To mini mini dig or not to mini dig?

[curlewhouse]

I've got to put a 72 meter foul pipe to put in plus of course incoming water pipes, some armoured cable runs around the property, a couple of inspection chambers and so on. I did plan to hire a mini digger but speaking to someone who has self built before, he found that it took such a time to become competent with them if you haven't used one before, that he had felt it was cheaper to hire a guy in with one as they did it so much faster. Has anyone any experience either way? 

Edited September 23, 2016 by curlewhouse

[jfb]

i found I got competent with a digger in a day. Obviously there is a difference between competence and excellence. Maybe it depends on how useful such a skill may be in the future. But it is fun to learn!

[Declan52]

The 72m run, is it a straightish run through just your garden or have you roads and paths to cross. For that length you are easily talking 2 days in a mini digger to dig it, lay the pipe, cover with stone, backfill and leave tidy for an experienced operator. How deep will your pipe be to get the fall you need. 

The bottom of the trench needs to be fairly level but you can use height sticks to help you do this. If you do it yourself you will use more stone as I am sure your trench won't be as flat to begin with.

How do you propose to get the stone from where it's tipped to all along the trench, a dumper or a wheelbarrow??

The inspection chambers don't really take much longer to do, it's just a few scoops either side of your run. 

Why don't you hire one out for a weekend, a 1.5t would do your job plus can't really wreck too much in that size. Do one of the less important cable runs and see how it goes. You will be jerky and have the digger bouncing all over the place to start with but you will be surprised how quick you pick up the basics. If you think after the end of the weekend you have got the hang of it then get everything material wise in place for the next time and away you go or if scared the shat out of you then get a pro in instead and pay him the money.

 

[Construction Channel]

Depends how much you want to play on a mini digger and how many things there are to potentially hit. E.g underground services and buildings near by. 

 

Mini diggers are fairly easy to get the hang of. Just ask @recoveringacademic  

[MarkH]

They're easy to get the hang of, and fun. But you need to plan your work - and every move - well to minimise mudpocalypse.

[ProDave]

The question boils down to do you want to have a go driving a mini digger?

 

I'm one of the ones on here that bought my own for the build, and it has been a fun experience. They are not hard to learn to drive. As already mentioned you need to think through what you are going to do so you don't box yourself into a corner for instance but it's not hard.

 

For me the benefit of having ones own machine (I know that is not what you are talking about here) is the sheer convenience of having it just sitting there waiting for whenever you want it and not being stuck to somebody else's schedule.
 

[joe90]

+1, I bought an old JCB and it's been great fun and invaluable, it does however create a mess of the ground, I am thinking after digging the foundations to trade it in for a swing shovel that does less damage to the ground ( we are on quite boggy ground). 

[Stones]

My own preference would be getting someone in to do all the work you have described.  You have to weigh up both the time it would take you to do it and the hire / fuel cost, vs the cost of getting someone in (with a bigger machine?) who could do the job in half the time.

 

If you really want to have a go operating a machine, remember you will have landscaping to do.

[Vijay]

I bought one and have been learning to use it doing different jobs on a mates workplace. I personally didn't find it as easy as people said and had many thoughts of what have I done buying this. It's been a learning curve and once you get used to the controls and actually getting the feel of the digger/controls and having them doing various things in one go (so both joysticks doing 2 or 3 movements at the same time), the learning curve gets a hell of a lot easier. You also have to get used to the jerky feeling of the digger tilting and throwing you around when you suddenly go through harder ground.

[ToughButterCup]

It's a context thing. We bought ours at least in part because I want to enjoy my retirement. And my time is mostly priced at  zero.

But if speed and accuracy is what you need, then don't get one.

 

The key thing for me is that now I factor the digger in to my thinking; before I had one I'd never have given it a thought. Need to move that hibernacular (newt refuge) ? - Digger, 10 minutes. Need to move those slabs from a to b? Digger 5 minutes. Need to change the wheels on my Land Rover? Digger 15 minutes. (Strops under the bumper  lift and chock)

 

But as @Declan52 and @Construction Channel will confirm, you can do soooo much damage in a few seconds. On the other hand @MrsRA is really good at it - and far more careful than me.