Where do I start with my planning?
Are you considering revitalising your garden and patio for your family and friends to enjoy next Spring, Summer, and even into Autumn? There’s a lot of preparation involved before you can start laying new turf, slabs, or gravel. Read on to find out how mini digger hire can help you to prepare.
Using machinery can significantly speed up the process and save your back, but how do you know what type and size you need?
Here are some tips we’ve gathered over the years to help you make the right choices.
Access
Do you have an alleyway or a garage with a door leading into your garden? Perhaps your friendly neighbours might allow you temporary access through their property (bribery with a bottle of wine maybe 😊).
For micro diggers (0.8t) you’ll need a minimum of access width of 800mm and for a mini digger (1.5t) it’s 1100mm.
The larger the digger you can use, the faster and easier you’ll be able to tackle all the preparation work.
If you need to protect existing features like a patio or driveway, we can provide heavy-duty ground protection sheets (learn more here and below).
Waste Management
It’s easy to overlook the amount of soil, rubble, and general debris generated during the preparation process.
Do you have a driveway or land where you can pile up the waste, or would it be better to use a skip or two? Piling up the waste for a grab lorry to collect is often the more cost-effective option, while some people prefer using skips. Moving waste multiple times can be time-consuming and frustrating.
Dumpers
Depending on your access, a dumper can be a valuable addition to work alongside a digger. Dumpers help transport large amounts of spoil and new materials to your project.
There are two main types:
Wheeled sit-on dumpers and tracked stand-behind dumpers. The choice between them typically depends on access and terrain. Wheeled dumpers are faster but wider and taller, suited for level ground, while tracked dumpers are better for narrow access or uneven terrain. Both can usually load into a skip and have a high-tip function (learn more here).
Ground Protection Sheets
The continuous back and forth can churn up the ground, especially in wet weather (which recently it has been thanks to storm Ciaran 😲). Ground protection sheets can help maintain access while the project progresses (learn more here).
Digger Buckets
When you hire a mini digger, it usually comes with various bucket sizes, such as:
12″/300mm
18″/450mm
24″/600mm
A grading/ditch bucket.
Each bucket serves a specific purpose and using them correctly can significantly increase your productivity.
Special Digger Attachments
If your project requires special attachments, we can assist you. We offer a range of digger attachments like hydraulic breakers, lawn rakes, riddle buckets, and ripper teeth (learn more here) which can be attached to any digger.
Lawn Rake
Hydraulic Breaker
Ripping Hook
Remember
We are specialists in mini digger hire, but also can supply any size digger you require.
For further advice on machinery and equipment for your project, contact us on 07872 520816 or email us at info@gwplanthire.co.uk, and we’ll source it for you at a competitive price 😊.
Digger hire available across Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey.