You may be getting ready to begin your first earthmoving project by yourself, or maybe you’ve done it before and you’re considering hiring more experienced operator to get the job done. Either way, if you’re unsure which route to go: to hire an operator or to take it on as a DIY challenge. In this article we explain the difference between hiring an experienced excavator operator services and dry hiring it to do it yourself, so hopefully this will help you make the best decision.
Hiring experienced operator services
Hiring an operator with the machine is what we call “wet hire”. This is when you pay for the works to be completed for a fee, which is generally an hourly rate but can also be a set for per job. The benefits of this are listed below:
They are efficient
They work fast because they know how to approach a job. Knowing where to start and where to finish is a critical part of being efficient on a job site and it always gives the fastest results in the end.
They are tidy
An experienced operator can clean up a job site as well as someone with a shovel or a rake. Their ability to do the “final trim” takes many years of experience to perfect and requires precision to get it right.
They are faster
Being experienced and tidy means that ultimately the job gets done a lot quicker. An experienced operator can generally complete the job in a third of the time of someone who is not experienced. This helps you save money in the long run because you can move on to the next phase of your project quicker.
Doing it yourself
Hiring a mini excavator and doing your own earth moving project has many appealing benefits. This is why thousands of people hire from Diggermate Mini Excavator Hire every month.
You can save a packet
Hiring your own equipment and doing the job yourself will save you a huge amount of money. Generally, an experienced excavator operator would charge you $90 – $110 per hour with a minimum charge of about three to four hours. However, to hire a mini excavator for the day and operate it yourself, you will only pay about $200 – $250, and you will have the mini excavator for the entire day. At Diggermate we offer machines pick up from 6:30 am and drop off as late as 6 pm in most locations.
It is fun
It is many adults’ childhood dream to operate machinery and at Diggermate, although our machines are not huge, it still offers you the same feeling. Operating our equipment is a load of fun. Sure, it’s a little nerve-wracking to start with but once you are over the hump of the first hour or two it becomes an enjoyable experience. You will end up forgetting about the time you are spending doing the job.
It kills the procrastination
Using earthmoving equipment is almost always the first part of the job, so hiring your own mini excavator for the day can help get you out of the procrastination of starting the job. Quite often procrastination on starting a new project occurs when it’s too hard, you’re not sure how to do it or there are more interesting things to do with your time. But when you hire a mini excavator, the procrastination is replaced with excitement and anticipation.
Not critical if you get it wrong
If you make a mistake when digging dirt in your backyard, it’s rarely critical, you can always circle back around and fix it up. This should give you the confidence to have a go, knowing that you can make mistakes without destroying the whole project.
You won’t break your back
Heavy lifting and back-breaking labour work are eliminated when you hire a machine and do it yourself. Even though you should still have a shovel and rake handy just in case, you should rarely need to use them, which means you will wake up the next day fresh and ready to tackle the next part of the project, not stiff and sore and needing a rest.
Self-achievement
Saying you did it yourself brings a huge amount of pride to your job and can be far more fulfilling than having someone just do it for you.
It’s a great life skill to have
After a day on a mini excavator, you will have the skill of being an excavator operator for the rest of your life. This life skill will certainly pay dividends somewhere in the future. After all, there are always going to be more projects and there are always going to be more holes to dig.
So with this information you are now armed to make the right decision for your next project, whether it be hiring experienced operator services or taking the DIY route. Diggermate offers either dry hire or wet hire services. With several locations in every state and hundreds of machines to choose from, we are sure to be nearby with something that can serve your needs.
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