Mini digger or compact loader

[irish surgeon]

I think what Matthew said is spot on, there's a great opportunity to get extra work after the tidy up I.e small stump clearance or possibly levelling top soil, on the other hand an avant is very handy also and will move brash and logs quick but to me the track machine is that bit more versitile, is a 1.5 slightly under powered?

 

 

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[Stephen Blair]

Depends what your doing, a 1.5tonner will do a lot but most of the time it's getting abused, mine is the zero turn 2.7ton and the jump in power and capabilities is emmense.

1.5 tonners are 10 a penny, £60 a day to hire. So get something not as common and you will attract work with it.

I've got the 4' rake aswell and it's great for ripping out stumps, roots and grading soil.

I went to a cherry root that builders had been clawing at for a day with a 1.5 t, then the owner called me, 1 pull, it was classic:)

 

 

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[Breezeblock]

Just spent an hour watching Exac-1 YouTube videos, now, where's that chequebook??

 

if your looking for a cheque book you'd better have a big balance as these attachments will show up any slop on links and pins and jump over the place newish machine only in the videos so they don't rattle. it needs a decent size machine as well to get any reach and the hyd drive ones on a mini digger are painfully slow if you operate any other functions it slows down the cutter head

[Matthew Storrs]

I used to have a Takeuchi TB016 (1.7ton) and I was always well impressed with the power for a small machine. However the 2.8t Takeuchi I have replaced it with is a different kettle of fish, stability is so much improved, and I move rocks with it that you wouldn't believe. Its great on multi day or week jobs where you can leave it on site but I do miss my old 1.7t digger for the day/half day jobs as its so easy to tow around. I used to tow it on a trailer with all the fencing attachments and up to 200 meters of stock fencing materials plus tools and still be comfortably under the weight limit.

If I was you id look at the sort of jobs you and base the size on that, if its just going to be used for tittervating around gardens then sub 2 tonne will do most you ask of it and be conveniant too. If you do more countryside based-go as big as you can realistically.

[irish surgeon]

Ya I would presume the step up in tonnage would make a difference but good to know all the same, ok next question is money, what would I expect to pay for a 3 to 5 year old tight machine

 

 

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[dumper]

I bought an avant loader rather than a mini digger, small diggers are cheap to hire and are usually fairly new it's more difficult to hire a mini loader I have my own grapple to fit to a hired digger with mounts for 1.5 and three tonne,the avant is easier to move and with a good operator is far more versatile than the mini

[Stephen Blair]

3-5 year old, tight and good price is not an easy equation to find.

Remember the tax efficiency of a brand new machine.

Cat were doing 3 years 0% finance and 2 years warranty.

 

 

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[irish surgeon]

Mmm ya that could be an option must look into that and ring Cat

 

 

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[Dean Lofthouse]

Did you get the heavy duty rake Stevie and is it good for clearing such as shrubberys and little roots

[eddiegts]

Has anyone rigged a hedge flail on a mini digger?

 

Is that a really bone question??