Popular Excavator Hire Accessories

When a job requires additional earthmoving force, the likelihood of opting to use an excavator will increase. Choosing to hire an excavator is a cost-effective way to boost the productivity of your project and, in turn, reduce the amount of manhandling you must do. When you choose to hire an excavator, not only will you be faced with numerous sizes and specifications, but you’ll also be faced with many options as accessories. In this resource, we are going to have a dive into excavator hire accessories and the most popular ones you are to be expected to come across from your plant hire supplier. Let’s get started!

What is included with your excavator hire?

It is extremely important that when you hire an excavator; you understand what is included with the machine itself. Most commonly you can expect a machine to come with a small range of excavator buckets as standard (supplier dependent), therefore leaving all other additions classed as excavator hire accessories.

The last thing you need is a machine that can’t do the work you need it to. If you feel that any of the excavator hire accessories mentioned in this resource could be of use to you, and your hire. Always check with your supplier if firstly; they can supply the accessory. Second, if so, what would the cost be?

Are excavator hire accessories expensive?

Depending on the accessory’s size and speciality will ultimately determine the hire cost. Nevertheless, you may conclude that adding an accessory is essential for the level of performance you require. Excavator accessories are designed specifically to work closely in tandem to provide an even more productive package. Let’s have a look at the following popular excavator hire accessories and their costs.

Popular Excavator Hire Accessories

Breaker Attachments

Hydraulic breaker attachments are one of the most popular excavator hire accessories available on the market. These specialised attachments connect to the hitch of the machine and can be used to break, crack, and shatter all types of rock. The attachment is driven by the hydraulic piston that exhausts pressure into its head, providing powerful and consistent drive into an obstacle. These attachments are available on all excavator sizes, besides a micro excavator. As these attachments are far more powerful than any handheld piece of equipment, you can expect to pay between £130-£360+VAT per week, depending on attachment size. Their additional weight and power will allow operators to easily demolish any obstacles in the way of your excavation.

Plant Trailer

For operators looking to be more flexible with their hire equipment, a plant trailer can be ideal for your hire. These trailers can be towed behind a suitable vehicle to move an excavator from place to place. Meaning, that you can use it on multiple projects when and wherever you like. Plant trailers can only transport a total weight, including a trailer of 3.5 tonnes. As of April 2022, there is no UK law that requires a towing license up to this limit. If your machinery is larger than this, it will need to be delivered by your supplier, or would have to be collected on a larger lorry. Plant trailers can vary in cost depending on their specifications and size. Expect to pay between £65.00-£120.00+VAT per week for a plant, or specialised excavator transporting trailer.

Dumpers

A perfect companion to an excavator is a machine that is designed to move debris or earth from one place to another. That’s right, the trusted dumper truck. These machines provide a fast solution for moving materials and waste across a project’s site, without the excavator having to move. They operate much more effectively than moving earth a bucket at a time. Using a dumper can allow you to move huge loads at a time and will increase your excavation productivity. The most common types of dumpers you can expect to hire are walk-behinds, tracked and articulated. To choose the right dumper for your project, check out this resource made to answer this very question. Some dumpers can weigh 9 tonnes, therefore, depending on size, would require alternative delivery arrangements. Expect costs from £145.00+VAT per week to hire a dumper in addition to your excavator.

Excavator Buckets

As previously mentioned, excavator buckets are generally included with your hire, however, this is supplier dependent. There are numerous amounts of sizes and designs to help you complete your specific task. Generally, you should expect to see three standard types of excavator buckets these are:

• Grading bucket (A wide shallow bucket designed for levelling ground)
• Trenching bucket (A Small deep bucket designed for excavating trenches or piercing through the tough ground)
• Digging bulk bucket (A deep and wide bucket designed to move large amounts of bulk at one time)

For more information on the uses of these buckets, click here to view our resource “Digger buckets explained”

You should experience further charges for the addition of standard buckets. However, always check with your supplier before to ensure you do not incur any hidden costs. There are many other digger bucket attachments available on the market to hire, which may be classed as specialist equipment to accompany your hired excavator. Unlike the standard buckets we have highlighted, these are generally charged at a premium rate.

Fuel Storage

If your project involves working remotely for a long period, then choosing somewhere to store your fuel could be beneficial. Fuel storage systems are affordable ways to keep your project moving, especially when access to fuel is a risk you are flirting with. Large excavators can hold in excess of 300L at a time, meaning that having access to a large amount of fuel is important at all times. Fuel storage containers can come in a range of styles and types. Some are fixed cube-shaped storage units, while others are transported on wheels. These towable fuel storage units are called bowsers. You should expect to pay between £80.00-£120.00 +VAT per week for the use of a fuel bowser. This is completely dependent on the size and capacity of the unit.

Rubber Pad For Large Excavators

The final most common excavator hire accessory is rubber pads for large excavators. This additional option allows operators to take large steel-tracked excavators and be able to use them on more sensitive surfaces. For example, on asphalt or concrete, without causing large amounts of surface damage. These detachable rubber pads are attached to the steel tracks of an excavator individually for your hire. The installation process of the rubber tracks takes place prior to the equipment being delivered. You will not be expected to install the rubber tracks yourself. This is conducted by a qualified engineer during the pre-delivery inspection of a large steel-tracked excavator.

Smaller excavators are generally fitted with rubber tracks as standard. Therefore, this additional excavator accessory is only available for larger steel-tracked excavators. To hire a large steel-tracked excavator with rubber pads, you should expect to be charged an additional £100.00+VAT per week on top of the initial hire cost. This covers the cost of the attachment and the additional time in labour that is required to fit the pads themselves.

Where to hire popular excavator accessories?

WHC Hire Services has been providing a large fleet of excavators and hire accessories to civil engineers, construction, utilities and building companies across the UK for over 25 years. By working closely with all our clients, we are able to provide some of the high-performance excavator hire accessories on the market. From attachments to support plant machinery, WHC Hire offers everything you need to get the job done. For more information, or to discuss a hire of an excavator accessory, please call our team on 01684377977 today. Or view our online catalogue here