Pick the machine that fits the job, not the one that sounds impressive. Oversizing costs you in mobilisation, fuel and access problems; undersizing costs you in cycle times and a second hire two weeks later. Here is how our team sizes an excavator when a client calls.
Start with the access route, not the dig
The first question is never “how much are you digging?” - it is “how does the machine get in?” Gate width, ramp gradient, overhead cables and the turning circle inside the plot decide the upper limit before anything else does. A 36-tonne machine that cannot swing without fouling a boundary wall is worth less than a 13-tonne one that can work all day.
- Gate and ramp width - allow at least 300 mm either side of the track width.
- Overhead clearance - check boom height in transport position, not working position.
- Ground bearing - soft fill or a suspended slab may cap you well below the machine you want.
- Swing radius - zero-tail-swing models exist for exactly this reason.
Match bucket capacity to your haulage
An excavator is only as productive as the trucks it loads. A good rule is three to five bucket passes per truck: fewer and you are spilling and shock-loading the body, more and the excavator waits. Work backwards from the truck you have booked.
| Class | Operating weight | Bucket | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 2.5 - 6 t | 0.08 - 0.20 m³ | Service trenches, landscaping, indoor breakout |
| Midi | 7 - 13 t | 0.25 - 0.55 m³ | Villa foundations, drainage, confined plots |
| Standard | 20 - 25 t | 0.9 - 1.2 m³ | Bulk excavation, general contracting |
| Large | 30 - 40 t | 1.6 - 2.2 m³ | Deep basements, mass earthworks, quarry |
Think in cycle times, not day rates
A larger machine costs more per day and almost always less per cubic metre. Where the volume is genuinely large, the bigger class wins even after the extra transport cost. Where the volume is modest but access is awkward, the smaller class wins - and you avoid a low-bed permit as a bonus.
If the job is under roughly 800 m³ and the site is tight, a 13-tonne machine will almost always beat a 20-tonne one on total cost.
Do not forget the attachment
Breakers, augers, compaction plates and grabs each change the hydraulic flow the machine needs. Tell us the attachment at enquiry stage - retrofitting an auxiliary circuit on site is the kind of delay nobody budgets for.
A short checklist before you book
- Measure the narrowest point on the access route.
- Confirm the ground bearing capacity and any slab limits.
- Estimate total volume and the haulage truck size.
- List the attachments you expect to need.
- Decide whether you need an operator supplied with the machine.
- Check the permit window for delivery, especially for night mobilisation.
Send us those six answers and we will come back with a recommended class, an indicative rate and a delivery slot - usually the same working day. If it is genuinely marginal, we will say so and offer both options.
