Best place to find a towable digger ( mantis etc )

[W.olly]

H all, now as i have a lot of ground work to do i reckon we willdo well by getting a small digger in. For footings and garage pad etc etc. Having to hire it as and when it will all add up. I can this way do it as and when i can.

I have been trying to find these towable type, like the Manits, Powerfab, Benford etc but unable to find where to find them. so is there a good place to look for them. ? I have looked on ebay but very few about since i came by them many years ago. I remember they went for around £1k to £1.5k which is my budget and dont mind to fettle them.

Cheers all

Captain Faffer

 

[dannyp]

You mean one of them useless thinks you hook up to towball on back of truck / van. On a axel with a pair of feet powered by a littel Honda. With a 180 degree slew.


My advice. Don’t bother they are next to useless they don’t dig much, make a bigger mess than a tracked machene. Used to have one but we got that fed up with it the enginevand pump is now on a log splitter. Buy a tracked mini digger work it and sell when done with

 

[W.olly]

You mean one of them useless thinks you hook up to towball on back of truck / van. On a littelv axel , kdfmrxPowered by a littel Honda

They that bad then lol

 

[gaz1]

if you had a big area to do its easier to hire a mini digger

for a small area sometimes its best to do it by hand and wheel barrow it all depends on costs and what your willing to pay at end of it

 

[W.olly]

if you had a big area to do its easier to hire a mini digger

for a small area sometimes its best to do it by hand and wheel barrow it all depends on costs and what your willing to pay at end of it

Easier as in quicker ?

I have a 40sqm to dig out to lay a tarmac drive and blocked path, so about 250mm in total depth , I cant any longer do it by hand due to health. But still like to do my own jobs if i can. I would then sell it on once finished and in no rush to get it a done in a few weeks. Over a few months is fine..

I can always hire a digger but the cost would add up a lot in the end. If its a no go then i will just pay o have it all done in the end, tarmac will be done by a company but block paving the path myself.

 

[dannyp]

They that bad then lol

Yes. Every time you want to move you’ve got to get off start truck shut get out look decide it’s not where you wanted it then have another go then realise you can’t get it where you need it that’s before you run out of fuel with bucket in ground and loads of pressure on the hitch, end up putting one of its wheels or your trucks wheel in the hole you just dug or the favoret getting stuck.

 

[dannyp]

On an Area that small I’d just get local owner driver in for a day

 

[8ob]

As Danny says just hire one, if possible get one with an operator. With an operator you will be a man up and get the job done quicker.

Bob

 

[Bullet2012]

On an Area that small I’d just get local owner driver in for a day

As Danny says just hire one, if possible get one with an operator. With an operator you will be a man up and get the job done quicker.

Bob

Yep, what these guys said.

 

[addjunkie]

I have to agree, get a man in with a machine, be far quicker if your not familiar with useing them. But before you start, look into waste disposal options, skids are dear, sometimes a grab wagon works out better.

Also if you get an owner driver in, hell be insured for when he hits you gas or water pipe

 

[W.olly]

I have to agree, get a man in with a machine, be far quicker if your not familiar with useing them. But before you start, look into waste disposal options, skids are dear, sometimes a grab wagon works out better.

Also if you get an owner driver in, hell be insured for when he hits you gas or water pipe

I have looked at grabs, they are cheaper than skips. I am good at driving them, used to drive them for a living ( well the big boys toys ) and have done a bit since with the mini`s.

The work i have for now can be done in half a day, just blocked pathway etc.

I get what you guys are getting at and i will doa plan to work to and see then if its better to get a man and machine in. But £200 plus a day is a lot when the first part is half a days work.

I will see about a work plan for a man and machine

 

[Brad93]

Absolutely uselesss things

 

[Rig Pig]

Don't mess about buying one a digger + driver will rip that off in no time, rent a 4wd dump truck to shift the soil and sort out a grab truck to clear it up. That's what I did with my foundations and soakaway.
The grab lorry was way cheaper than skips.

 

[dannyp]

just be warned if if end up buying one just be prepared to be stuck with it. They don’t sell well at all.

Untill robbed it for bits used to hire ours out for free. If anyone complained about price of micro digger used to let them have it FOC for a couple of days No one ever had it twice

 

[knighty]

I've got one that fits in the back of a transit van.... I don't need it any more

worked great for me.... but it's a bit useless if you're digging out big/hard stuff bricks etc.

I used it to dig trenches for drains

want me to nab some photos?