flanagaj Posted April 22 Posted April 22 As our site is not occupied and will not be until we have installed the treatment plant / drainage field / static caravan, I am struggling with how I could keep an excavator safe on site when nobody is there. The site is down a no through lane and away from prying eyes, but it is my main issue with buying one. For starters, I am not sure whether any self build policies will cover the excavator whilst on an unoccupied site? I was looking at the anti theft devices that clamp around the hydraulic shaft of the RAM. This stops the excavator from being moved. Yes, it could of course be lifted by a Hiab, but it becomes a bigger job then.
Russell griffiths Posted April 22 Posted April 22 (edited) Do not put a small excavator on site until you live there. especially as your neighbours don’t exactly like you. 😂😂 mine is insured on my self build policy, but I’m not sure about an empty site, I wouldn’t. Edited April 22 by Russell griffiths 1
markc Posted April 22 Posted April 22 As above, if you don’t live on site, don’t leave anything with any value. Ram locks and chains etc. are soon removed with a thief’s best friend (battery angle grinder). 1
JohnMo Posted April 22 Posted April 22 Good luck with that, if the scum of the earth, can nick a £100k car in a minute or less, you have no hope. Remove battery and take it home with you? Leave in a position that makes it hard to move without hydraulics. They then need at least a battery to get it to run. 1
nod Posted April 22 Posted April 22 2 hours ago, flanagaj said: As our site is not occupied and will not be until we have installed the treatment plant / drainage field / static caravan, I am struggling with how I could keep an excavator safe on site when nobody is there. The site is down a no through lane and away from prying eyes, but it is my main issue with buying one. For starters, I am not sure whether any self build policies will cover the excavator whilst on an unoccupied site? I was looking at the anti theft devices that clamp around the hydraulic shaft of the RAM. This stops the excavator from being moved. Yes, it could of course be lifted by a Hiab, but it becomes a bigger job then. If it’s a very old large machine Your probably ok If it’s a shiny little thing It will disappear Thieves are always on the look out Most of the modern machines you see left on sites have a pretty good imobleiser fitted Thieves ten to Nick anything that’s can be unbolted Windows covers buckets 1
Conor Posted April 22 Posted April 22 The security of these machines is minimal to non existent. I broke the key to a hired Kubota and was able to open and start it with our letterbox key. A small one can be loaded on to a car trailer and gone in a few minutes. Make sure you get good insurance and assume the worst will happen. 1
Thorfun Posted April 22 Posted April 22 i used to put the arm of mine in to the dumper loader bit so that to get the digger out was a lot harder! but we were living on site so didn't have the worry of no one there 1
Nickfromwales Posted April 22 Posted April 22 The bastards are using drones to survey sites to see what’s ’available’, it then gets added to their shopping lists and picked off to suit demand. Hire one for the immediate, but even then you need to make sure you aren’t responsible for replacing it if it stolen from your site whilst on hire!! 1
Alan Ambrose Posted April 22 Posted April 22 Does the Kubota red key thing not work? You can get a keypad fitted that needs a PIN entered for £300. 1
flanagaj Posted April 24 Author Posted April 24 What about the GPS tracking devices, that alert you when the excavator is moved. You pay a monthly fee, but that is something I would do if I could leave it onsite before we have moved on it.
gc100 Posted April 24 Posted April 24 I just hide mine best as possible from eyes on site. and I paid for JCB insurance which covers theft. Was about £300/year which is quite reasonable. Call them up and get a quote. 1
gc100 Posted April 24 Posted April 24 Here https://www.jcbinsurance.co.uk/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1508918350&gbraid=0AAAAADnpox4SddR7DG583GDQX5rhwyRtt&gclid=CjwKCAjwn6LABhBSEiwAsNJrjltOHLE6MrY2E_qua6IEefdP_eu84Miy0Iv-pTQMIFx82tyLune2XBoCSjMQAvD_BwE 1
Russell griffiths Posted April 24 Posted April 24 Hire a machine for a couple of weekends get your pad down for the static caravan, get some services run to it, hire a septic tank that sits under a porta cabin. move into static buy own digger put in sewage treatment plant off hire septic tank. or buy a trailer and take your digger home with you. 1
Russell griffiths Posted April 24 Posted April 24 Do all your neighbours hate you ?.🤣🤣 could you park it around the back of one of their places in exchange for some beer tokens. 1
flanagaj Posted April 24 Author Posted April 24 2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said: Do all your neighbours hate you ?.🤣🤣 The majority of them. One of them cannot even bare to look at us and turns his back to us, when he sees us driving down the lane 🤣
Nickfromwales Posted April 25 Posted April 25 On 24/04/2025 at 10:59, flanagaj said: The majority of them. One of them cannot even bare to look at us and turns his back to us, when he sees us driving down the lane 🤣 Saves you worrying about them asking to borrow stuff after you move in lol. 1
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