[BJR]

Thank goodness for whoever invented the mini dumper.

I have been using 2 for the past 2 years now and they are labour, time and back saving machines.

For the type of work I do, IE: difficult site retaining walls, they are fantastic.

You don't need a licence here like you do for a skid steer. They carry 800kg and are extremely low maintenance. We hardly ever use wheel barrows any more.

My staff love them. We just completed a large wall using Garden Wall for the lower walls and Keystone for the higher walls (2.5m high). They save a lot of back breaking work in tight areas.

There was 20 cubic metres, 50 tonne, of no fines concrete to be placed behind the walls. All of it was placed using the dumpers. We stack the blocks in them and drive them straight to the laying face. We also load them with excavated material and rubbish, and drive them up the ramps onto the back of the tippers and dump the load off.

Great for moving material up and down steep slopes.

I have the Avant Dumpers. Here Dingo also make them, but they are not as versatile.

I also hire them out to other contractors, hence the 'Spadework Solutions' stickers on the sides.

[BJR]

It only took 30min to empty 6cub metres, 15 tonne, from the concrete trucks, using 2 dumpers.

[BJR]

/

[BJR]

Here's a shot of the wall from the bottom.

[Green4Me]

The mini dumper is a neat looking rig, I have not seen one here in Oregon. Something that does look interesting is this Kubota RX1300 mini dumper at www.dieselcrawlers.com. The tracks look like a valuable feature for Oregon soils. In the meantime, I have had great results with a Dingo and its attachements. Although the minimal loads and lower lifting height are a challenge.

By the way, thanks for your pictures. You certainly do have some tight spaces to work in. But your work looks superb.

Merry Christmas also.

[cutntrim]

I demo'd a JCB mini-dumper and it was pretty neat, but at $18,000CDN was awfullly expensive too. Cheaper to hire strong backs, then pay that much for a "super wheelbarrow".

I did step up to the plate and buy a dump trailer and skidsteer this year though.

[Bill Schwab]

In our area, I look at this differently. Sure, you can get another strong back. But, at work comp reaching $30.00 per hundred of wage paid, a $20.00 per hour laborer becomes a $1040.00 a week laborer with his comp insurance, and no Nazi fees sent to the government.

So, take that $240.0 a week, multiply it by 52, and you got a $12,500.00 per year insurance bill. In a year and ahalf, you have a paid for dump truck, that, won't lip off about the work that needs to be done. Won't decide at a minutes notice that he needs to go back to Mexico to see family, won't cut a finger, or sprain an ankle, or twist a back, all which add to your experience mod when your comp premium comes due.

Sure this machine would not work all the time, every minute of the day, but, if you did not need one full time guy, or could forget about the headache of a part timer and the scheduling, it would pay for itself within a year.

[cutntrim]

I can see where a mini would be worthwhile for you. Do you have one? My WSIB (Workplace Safety Insurance Board) rate is $5.07/$100, and my employees make $10-$13/hr. I'm also still primarily a maintenance contractor, so that's why (right now) a mini-dumper wouldn't be worth it.

Having just bought a 553 Skidsteer, one cheaper alternative that intrigues me is the dumping hopper attachment that Bobcat carries. Too bad rental companies don't carry mini-dumpers, or the Bobcat attachment. There are definately jobs where such tools would be priceless, but paying to own them all year doesn't make sense for me.

[BJR]

They're definately not for everyone.

I take the view that good labour is hard to find. If you have good staff you do everything you can to keep them. That is one of the main reasons I have machines. My blokes love them. The machines make working 10 times easier for them, and also generate a decent profit for me.

But your definately right Cut, you have to do your homework. If a machine is not going to make you money, bon't buy it. How's the 553 Bobcat going? I'm thinking of buying one next year to replace my RC30.

[AZTLANLC]

Maybe you guys hear this one before but I just love my bobcat mt52, about the same price, I can dig for walkways, mulch flower beds or at least fill up the wheel barrows, carry blocks, pavers (you can even attach forks on it) carry item 4, stone soils and spread it at the same time, finish grade small areas, trench planting and many other features. I just don't think I would replace it for something like that not even with the fact that it would carry twice as much material. But just like you said it it's not for everyone.

[cutntrim]

I've rented that little MT before, but when a 553 can do all that plus a lot more...including plow during the winter, it was a no-brainer for me. The extra work it can do will offset it's more expensive price tag. I originally ordered it with a 48" utility bucket + bolt-on teeth, a 72" snowblade, and a set of forks (thrown into the deal for free). Last week I called the sales rep and I'm going to swap the utility bucket for a toothed dirt bucket, and I've ordered a high capacity snow bucket as well. Figured the snow bucket would be worthwhile during the winter plus doing mulch in the summer, and it'd be a pain taking the teeth on and off all the time.

Haven't had much chance to use the new machine yet, but I've rented 553's plenty in the past and I like them. I've used the 463's too, but they feel claustrophobic and "herky-jerky" compared to the 553 IMO.

[AZTLANLC]

I agree but I also have in my fleet a 773t bobcat and makes a mess in tight areas, also the fact that it can not go into a 36 (well maybe 38)inch gate like the mini can, the tracks on it and weight makes another big diference on the turf as well, mostly my bobcat now is used for big jobs only where a 553 would be slow, I'm pretty happy with it actually my whole set up, all I need now is a T250 or above. for retaining walls and grading so I can easily lifth a whole pallet not the my 773 can't but it's not really designed for it.

[Bill Schwab]

BJR:

You have work comp payments there? It is amazingly low compared to the rip off we have here, but, one of the biggest arguements for Socialized Medicine in our country is that Work Comp insurance will not be needed... I'm a bit off topic here, but you threw me...I was unde rthe impression that countries with socialized medicine had no work comp to pay.....Interesting....

[BJR]

Bill

Yes we have workers compensation insurance. It is 7.71%. I don't quite understand what you mean by 'socialised medicine'. Do you mean public hospitals where you get treated for free?

The workers comp insurance I have to have by law, is to cover any medical expenses, such as spexialists that are not covered by the public system, and loss of income. The loss of income is the main issue.

[Bill Schwab]

Ok..Lemme splain... Medical treatment such as they have in Canada, of Germany, where you pay taxes to get medical treatment as opposed to private health care insurance that you can take to any hospital/clinic and have them assist in paying a large portion of your medical bills. As I under stood from some pollitical proposal proposal made in 1994, by introducing universal health care in our country, we were to eliminate work comp insurance to help offset the cost of the taxes that would be imposed to fund the health care program.

Do you have a health care system that you pay taxes on, or is it privatized like i described earlier?

Maybe I'm confused here....