Cost of digger & dumper truck hire

[John Hepworth]

Can anyone give the approx cost per day for the hire of a digger, with driver.
My club are in the process of extending a small back water and also have plans to create a new water at the same venue.
The Club Sec is fannying about but never gets very far as to the likely cost.

I seem to recall that Jeff/CM has had some experience.
Any advise would be appreciated. We would also need the use of a dumper to shift the removed material about the site.

 

[Mark Wintle]

John,

You are asking a question with a lot of possible answers. The size of a digger varies from a mini-digger as used for house foundations, through JCB to diggers with 11m and even 18m arms. Even a reasonable sized one can cost at least ?500 per day. Other dependency is how far it needs to be transported, whether mats are needed on soft ground. The best way is to invite the manager of a local digger firm, close to where you want to dig, to the actual site. explain what you want and get him to quote. He will know what size digger is needed, how many days, cost of removing material etc., even if the job is feasible i.e. whether you can get a digger in safely. You might even need a dragline.

We have had a days work done for as little as ?300 as a favour but last time it cost ?1850 because we had a digger with a long reach plus mats. Dredged material was spread on site. Permission was needed from landowner, EA and English Nature as on SSSI.
Hope this helps but you do need expert advice. regards Mark

 

[John Hepworth]

Thank's Mark.
We actually own the site which is a SSI, all the plans have been passed by the EA English Nature and the total amount of material to be excavated has been calculated.
I only asked the question becaase all we ever get from the club Sec is waffle. We have money in the bank from the sale of land at the site but almost a year on nothing is happening and members are begining to ask why not.

 

[Merv Harrison]

John, another consideration is the dumper, if you can get a tipper wagon on site, there will be a big time, (and monetary), saving while the digger is stood waiting for the dumper to discharge, also could examine possibility of selling top-soil to help defer cost.

 

[jason fisher]

john type excavator hire into altavista and you will get a shedload of links to hire companies,
i've just been looking for one of the smallest ones 1.5tonne and it came out around ?65 per day self drive with delivery for the digger.

 

[Mel Crighton]

John, Is there a Royal engineers depot near you they may be able to help, they do a fair bit of community work , my local Regiment did the ground work at the Childrens Hospice, all we had to provide was the materials most of which were donated by local business I know that this may be a different situation but if you dont ask.

 

[John Hepworth]

Thank's for the info all.
Mel, I seem to recall that a local club enlisted the help of some regiment a few years ago.

 

[Mel Crighton]

John, They are always up for a challenge, call it community building, give them a call, you may be surprised by the response.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

JOhn as Mel said ask the local engineers. I know its not a hospital but you can offer to hold a match on there every year with the proceeds going to the charity they are supporting at the time. Or offer free fishing for there regiment.

 

[Titus Anarsus]

SO where are you going to dump the waste?

Don't forget dumping fees and landfill tax. You might get away with soem of it if it's inert material and a local waste management company needs it for capping other sites.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

John

Sorry just picking up after a few days off.

Cost of these things varies even in one area. Also depends on who you know. We had that digger and dumper you see in my club articles for a whole week with two workers for ?2500, but that's in the rich south and included a pump to keep the lake low.

Another guy that does work for my present club charges probably about the same, pro-rata, bearing in mind they are smaller diggers and are his own. Get the work done, sitting on money is a waste these days when it can earn you more club members and revenue.

 

[John Hepworth]

Thanks for that Jeff. From what I have gathered we HAVE to use the money on the development otherwise a big chunk will be clawed back in capital gains tax. Some members (about a dozen, but they think they are the club) are strongly against the project, wanting to blow the cash on filling the water we already have with big carp. They even went as far as threatening to have the water closed to angling as it holds a big population of the native crayfish. Their thinking is that if the EA is informed the Agency will stop the fishing for all...lovely people. Fact is the original survey was carried out by the EA, English Nature and a very detailed report was written by Dr Martin Lucas of Durham University.
What I would like to do is get the work started before the winter sets in, with yet another wasted year.
The figures you quoted Jeff are well within our budget, and we should have a big surplus left over to make a leally good fishery, a fishery for ALL club members - except for me as I hate fishing stillwaters.

 

[John Hepworth]

Re the waste, missed that one Titus.
Just about every ounce removed will be utilised in building a causeway across the original water, plus some hard core we already have. Our secretary might need a bit of shove, but he is also a consultant civil engineer. Everything is worked out to the finest detail, its just that he talks a lot but gets bugger all done...hence the post on my part.

 

[REVENGE OF CHEEKY MONKEY!!!!]

This is still me in my other self John.

I know the sort of person you speak of and have met and agrued with them before. September and October cracking months for work like that, but watch for the rains! The stuff you dig out will presumably be wet and goes all over the place. Takes ages to dry as well.

A pity you don't have time to seek extra grants, tand-fill tax grants are good for that solong as you are within 15 miles of a landfill site. You can always spend extra money on trees and other stuff. Good luck.