Mini Digger Hire Devon: Which Size Do You Need?

The right size of machine makes more difference to a job than almost anything else you book. For mini digger hire Devon customers most often choose between five Sunward machines: the 0.8 tonne SWE 08B, the 1.8 tonne SWE 18UF, the 2.0 tonne SWE 20F, the 2.5 tonne SWE 25UF and the 3.5 tonne SWE 35UF. This guide explains how to pick between them based on the job, the access, how deep you need to dig and how the machine will get to site, with a few Devon-specific points along the way.

The Sunward mini digger line-up at a glance

Exact dig depth, reach and track width vary with the arm and bucket fitted, so ask us for the spec sheet for the machine you are considering. We would rather send you the real figures than have you guess.

Start with the access, not the hole

The most common mistake is choosing a digger for the size of the hole and then finding it will not reach the hole. Before you decide, walk the route from where the delivery lorry will stop to where you need to dig, and measure:

• The narrowest gate, passage or gap between buildings
• Any steps, kerbs or steep ramps on the way
• Overhead obstructions such as porches, wires and tree branches
• The ground surface: lawn, block paving, gravel or soft soil
• How close you need to work to walls, fences and windows

If the only way in is a side passage of a typical semi-detached house, the 0.8 tonne SWE 08B is usually the answer. Read more about it in our guide to the Sunward SWE 08B. If you have a full-width gate or driveway access, a 1.8 tonne machine opens up far more capability.

Mini digger hire Devon: matching size to the job

Garden landscaping and small trenches: 0.8 to 1.8 tonne

For levelling a lawn, digging a garden pond, cable trenches or removing small shrubs and roots, a micro or 1.8 tonne machine is plenty. The smaller digger fits more places; the 1.8 tonne digs faster and lifts more.

Extensions, footings and driveways: 1.8 to 2.5 tonne

This is the core of domestic building work in Devon. The zero-tail SWE 18UF is the all-rounder here, explained in detail in our Sunward SWE 18UF guide. Step up to the SWE 25UF for deeper footings, longer drainage runs or heavier ground.

Drainage and utility runs: 2.0 tonne

The SWE 20F is a conventional-tail machine suited to drainage and utility work where you have room around it, such as along a field edge or an open site. Its tail swings past the tracks, so keep a clear area behind it.

Larger groundworks: 3.5 tonne

For services trenches across a plot, stripping topsoil, larger ponds or feeding a dumper all day, the SWE 35UF has the weight and reach to keep progress steady. Beyond that, the SWE 60UF and SWE 90UF cover bulk dig and heavy work.

Devon ground and what it means for size

Devon’s soils vary a lot, and harder ground generally favours a heavier machine:

• Mid and north Devon sit largely on the Culm Measures, with heavy, wet clay that sticks to buckets and turns access to mud in winter. Tracked dumpers help.
• East Devon has a lot of red sandstone and marl, often easier digging but liable to collapse when wet.
• Dartmoor and its fringes are granite, with boulders and weathered granite. A small digger can struggle to shift big stones, so size up.
• South Devon has slates and limestones in places, which can be hard going for a micro digger.

Transport: tow it or have it delivered?

We can deliver any of these machines, with same-day delivery possible across most of Devon. If you plan to tow a smaller machine yourself, we hire plant trailers including the Brian James 9ft (2,700kg GVW). You must stay within the trailer’s gross weight, your vehicle’s towing limit and your licence entitlement, counting the machine, buckets and trailer together. Check the GOV.UK towing rules before you set off, and always secure the machine with suitable chains or straps.

Sizing mistakes we see on mini digger hire Devon jobs

• Going too small to save money. A micro digger on a long drainage run can take twice as long as a 1.8 tonne machine, which wipes out any saving on the hire.
• Forgetting the spoil. Every bucket has to go somewhere. Book a tracked dumper, such as the Hyundai 500kg, if the skip or spoil heap is any distance away.
• Ignoring the tail. A conventional-tail machine against a wall will clip it when it slews. Choose zero tail for tight plots.
• Not allowing for compaction. Backfilled trenches and driveway sub-bases need a plate or rammer. Add it to the same delivery.

A five-question size check

1. What is the narrowest point on the route to the dig?
2. How deep and how long is the trench or hole?
3. How close will the machine work to walls or fences?
4. What is the ground like: soil, clay, stone or rock?
5. Will you tow it, or should we deliver?

Send us the answers on WhatsApp with a couple of photos and we will recommend a size. Our full construction equipment range lists the dumpers and compaction kit that usually go with a mini digger.

Weight, ground and the surfaces you need to protect

The weight class of a mini digger affects more than how fast it digs. It decides what the machine will do to the ground it crosses on the way to the job.

• Lawns. All rubber-tracked machines mark grass, but a 0.8 tonne machine leaves far less damage than a 3.5 tonne one, especially if it turns gently in wide arcs. Lay boards or ground protection mats on the route if the lawn matters.
• Block paving and patios. Paving laid on a thin bed can crack or sink under a heavier machine. Board over it, and think twice about tracking a 2.5 or 3.5 tonne excavator across a domestic driveway.
• Soft Devon clay. On the wet clays of mid and north Devon, a lighter machine often makes more progress than a heavy one that keeps sinking. Size for the job, not for the biggest hole you might dig.
• Slopes. Devon gardens are rarely flat. A wider, heavier machine is more stable on a slope, but it is also harder to get into the garden in the first place. Work up and down slopes, not across them.
• Suspended floors, drains and cellars. Old cellars, cesspits and shallow drains can collapse under a machine. Ask about anything hidden before you track across it.

How long to hire for: typical job lengths

Minimum hire is usually one day, and weekly hire is the most popular period. The durations below are rough guides for a competent operator with materials ready. Ground, weather and access can change them a lot, so treat them as a starting point for planning, not a promise.

If a job is running long, tell us before the original end date and we will extend, subject to availability. Builders and landscapers who need a mini digger most weeks of the year should look at Flex Hire, where Tier 1 compact kit and everyday tools is £795 +VAT and delivery a month for one machine at a time, with swaps whenever the job changes.

Worked examples: mini digger hire Devon scenarios

These are illustrative examples to show how the decision works in practice. They are not real customers.

A terraced garden in Exeter

A homeowner in a Victorian terrace wants to dig out for a patio and a small garden room. The only access is a narrow back lane gate. Once the gap has been measured and checked against the spec sheet, the 0.8 tonne SWE 08B is the machine for it, with a Hyundai 500kg tracked dumper to run spoil to a skip in the lane. Red sandstone and marl dig easily but can slump when wet, so the dig is timed for a dry spell. A Weber MT CF 1-III Hd plate finishes the sub-base.

An extension on Culm clay near Barnstaple

A builder has a single-storey rear extension on heavy clay, with a driveway down the side of the house. A 1.8 tonne SWE 18UF is the obvious starting point, but the engineer’s footing depth and the stiff clay make the 2.5 tonne SWE 25UF a better fit. Both are zero tail, so neither will clip the boundary fence. A tracked dumper copes with the wet ground, and a power washer cleans the clay off before the machine goes back.

A smallholding near Crediton

A smallholder wants a pond, a water pipe to a field trough and some ditch clearance, with plenty of room and a wide field gate. The 3.5 tonne SWE 35UF moves material faster and reaches further from the bank, which keeps the machine back from soft edges. One machine, one delivery and a week’s hire covers all three jobs.

A sloping driveway in Torbay

A homeowner wants to dig out and rebuild a steep driveway on stony ground over limestone. A micro digger would struggle with the stone and the gradient, while a 3.5 tonne machine would be awkward on the slope next to the house. The SWE 18UF is the balance: heavy enough to break out the old surface and stony ground, compact enough to work against the boundary. A Weber MT CF 3-II Hd forward plate compacts the sub-base in layers, working up and down the slope.

Safety basics for a self-drive mini digger

Hire is self-drive, so you or your operator are responsible for using the machine safely. This is general information; check the current guidance for your work.

1. Be trained. Operators should be trained and competent on the machine. Commercial sites usually ask for a CPCS or NPORS card.
2. Find the services. Check utility plans and LinesearchbeforeUdig, and scan with a CAT before breaking ground. Hand dig near any marked service.
3. Support the excavation. HSE’s excavation guidance says to decide on support before digging and keep spoil and plant back from the edges. Never let anyone work in an unsupported trench.
4. Look up. Overhead cables run across many Devon gardens and fields. Plan where the arm will go before you start.
5. Check the bucket. Make sure the bucket is properly locked onto the quick hitch every time it is changed, following the manufacturer’s procedure.
6. Keep people clear. Nobody should stand within reach of the arm or the slewing machine, and children and pets need keeping well away.
7. Wear the seatbelt and keep the bucket low when tracking, especially on slopes.

What affects the cost of mini digger hire Devon jobs

We do not publish hire rates online, because the right price depends on the machine, the dates and where the job is. WhatsApp us for a current quote. These are the things that move the total:

• Machine size. Bigger machines cost more per day, but they can finish sooner. A 1.8 tonne digger that completes a drainage run in three days may cost less overall than a micro digger that takes five.
• Hire period. Weekly rates work out better per day than daily hire, and monthly better again.
• Transport. Delivery and collection are quoted separately and based on distance from our depot near Okehampton. A job in Okehampton, Tavistock or Crediton costs less to reach than one in Ilfracombe or Seaton. Towing it yourself on a hired trailer removes the delivery charge but adds your time.
• Extras on the same lorry. Adding a dumper and a compactor to one delivery is cheaper than three separate trips.
• Weekend working. Hire charges run from delivery to off-hire, including weekends, and weekly rates assume a five-day week. Tell us if you plan to work Saturdays.
• Fuel, cleaning and damage. Return it full, clean and undamaged to avoid charges. Fair wear and tear is accepted.
• Insurance. Cover for hired plant is not included, so allow for your own policy or a specialist plant hire insurer.

Delivery day and off-hire in Devon

Our depot is near Okehampton, in the middle of the county, so same-day delivery is possible across most of Devon if you contact us early in the day. On delivery day, have the gate open, a firm place for the lorry to unload and someone on site to sign for the machine and check it over. Make sure you know where the controls, keys and manual are before the driver leaves.

The machine arrives with a full tank and should go back full, running on white diesel only. When you have finished, off-hire with us directly and get an off-hire reference. Hire charges continue until that reference is confirmed, and telling the driver does not count. Leave the digger clean, parked on firm ground and easy to load. If you would rather collect and return it yourself, we hire plant trailers too, listed on our trailers page.

Frequently asked questions

Book mini digger hire in Devon

WhatsApp or call 07841 036064 (Mon to Fri, 7:30am to 5:30pm) with the job, site postcode, dates and access details. For multiple machines or an account, use our contact page.