Roofing and Building Center

A Quick Guide to Mini Diggers

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Samuel Cheeseman ----- Advertisement

Mini diggers or mini excavators are very often seen on construction sites both large and small. These machines generally weigh between one and eight tonnes and have considerable strength for their size. A mini digger is commonly used for completing smaller jobs such as digging ponds, foundations, trenches for pipes and many other landscaping tasks. They are extremely mobile and versatile devices capable of 360 degree rotations and operating in confined areas inaccessible to larger excavators. Some mini diggers have a house which will stay within the width of the tracks while rotating (Zero-tail swing) and others will swing outside this range. There is an advantage to using diggers which have a Zero-tail swing design as the operator does not need to worry around hitting objects behind him when the house is rotated. This is a danger commonly associated with any mini digger that uses a counter weight system attached to the house. All movements that these machines are capable of making are powered by the transfer of hydraulic fluid.

Components

Mini diggers are comprised of three major sections called the house, undercarriage and workgroup. The house contains a cabin area for the operator along with compartments where the hydraulic pumps and engine can be found. The house and workgroup has the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees. This rotation is referred to as slewing and gives the operator access to any area within reach of the arm or dipper in any direction. The house and workgroup are supported by the undercarriage which is where the tracks can be found. Tracks allow the excavator to remain mobile on difficult terrain and are usually produced from steel or rubber.

The workgroup is fixed to the house and is made up of several components. These are the boom, dipper (arm) and any attachments. The workgroup is capable of pivoting from side to side due to the way it is secured to the house which further increases versatility. The boom is able to swing independently which gives a mini digger the ability to perform offset digging and also to manoeuvre around solid objects and into hard to reach areas. Attachments can be added and removed quickly and easily allowing many different jobs to be completed by one mini digger. Many hydraulic powered attachments are now available which are used for different jobs including carrying equipment and tools, demolition, lifting heavy objects and drilling into the ground with the use of an auger. All of these features make mini diggers incredibly versatile and are some the main reasons these machines are so commonly used in many construction projects for a large number of tasks.

Pricing

There are many designs currently available from various manufacturers. Some of the most popular include JCB mini diggers and Kubota mini diggers. You will need to decide whether it is worth purchasing a new machine for the work you wish to complete or whether used mini diggers would provide better value for money. Mini digger hire is another option which may be sensible for many people who do not want to pay for their own machine. The internet is good place to begin looking for both new and used mini diggers for sale. Cheap mini diggers can be found relatively easily and a good quality JCB mini digger or a Kubota mini digger can be purchased from around £3500 or $5500. These are the lower price ranges that many be found in an online mini digger sale. Many companies will offer mini digger hire starting at about of £70 or Just over $100 per day. If you are unable to operate this kind of machinery then an experienced driver can also be included in any rental package for an extra charge.