In The Field: Fascinating Facts About Construction And Contractors

Mini excavators are preferred for use in residential projects in which site excavation is required. There are various advantages associated with the use of mini excavators. For example, the mini excavator can be used for excavation-related activities on job sites where the available space is too small to accommodate standard-sized excavation equipment.

This article discusses three questions that a homeowner should ask him/herself when looking to rent out a mini excavator.

For What Application Is The Mini Excavator Being Hired?

Rarely will mini excavators be used on large-scale projects. As such, homeowners interested in renting out mini excavation equipment need to determine that such equipment is suitable for the kind of project at hand. In order to make this determination, homeowners need to ask themselves the following questions:

• How deep is the excavator expected to dig?
• Are there site-related complications? (e.g. weight limitations)

In the ideal situation, a mini excavator should be used to dig pits/trenches whose depth is lower than the measure of the excavator's maximum reach. Also, the operating weight of such equipment should be within the weight limit that the job site can support comfortably.

Examples of excavation-related projects for which a mini excavator would suffice include the installation of fibre optic cables and drainage pipes, digging up of burial sites and transplanting of trees among several others.

What Track Material Does The Excavator Have?

Steel and rubber are the most commonly used materials on mini excavator tracks. The track material will make one mini excavator more suitable than others for its intended application.

In a large number of cases, rubber-tracked mini excavators are preferred when the surface on which the machine will move is smooth (e.g. a concrete-finished backyard). This is because the rubber tracks will move on such a surface with greater ease than their steel counterparts. A steel-tracked mini excavator will move with greater ease on rough terrain (e.g. a muddy backyard or one that has an abundance of rocks).

Rubber-tracked excavators are also preferred for the fact that their operation doesn't make as much noise as the operation of their steel-tracked counterparts does. Thus, using a rubber-tracked mini excavator will cause less of a disturbance around the neighbourhood.

Is The Excavator Compliant With Tier-4 Standards?

Tier-4 standards indicate the minimum performance requirements for mini excavators so that the operation of these machines produces the least possible quantity of harmful emissions that may pollute the environment.

Before a homeowner agrees to lease a mini excavator, he or she should check that the machine is has tier-4 certification. It would be a good idea to ask the heavy equipment hire agency for evidence of this certification.