A Guide To Large JCB Excavator Hire Costs
Excavators are one of the most important pieces of plant/ construction equipment out there on the market to hire. With many different variations, styles and sizes, it can be difficult to know what to budget for. That’s why we have put together this guide to large JCB excavator hire costs.
During this article, we are going to cover absolutely everything you need to know about hiring a large JCB excavator in the UK. Note that the prices that we will refer to in this article will be from 2022 and my vary. Nevertheless, it will certainly help you gauge your costings before starting out.
The excavator hire industry has boomed over the last 20 years with a massive focus on building future infrastructure throughout the UK. If you enjoy travelling around the UK, there is doubt that you will notice a huge amount of continuous work happening wherever you go!
What is a JCB Excavator
JCB are one of a long list of manufacturers of excavators throughout the world. These excavators are famously known for their bright yellow appearance. They are somewhat unmissable and iconic.
JCB started manufacturing excavators back in 1953 when they launched their original “hydro-digger”, more commonly known these days as a backhoe. It was not until 1982 after coming under pressure from Japanese competition did JCB introduce tracked excavators.
More recently JCB launched their latest large excavator range the X Series, which has won best in class for power, strength, safety, operator comfort and increased efficiency. In 2020, JCB was the first company in the world to manufacture a hydrogen-powered tracked excavator to lead the sector on zero and low-carbon technologies.
When choosing a large excavator to hire, JCB is the ideal manufacturer for both novice and experienced operators. However, no doubt during your research, you will discover several different manufacturers.
Knowing what brands to trust can make a huge difference. Therefore, we have hand selected a few that we can recommend from 25 years hands-on experience.
Other large excavator manufacturers
Kubota
These excavators are one of the leading Japanese manufacturers of tracked excavators that stemmed from the same time the JCB launched their own. They are renowned for their reliability, performance, and sales of their mini excavator range. Branded as the UK’s No.1 bestselling excavator in the UK for 25 years, Kubota offers quality, high-performance machines from micro up to 9T.
CAT
Worldwide CAT or Caterpillar are known for their large machinery. From giant earth movers to draglines, dozers and mining machinery, CAT pretty much covers it all. They are a well-renowned company for their build quality and reliability at high-stress levels, with a catalogue of over 300 different products. Caterpillar excavators have become a firm favourite in the US and in Australia since their production began.
JCB, Kubota and CAT are three of the longest-standing excavator manufacturers in the world. Trusting the manufacturer is only part of the hurdle. As we dig a bit deeper into this resource you will find other factors to consider when choosing where to hire your machinery from.
What influences the costs of hiring a JCB Excavator
There are a few key factors that influence the cost of hiring an excavator. These are as follows:
- Who you hire off
- Size of the machine
- Period of hire
- Age of the equipment
- Maintenance of the equipment
Who you hire off
Choosing an excavator hire service can be a difficult task and one you shouldn’t take likely. Different companies will have various rates, some more than others. However, excavator hire costs should start from as little as £75.00+VAT/day. If the price is sustainably lower than this, it should raise some questions in your mind. If it’s too good to be true, you could be setting yourself up for unwanted additional fees.
Size of the machine
The size of the excavator will either increase or decrease the cost of your hire. Generally, the larger the machine, the more expensive it will be to hire. When budgeting, you should always enquire about the latest rates including delivery costs, where necessary.
Period of hire
How long you hire an excavator will have a direct impact on the cost. Expect rates based on single day, weekend, three days and week hire. If you are looking to hire an excavator long-term, then always enquire directly with your prospect. Most plant hire suppliers will offer long-term rates saving you money overall.
Age of the equipment
Another key factor in pricing equipment is the machinery’s age. The older the machinery, the higher the possibility that the cost will be less. What does this mean for you? Hired excavators go through far more work than purchased equipment. Meaning, older equipment is more likely to break down and cost you money in the long term. Older equipment is can be less productive and fuel efficient. Sticking to newer, low hours machinery will always reduce your risk of any nasty accidents happening.
Maintenance of the equipment
As we’ve noted, hired excavators go through far more work than purchased machines, therefore a higher level of maintenance is required. A lot of suppliers will have in-house engineers that tend to the equipment; however, this is not always the case. Lower-priced hire rates could be a clear indication that there is far less service and detail going into the machinery you wish to hire. To cover yourself, you should always enquire about maintenance with your hire proposal.
To find out more about how you can save money on plant hire you can check out our exclusive resource here.
An example of Large JCB Excavator Hire costs
To help you get started with some examples of large JCB excavator hire costs we have put together these 3 different large excavator sizes for you.
Hire rates for 9T Excavator: (Day/Weekend/3 days/week) Prices +VAT (2022)
£230.00/ £275.00/ £364.00/ £455.00
Hire rates for 14T Excavator: (Day/Weekend/3 days/week) Prices +VAT (2022)
£247.00/ £297.00/ £396.00/ £490.00
Hire rates for 20T Excavator (Day/Weekend/3 days/week) Prices +VAT (2022)
£340.00/ £408.00/ £544.00/ £680.00
Additions you should budget for with a large JCB excavator hire
Now you have got a pretty good idea of cost you could be facing, here are some additional costs that you should take into consideration to determine a true cost. These are as follows:
- Hire insurance
- Delivery costs
- Fuel costs
- Cleaning costs
Hire insurance
When dealing with any hired equipment, especially large JCB excavators that value more than £100,000 – insurance is essential. Temporary hire cover can be organised from several different suppliers, however, WHC Hire Services highly recommends JCB Insurance. If you think you may already have coverage from your business insurance, it is always worth checking first if the worst-case scenario is to happen. Ensure that your insurance covers the entire cost of the machinery.
Delivery costs
Moving large machinery like a JCB excavator is not as simple as you might think. 99% of the time it need to be correctly transported to where it is needed. Which, incurs a cost. When you enquire about large JCB excavator hire, you will want to be aware of any additional delivery costs. For more information on delivery costs for 2022 and what you should budget, click here.
Fuel costs
The current cost of fuel in 2022 fluctuates from week to week. No one in the construction sector can avoid it. However, to avoid additional fees, you should always return your machinery full of fuel. Otherwise, you could be charged a set rate per litre at the discretion of your supplier. All terms and conditions should be laid out in your hire contracts terms and conditions.
Cleaning costs
Large excavators are big machines to clean and take hours to decontaminate. Therefore, you should always clean your machinery before returning it. By failing to do so, your supplier could charge you a cleaning fee. Again these terms will be highlighted in the contract agreement.
Where to hire a large JCB excavator in the UK
If you are looking to hire a large JCB excavator for your project, then our state-of-the-art fleet of equipment could assist you. For over 25 years, WHC Hire Services has been supplying JCB excavators of all sizes to businesses and DIYers across the country with the latest machinery. Our extensive fleet of equipment comes from JCB, Kubota and Thwaites. Our equipment is less than 48 months old and all at low hours. Backed by our in-house team of expert engineers, we guarantee our customers peace of mind when it comes to getting the job done.
Speak to one of our hire experts today on 01684377977 or click the link to see our online catalogue of brand new large JCB equipment.