Most useful big equipment on site?

[Alan Ambrose]

In terms of usefulness, what’s the most useful big equipment to have on site?
 

Loader/forks/telehandler for shifting stuff around? Mini digger for trenching? Rent it when needed? What do you wish you had on site all the time?

[ProDave]

Mini digger.  Not only is it useful for digging it is also handy for moving stuff and can be used as a small crane within it's limits for licking stuff up.

 

Without doubt the best purchase.

[Kelvin]

Depends on the stage of your build, how secure it is, how much space you have, ground conditions. I’ve rented when i’ve needed. The tele-handlerwas on-site longest and probably the most useful but only because we’d done all the trenching. Otherwise a digger would have been more useful. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Kelvin

[Alan Ambrose]

Ah, not so secure as it’s in the sticks although I’ll have good cctv and lights. On clay with medium amount of space - plot is 20m wide but 60m long - 1/3rd acre. Still waiting for the delightful planners.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Alan Ambrose

[SteamyTea]

@Pocster's chopper.

Whoops, thought it was useless tools.

[saveasteading]

In principle the mini digger. But at what cost? Used ones are often on their last legs and one more breakdown can be their last.

How mini? Not too mini or you will still need to hire often.

[Canski]

My biggest asset to date was a small telehandler that just about fitted between my 2 houses until the scaffold went up.

 

I didn't want it at first but it came with a big bucket for the front. I have moved over 100 tonnes of MOT and probably the same in soil and it was far quicker than a dumper and digger. 

[joe90]

My JCB was brilliant, a bit of a beast and turned the ground up when wet but did so much with it (and thoroughly enjoyed  driving it) probably a bit too big for most sites but the greatest of fun.

[LSB]

we have a 1.5 ton digger and a 2 ton dumper.

dumper very old and only about £600, digger lots more money, circa 11k with VAT as ex hire.

But both have been extremely useful and I will miss them just for moving things.  

The thing for us is that we are DIY building and doing everything ourselves so if you are having contractors then they will probably provide their own equipment.

 

Digger is doing all our trenches as well as moving approx. 200 ton of concrete to be crushed and digging out the floors by 500mm.  We did look at cheaper ones (5k), but they were generally pretty knackered so we decided to pay more for a decent one knowing we can sell and recoup the cost when we don't need it.

 

Both the above have been reliable mechanically , some maintenance, replaced a track on the digger and the tyres on the dumper, just because there were some better ones at the local farm auction for £60, then sold the old ones for £50.   Both looked after by us, kept under cover and regularly checked for oil and pipes with oil change once per year.

 

Alan, if you are interested in buying then look at Cheffins monthly auction at Ely, very good source of building / farm machinery and commission charges are much lower than Clarke & Simpson.

Of course there is delivery, but Shipley is the best for that.

 

 

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> Cheffins monthly auction at Ely

 

Ah, thanks for the recommendation.

[twice round the block]

Purchased a trailer, digger, dumper, two cement mixers, heras fencing and site gates as soon as we got the plot.

Diggers are great providing you know how to use them, plus good to have available when you get a dry spell  which you can't guarantee when you hire one in.

[Kelvin]

My most useful thing I purchased was the trailer actually. Permanently attached to the car. Big enough to take a standard sheet of anything. 

[saveasteading]

32 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

the trailer

Yes. Hadn't thought of that. Apart from saving on delivery costs, it has saved many a day's work by picking up a bulky essential. Then trips to the tip.

Our first ' bargain' one collapsed and cost as much again though.

The £180 mixer (not big) has also repaid itself many times. One day it mixed a whole 14m2 floor slab....a barrowload at a time can work, if organised.

Scaffold tower and scaffold platform have made work safer and more thorough. Being there, they get used by default and reduce ladder use.