The Benefits Of A Doorway Digger For Home Improvement Projects
Doorway diggers have been a key component of a wide range of home improvement projects for several years. Their unique abilities allow them to help DIYers maximise their efforts and reduce manual labour. During this article, we are going to uncover all the benefits a doorway digger offers to home improvement projects. This will include understanding the machine’s unique capabilities, the projects they suit, what to expect when you rent a machine and more.
Renting equipment is a viable solution to safely speed up your project. However, ensuring you get the correct equipment for the job is essential. Poor equipment choice may lead to complications throughout your task. If you are ever unsure, you should feel comfortable reaching out to your local supplier for expert advice. On that note, let’s get stuck in with understanding these highly versatile machines.
Understanding a doorway digger
As the name suggests, a doorway digger is designed to easily pass underneath and between a standard internal door frame (UK 1981 x762mm). They are also known by many other names within the equipment industry such as “micro digger, micro excavator, 0.8T excavator, mini diggers” and so on. The term “doorway digger” is one of the less preferred names used for these machines. However, if you were to approach a plant hire business, they’d surely know exactly what you are talking about. Machines like this are small, compact and effective, and are controlled by an individual who operates the equipment with levers and joysticks on the machine. The machine is built up of a few key components.
- Tracks
- Body/cockpit
- Blade
- Boom/Arm
- Bucket
Tracks
The tracks of a doorway digger allow the machine to manoeuvre. These are controlled by the levers inside the cockpit of the digger. Generally, these are fabricated from rubber to reduce ground disruption.
Body/cockpit
This feature of the machine is designed to stay within the width of the machine at all times. Meaning, you can worry less about accidents happening to the rear of the equipment, which is more common in larger excavator designs.
Blade
The blade, or dozer blade is used to stabilise the machine when digging or lifting. This component can also be used the push soil when level ground. Overall making light work of the job at hand.
Boom/Arm
These two components are major parts of the machinery. They connect and control the house of the excavator to your decided attachment. Mastering their operation, overall will help you speed up the completion of your task.
Bucket
The business end. The bucket is an attachment used for excavating, removing, relocating, or levelling earth. Doorway diggers can accommodate a range of buckets depending on the operator’s desired intention. As we have highlighted in the section, doorway diggers are made up of multiple crucial components that make them a unique investment to any task. Now let us take a closer look at the benefits of using a doorway digger for a home improvement project.
Benefits of a doorway digger for a home improvement project
Doorway diggers are a favourable choice for a wide range of home improvement tasks. But how you might ask? Well, in this section, we are going to share the benefits of these machines, to help you assess if they are the right fit for your intended use.
Accessibility
One of the major strengths of a doorway digger is its accessibility. The compact design of these machines allows them to easily pass through a standard internal doorframe. This makes them ideal for most hard-to-reach projects. It’s common that if you wish to use an excavating machine in a small space, a doorway digger is the most popular choice. These machines are easy to navigate through houses, garden gates, inside buildings and the most common obstacles you will find on a home improvement project.
Versatility
The next benefit that these machines offer is their versatility. Micro, or doorway diggers offer DIYers the ability to complete a range of earthmoving tasks. All in one machine. Digging footings, landscaping, levelling, earthmoving and small demolition are just a few examples. The small investment of hiring a mini digger can save days if not weeks of completing a task by hand.
Efficiency
As we have already touched on, these machines can vastly increase the efficiency of your home improvement task. The best thing is that, the more confident you become with operating the equipment, the more efficient your task will become. Thus, saving you a huge amount of time and manual labour hours. It’s true.. having the right equipment for the task can highly benefit you.
Safety
The final benefit of a doorway digger is the safety that these machines offer. Digging trenches, and moving large amounts of soil and earth can impose a huge amount of stress on the body. Using a mini digger requires very little effort to achieve the same outcome. In addition, these machines are fitted with advanced safety systems to keep you safe whilst operating them. As we have discussed in this section, there are multiple highly beneficial factors to a doorway digger for most home improvement projects. Their accessibility, versatility, efficiency and safety, play a massive part in many DIYer’s choices to hire one of these small earthmovers. Now that we have highlighted the benefits of a doorway digger, let’s look at the key questions to help you understand if one of these machines is the best fit for your project.
Is a doorway digger right for your home improvement project?
Choosing the right tool for your home improvement project is essential, no more so when choosing to hire an excavator-type machine. So to help, let’s closely look at some of the considerations you might want to make.
Do you have access limitations?
Access limitations can be the bug bearer of most home DIY projects. Don’t worry, you are not alone, the same issues occur for professional outfits too. Nevertheless, these constraints can have an impact on the size of equipment that can reach your working area. Garden gates, internal door frames, fences, and narrow passageways are all examples of obstacles you may have to consider when choosing a mini digger for your improvements. Having the equipment’s specifications to hand can help you make a huge difference.
Are you looking for a versatile piece of equipment to hire?
You should always consider how versatile the equipment is to aid you in your home upgrade. If there are particular tasks you want to complete, ensure that the machinery can cover them all safely. Commonly, some tasks are underestimated, therefore, if you are ever unsure, always speak to an expert to help with your decision. Tasks such as excessive lifting may not be suitable with a doorway digger.
What is the timescale of your home improvement project?
Having an itinerary is vital when hiring any machinery. However, the majority of DIY projects take place during evenings and weekends. Therefore, you may want to factor in when you need the equipment to arrive, as well as being off hired. If you are in a rush to complete your task, you may want to consider a week’s hire to provide more availability. Again, if you are ever unsure, working closely with a plant hire expert can expand your awareness of the possibilities. Bearing these factors in consideration can certainly aid you in your decision-making process. Nevertheless, consulting with a plant hire expert will certainly install confidence in your equipment selection for the home improvement project. Now let’s take a browse at some of the tasks that a doorway digger is suited for.
Projects suited to a doorway digger
Doorway diggers are highly efficient machines in their field. But what projects are they best for? Where do they come into their prime? Well, here is a list of tasks that these small digging machines champion:
- Small access jobs
- Digging building footings
- Digging small shed pads
- Moving earth from the rear of a garden
- Small landscaping projects
- Planting trees
- Retaining walls
- Making pathways
- Fountains
- Patios
Small access jobs
Doorway diggers suit small access jobs due to their small dimensions and ease of manoeuvrability. A great choice for all back garden landscaping and building jobs.
Digging building footings
These machines offer adequate reach to excavate standard footing depth, for all single-storey extensions. Their strength and lift power is far safer and efficient than conducting the task by hand.
Digging small shed pads
Small shed pads generally require excavating before laying the stone and concrete. Micro excavators are suited to these tasks as they offer enough reach to clear a standard 6×8 shed base, without moving.
Moving earth from the rear of a garden
Instead of loading excavated earth by hand, using a doorway digger can speed up your loading times and reduce manual labour efforts. A win-win, when doing these jobs in the evening and on the weekend.
Small landscaping projects
Small landscaping projects can easily be conducted with a micro digger, as they offer enough power, reach, and dig depth for most tasks. This may include grading and levelling an area of ground.
Planting trees
Planting trees can be tiresome, especially larger ones. However, a mini digger can help you easily excavate tree holes without having to do the task by hand. Leading to faster results.
Retaining walls
There are plenty of stages to building a retaining wall. Footings, laying, and backfilling, all of which, this versatile machine can assist with. Their material handling capabilities play a massive role in reducing overall labour efforts.
Making pathways
These machines are ideal for excavating pathways and levelling stone. The first two major parts of the construction of any good, solid pathway. They can be used to excavate, load materials and even compact the base layer of your new feature.
Fountains
Doorway diggers offer adequate reach and dig depth to introduce all types of garden fountains and features. This includes the installation of any additional utilities to allow these features to operate.
Patios
Similar to pathways. Doorway diggers are in their element when installing and excavating garden patios.
As we have uncovered, machines like this are ideal for a wide range of different home DIY tasks. The truth is, they are suitable for almost any small building project. Nevertheless, you should always make sure that the machine offers adequate dig depth, reach and lifting capabilities for your task at hand. All information of which can be found in the specifications of the equipment.
What to expect with your doorway digger hire
If you are expecting to hire a micro or doorway digger for the first time. What should you expect? Frankly, the level of service, support, equipment quality and offer, is dependent on the supplier you choose. For more information on how to choose the right equipment supplier near you, check out this other article we wrote to help you vet your prospects: How to choose the right equipment supplier near me?
Even so, you should receive the following from most UK suppliers.
- The machinery itself
- Instructions on how to use the equipment
- A range of buckets to help with different tasks.
- An optional delivery and collection service.
We’d highly recommend that you always check the equipment to ensure it is the machinery you ordered or agree to hire. Due to some of the factors that we have highlighted in this article, you should ensure it is fit for purpose. Along with your hire, you generally will have some basic instructions on how to operate the machinery. It is best to make sure you familiarise yourself with the equipment before starting any serious tasks.
In addition to your doorway digger, you should expect to be provided with a range of different buckets. All of which are designed for specific tasks, which we explain in the video below:
Finally, the last expectation you should receive when hiring any type of doorway digger, is an optional delivery and collection service. Not everyone has the confidence and capabilities to tow machinery like this behind their vehicle. This is why all providers will be able to transport the equipment for you upon your request. Always get advice on cost before booking your small digging machine.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored throughout this article, doorway diggers come with a huge amount of benefits to a wide range of home improvement tasks. It is essential that you ensure the equipment is suitable for your project, but with the help of a reputable plant hire supplier, achieving your goals should be far simpler than you might have thought.
If you are looking to partner with a reputable and affordable doorway digger supplier, check out the availability of the high-quality machinery that WHC Hire has to offer. Our wide range of micro, mini and 1.7T excavators are supported by our award-winning online support service, which is free for all to access. Speak with one of our dedicated team members today to get your home improvement project underway. 01684377977.