Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Why the 1.8t out of interest? I have both 2.8 and 1.8 but there’s not many jobs where I wouldn’t prefer to have the bigger one, a bit more of a lump to tow around but more than makes up for it when on site. With the 1.8t I get in it and instantly wish I’d bought the other machine- unless it’s just a scratch around job!

My 1.8t still does more hours than my 1.2t and 2.8t combined! Just such a handy size and very cheap to run. Comparative ease of towing is also a big factor.

[Stephen Blair]

I’m trying to remove stress out of my life, every day I’m overloaded with the 2.7t and driving a 4x4 packed like a sardine using loads of fuel!

  I’ve bought a welfare van with loads of room, heating, kitchen, toilet and drying room. 
 It can tow 2.5t. 
Machines 1.8, trailers 560kg 

  The buckets are easy to lift by hand so they can go in the back of the van easily.

  I’ve sold the 3cx so just trying to do less and get my work life balance sorted.

[doobin]

8 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

I’m trying to remove stress out of my life, every day I’m overloaded with the 2.7t and driving a 4x4 packed like a sardine using loads of fuel!

  I’ve bought a welfare van with loads of room, heating, kitchen, toilet and drying room. 
 It can tow 2.5t. 
Machines 1.8, trailers 560kg 

  The buckets are easy to lift by hand so they can go in the back of the van easily.

  I’ve sold the 3cx so just trying to do less and get my work life balance sorted.

Fair play. You didn't keep the 3cx long!! Will you keep hold of the Cat for larger jobs? If the Yanmar buckets are easy to lift by hand either you're strong as an ox or they are lighter than my 1.8t buckets. I used to throw them around when I was 25- not so much now I'm past thirty, need to look after my body.

 

That emergency escape hatch wouldn't be a lot of use for my digger driver... be like a great dane trying to get through the cat flap ?

[Matthew Storrs]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

Fair play. You didn't keep the 3cx long!! Will you keep hold of the Cat for larger jobs? If the Yanmar buckets are easy to lift by hand either you're strong as an ox or they are lighter than my 1.8t buckets. I used to throw them around when I was 25- not so much now I'm past thirty, need to look after my body.

 

That emergency escape hatch wouldn't be a lot of use for my digger driver... be like a great dane trying to get through the cat flap ?

He’s a Scot. Living on a diet of porridge and Haggis- of course he can chuck the buckets around, unlike us wee southerners!

Edited December 18, 2019 by Matthew Storrs

[Stephen Blair]

Aye the escape hatch is a laugh!

  I’m 44 and feel broken and weak but I can wrestle the 3 tonner buckets in and out a van if need be, the demo grab is 120kg that takes a bit of manouvering or a scaffy pole if there’s 1 lying around.

 Ideally I want to do away with 3 tonner so I can sell my jeep.

  I do a fare bit of work that I need 4x4 for and the 3 tonner can wrestle much bigger stuff, a months work just came in for it today that I wouldn’t want to put a new machine on digging trenches through boulder country.

  

[Matthew Storrs]

29 minutes ago, Stephen Blair said:

Aye the escape hatch is a laugh!

  I’m 44 and feel broken and weak but I can wrestle the 3 tonner buckets in and out a van if need be, the demo grab is 120kg that takes a bit of manouvering or a scaffy pole if there’s 1 lying around.

 Ideally I want to do away with 3 tonner so I can sell my jeep.

  I do a fare bit of work that I need 4x4 for and the 3 tonner can wrestle much bigger stuff, a months work just came in for it today that I wouldn’t want to put a new machine on digging trenches through boulder country.

  

I don’t want to put you off the 1.8t it’s a good size for many like Doobin say  Particularly if doing a fair bit of residential. But buying my new 1.8t last year was a big mistake for me, it’s sat in the barn doing a paltry 280hrs in a year. The 3 tonner I put 700hrs on last year. I say this as I think you might be in similar terrain/country to me. About 8” of topsoil and then some monster boulders just below the surface. Then the added reach and dump height- I just find them vastly more capable machines, I also find I’m less tired after a days work on the 3 tonner- the little one rocks about and I’m more tensed up in it to counter it. This is a typical encounter on most jobs, it’s 7ft long and about a ton. The 1.8t would be on its knees trying to dig it out and wrestle it around.

 

 

[Stephen Blair]

How much do you want for your 1.8t machine?

[Matthew Storrs]

10 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

How much do you want for your 1.8t machine?

i wasn’t really planning on selling it as reckon I loose too much money on it as it’s still newish- was going to wait for a few years and try and get some more use out of it, they don’t depreciate too much as they get older.

[doobin]

13 hours ago, Stephen Blair said:

 Ideally I want to do away with 3 tonner so I can sell my jeep.

  I do a fare bit of work that I need 4x4 for and the 3 tonner can wrestle much bigger stuff, a months work just came in for it today that I wouldn’t want to put a new machine on digging trenches through boulder country.

  

Aren't those two statements incompatiable? Or have I read it wrong?

[Matthew Storrs]

Christmas pressie arrived for me today. Old but mighty tidy.

Edited December 23, 2019 by Matthew Storrs