had?

[drinksloe]

1 hour ago, AHPP said:

What niche machines have you had?

 

Not really ur classic custom built niche machines like avants etc 

 

More winches for ideas for forestry, i've adapted a couple with donkey engines and got a wee compact custom built skidder, as a hand cutter i can see a niche for them to make my life easier, more productive or safer 9 ideally all 3)  but convincing timber harvesting contractors they're is a job for them takes a bit of doing at times. Esp as most don't really care that much about chainsaw work

Sometimes they're stuck in the traditional mindset

Plus a lot of sites its all big tackle anyway which is the other end of the scale i'm aiming at.

I will keep plugging away thou

 

Althou i have got work for them at my own wee woodland so worth keeping for myself and i could push them a little harder but usually busy enough just on the saw.

And stilll dreaming up new ideas too, got a few in pipeline hopefully, when i can fund them.

 

Back to the OP

 

I seen some mentioned post knocker and augers, like everything both great tools if and when u need them, but unless u help out or do much fencing u'd probably never get a hire for them.

I occasionally help out with a fencing company that has heaps of equipmet/toys and it is very rare the post knocker on a digger comes out, just a few times a year really, handy when it does. But thats a company running 4 squads doing agri fencing and rarely need to use the chapper on either digger 2.7 or 9T..

I have seen photos from others that use them more often on here, but generally easier ways to knock posts in.

 

It all depends on exactly wot ur likely market for u and the machine are?

Wot have ur competitors got? Wot have local hire companies got? Wot are they short off?

Will it be farmers, big house owners, builders, arb companies etc?

Depending where u think they're is a gap in market will alter wot u would buy, but a selection of buckets, ur V,, tilting ditching ( or tilting quick hitch so all ur buckets tilt and handy for a post knocker if u go down that route) ripper tooth, thumb and possibly a breaker, would cover u for most normal digger jobs.

 

[AHPP]

1 minute ago, drinksloe said:

 

Not really ur classic custom built niche machines like avants etc 

 

More winches for ideas for forestry, i've adapted a couple with donkey engines and got a wee compact custom built skidder, as a hand cutter i can see a niche for them to make my life easier, more productive or safer 9 ideally all 3)  but convincing timber harvesting contractors they're is a job for them takes a bit of doing at times. Esp as most don't really care that much about chainsaw work

Sometimes they're stuck in the traditional mindset

Plus a lot of sites its all big tackle anyway which is the other end of the scale i'm aiming at.

I will keep plugging away thou

 

Althou i have got work for them at my own wee woodland so worth keeping for myself and i could push them a little harder but usually busy enough just on the saw.

And stilll dreaming up new ideas too, got a few in pipeline hopefully, when i can fund them.

 

 

 I'd be interested to see them. I'm always looking for new ways of doing things. Start a thread for your inventions if you feel so inclined.

[drinksloe]

Aye i've got a load of trees to drag up a steep banking at mine, i'll try a film it see if i can get some 'action footage' with 1 of my trailer winches

Going to try a get a snatch block up tree to get them to come up from the distance they are down the banking.

Will be a wee bit different to just normmal skidding with a tractor, if i can get hold of a capstan winch by then mibbee try and set it up as a high lead/back haul type system.

Again something that should work in my head but never heard of anyone else trying/doing it