What Size of Digger Do I Need To Hire - Size Matters

What Size of Digger Do I Need To Hire ?

Nearly all digger sizes and types fall into 1 of 3 categories:

1.Micro:

These are small diggers, any size below 7tons, and usually the most mobile for tight jobs. Their ability to easily manoeuvre in tight spaces makes them a popular choice with demolition contractors, utility providers, self builders and farmers digging drainage trenches.

They don’t require a lot of power to get the machine going but will take longer on bigger jobs to get the job done.  

2.Standard size:

This is the most common type, anything from 7ton to 44tons. This size category is always found on building sites. They are powerful enough to do the job, but not so heavy that they damage the ground when travelling over it. 

They can’t fit into the same tight spots as the micro diggers but can still be nimble when needed.

 

3.Large:

Not very common in Ireland, used in heavy industrial work, think coal and gold mines, or large-scale infrastructure works.  They can reach well over 80tons and sometimes need to be transported in pieces, then re- assembled on site.

 

Once you have the digger size, what attachment do you need? Do you need to dig,chip,rip,drill or grab?

Diggers can be very versatile and used for a range of jobs, not just digging. Here is what each attachment can do:

Bucket:

The most common for a digger to have, they come in a few different types:

Rock Bucket:

Used for digging ground or hard soil, teeth on the bucket make light work of even frozen soil.

Cleaner Bucket

Used mainly for dredging, it can remove large amounts of soft silt or soil to deepen the water course of a river or harbour.

A ‘V’ Bucket:

The V bucket helps to dig easily through the soil, usually when laying pipes or cables.

Ripper:

Used to break very hard or frozen ground, making it easier to dig out and more efficient.

Hammer:

 Used for taking down buildings, concrete structures, roads and foot paths.

Grabber;

 Mainly used for logging, stone sorting and demolition.

Compaction:

Once a hole is filled in, it will need compacted. Vibrating plates can fit on to most diggers, really useful to have after laying pipelines.

Couplers: 

This isn’t a something you dig with, rather a tool that connects on to the boom of a digger meaning you can click and switch attachments more efficiently

Our full digger range is here and order online.