The update today is going to be very short, though the day was very long.
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| Inspecting the first digger |
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| Very nice, but out of my price bracket |
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| This was SOOO BIGGGG |
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| Ride on mower option |
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| Flat battery and couldn't get it started |
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| Might I buy this; we shall see... |
There is a picture of nearly every digger I looked at today while we went hunting for one to potentially buy. The first one was an "antika" and the guy we brought along to have a look at the machines and give us an expert opinion was very critical of it. We then went to look at one that was out of my price range but very nice (and parked next to a HUGE digger that I really wanted) then we went past another that was even further out of my price range. On the way back home we stopped so Bekir could pick up a new chainsaw and I saw a potential ride on mower option before we visited two more diggers; the first had a flat battery and was quite battered and the last one was apparently the best option of the lot. I rode around in it for a bit with our expert and then took over driving it (very badly!). Time for a decision to be made.
That was all for the day; it took all day and we didn't even get time to stop for lunch. I let the men go home as soon as we got back then got back to work myself for a bit. What a long day. Thanks for reading.
Would you consider a small tracked digger, say around 3 tons? Or even a "rubber duck"? After the initial depreciation, these machines seem to retain their value quite well; 50% depreciation in the first 3 years is common, much less thereafter.
ReplyDeleteIf you need a front bucket, you could go for a small "proper" tractor, the sort that market gardeners use; this could also have a mid-mounted grass deck (and a collector if necessary)
Unfortunately the work we need to do over the next couple of years is pretty heavy; we have a huge bank to dig and reinforce, lots of other landscaping to do, and potentially more here as well.. I was hoping for a smaller digger than the one I'm considering now and I have a little while to make my mind up, but I think a small digger would be overwhelmed with what we need to do at the mountain house.
DeleteCheers, good to hear from you
If you have a lot of digging, is a JCB-type the most appropriate? A tracked digger might be more appropriate for this type of heavy work.
DeleteYou are also going to need a tipping trailer for the stuff you have dug out, and a tractor to pull it. This tractor can have a front bucket permanently mounted. (It can have a back actor mounted as well, but it can take several hours to remove it, if necessary.)
Even if you go for a JCB-type, you will still need a tractor to pull the trailer. And all of this is getting expensive... (And you need an expert to do the servicing etc.) (Been there, done that...)
Yeah I was looking at a tracked Atlas as an option; most of our digging is going to be "move from here to there" though I was thinking a tipper would be useful at some point.
DeleteIt's a big decision, and I'm trying to consider all points so that's really useful input. I'm certainly not rushing into it, and am not in a huge rush as I'm several months away from actually needing to start the work.
The issue is we cannot get a hired digger up there so we're kinda stuck with buying, using, then selling :(