sunflower Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Our foundations are going to be reasonably straightforward (famous last words!!) 100 m/sq house. Site with a v mild slope, currently a field. Clay soil. Hoping to do beam and block. We're looking to buy an excavator for this, which it will also be super useful at our equestrian centre. Can anyone advise, will a mini excavator (1.5 ton or thereabouts) be far too small for the job? Do we need to consider a bigger excavator, say 3 tons? Grateful for any opinions, thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Get a large excavator if you have the space. 8 tonne would mean you could load the muck lorries and not need grabs. It will also be good for materials handling. Hire it with an operator. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 I borrowed a 5 tone excavator Which was fine for Drainage footings etc and loading packs of block If your going to be loading lorrys for muck away it would be a little bit slow move a three ton machine on loan Which would struggle with clay footings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twice round the block Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 (edited) Any size machine can cope if you know how to use it. This was my 1.5T Volvo 2 weeks ago. The bigger and more powerful the machine the more damage you can do unintentionally. If you have the space a JCB or Massey with a back actor and 4 into 1 front bucket maybe a better choice. Edited February 10 by twice round the block 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 15 minutes ago, twice round the block said: (Expletive deleted) you're brave! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 2 hours ago, Mr Punter said: Get a large excavator if you have the space. 8 tonne would mean you could load the muck lorries and not need grabs. It will also be good for materials handling. Hire it with an operator. Big is best with driver ; good access for 8 ton trucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 1 minute ago, SimonD said: (Expletive deleted) you're brave! The man’s a gambler . We await a photo soon of digger in trench 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Just now, Pocster said: The man’s a gambler . We await a photo soon of digger in trench Or maybe it's been lying in the ditch for two weeks since? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 1 minute ago, SimonD said: Or maybe it's been lying in the ditch for two weeks since? Still want a photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 (edited) I had a jcb 3cx fir the duration of my build, heavy (can do ground damage if very wet) but very handy for all sorts of jobs with front bucket, forks etc (and great fun to drive) Edited February 10 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 17 minutes ago, Pocster said: Still want a photo Totally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Well, I only have a little one 🙄 But of course it's how you use it that counts, isn't it? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twice round the block Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 11 minutes ago, SimonD said: Totally! Skip loader taking afternoon nap. Volvo still upright. Haven't got my knee down on a digger for 30 plus year's 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 45 minutes ago, SimonD said: (Expletive deleted) you're brave! The soil at our site is so soft the trench sides would have caved in with that. To do similar on our site I had to put down some old scaffold boards to spread the load futher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 You need three diggers. 1.5, 5 and 16 tonnes. If your experience is anything like ours, you'll get your money back on each of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 Tempting, fun and macho to diy this. But a jcb with experienced driver can do it much faster and better. IF you are organised and in total control of line and level. Then he takes the machine away, leaving you space. But if you aren't organised, then your diy digger sitting idle isn't costing you as much as the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy_wafer Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 2 days, a 3 ton machine, and a pro sorted mine, depth to 1m though. I’ve hired in various sizes since to do various jobs probably total cost of 1600 ish in hire fees. Wanted to buy one as can certainly make use for one but i think the capital is better spent on my build. Maybe when the vat payment comes in at the end 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 On 10/02/2024 at 15:57, ProDave said: The soil at our site is so soft the trench sides would have caved in with that. To do similar on our site I had to put down some old scaffold boards to spread the load futher. Yeah, me too - with some soft wet clay in parts that caved in without the digger being even close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 (edited) 3 t or 4,5/5ton is more than enough for any foundation work and can be fitted with a rock pecker main advantage of 5tonner is the extra reach over a 3t --1.7 very little reach --meant for road repairs and gardening limit with 3ton is it won,t lift a full wet bag of sand at any thing like reaching and if you want to pull out tree roots then 7ton + is needed or a lot of knibbling away at the roots -with a 3-4ton and they probally won,t lift the root ball if over 12"-15" dia i have tb230 tacecuchi taceuch i was my choise cos its the only one that you can wipe the dozer blade with bucket --so making cleaning up and stone lifting easy-and a 5ton one was another 15k+ it handles all my mega stone work - can lift 600kgs -- but a wet tote bag of sane will be over 1ton if you have the space you can buy old big diggers quite cheaply --but your 1.5-1.7 --that can be towed with a pick up or van are very pricey in comparsion the bottom line is how much do you want to pay a 8year old 3toner will still be 16k +vat for a good one new price is about £37k+vat I bought a 3 year old for £30k inc vat Edited February 13 by scottishjohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 On 10/02/2024 at 13:52, nod said: three ton machine on loan Which would struggle with clay footings mine is fine with the very hard stone ground and clay is no problem - fitted a pecker to remove live rock from inside my old house when doing the sub floor etc so only limit with 3t ,to me is that it will not lift full wet tote bags or ppallets of blocks - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 2 hours ago, scottishjohn said: main advantage of 5tonner is the extra reach over a 3t Yes my JCB 3CX had the “extra dig” (extending boom) it weighed nearly 9 tons and was mighty powerful and I often used the long reach, even as a crane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koko90 Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 I think a 3 Ton mini excavator might be better. I equipped my own small excavator with a "toy", and I have to say that my work efficiency has improved a lot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 the most used things on my site are the 3t digger and the 3 ton dumper i could not have manged any of my project without it especially with the stone grab -it has made my jobs possible and you cannot overestimate how much time and energy it saves and how much one man can do apart from cost of extra help - especialy if you are an oldly like me on the mountainous site i have 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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