Dingo Mini Digger

[davo453]

Hi Guy’s

I’m about to make a significant investment, I am seriously considering buying a Dingo Mini Digger and attachments, with a view to starting a small probably part time contracting business.

I’ve driven many earth movers in my time everything from a Bobcat to a D9 but only on an amateur basis. I do however feel I have a good enough grounding to get into one of these machines and with practice produce a good job.

Question is does anyone know anybody that has done this?, did they make a success of it? Do they regret going for such a small (all be it powerful) machine?. Which of the many attachments should I get?.

And many other questions :D

Cheers

Dave

[jackiew]

just got the course brochure for the local tafe ( no good for you cos you are in WA ) and they have introduced a number of short courses for different kind of earth movers. As you are going to charge people for your services you may want to investigate similar in your area to hone your skills rather than improving them on the job.

... and don't forget your insurance just in case you dig through the telephone cable which was meant to be 3 metres to the left :eek:

Good luck with it.

[davo453]

We have largish property so lots of practice won't be a problem before inflicting myself on the unsuspecting public, a course would be a good though I’ll look into it.

I’m on top of the insurance thing (used to work in that field) and dial before you dig is defiantly the way to go, a bloke in our area cut a fibre optic cable with his back hoe some months ago, very nasty.

Cheers Dave

[silentC]

Dave,

The only reservation I'd have is that because you don't need a license, any mug can do it, so there's no real barriers to entry apart from the cost of the thing. You can also hire them and do it yourself.

Having said that, there's plenty of people around who would rather pay some one to do it for whatever reason. I've got some digging to be done under my house and I'll be looking for someone to come in with a Dingo and do it because I don't have the time. Shame you're so far away.

Best of luck with it.

[ozwinner]

Which of the many attachments should I get?.
Which attachments to get? :confused:
Are you serious? :confused:

Get them all............. :D you can never have too many toys.

Al

[Bob Willson]

Hi Dave
I used to own a Yamaha, which is a small Bobcat type of machine. For its size this was a fairly powerful machine but even so, if we asked it to cut anything that even looked hard it would just laugh at us. A Dingo mini is MUCH smaller than this machine was.
As a rule of thumb, use the biggest machine that you can find to do the job. It may cost more per hour but it will do the work sooo much faster.
The Dingo mini is a machine that you ride on the back of standing up and the only real reason for using a machine of this very limited capacity is for digging out underneath high set houses or for getting into areas that cannot be accessed by a larger machine.
I don't believe that they make a 4 in 1 bucket for the Dingo, but if they did then this would certainly be my first accessory of choice. If you can purchase a small ripper to go with this then it will at least allow you to scrabble the ground that you are trying to dig. A final accessory would be a post hole digger. These are possibly the best application for the Dingo because as I mentioned previously they can get into small areas.
Put some thought also into how you will be carrying the machine around with you. You will not need a large truck as the Dingo could not fill it, so a large, or at least strong trailer may be the answer. The only drawback with this is emptying the trailer at the other end. Maybe you can get a tipping trailer?
Anyway, just a few thoughts to be going on with.
Good luck in your endeavours and I hope that it all works out great for you.

[ozwinner]

I don't believe that they make a 4 in 1 bucket for the Dingo, .
Like this one? :rolleyes:

http://www.dingominidiggers.com/html/att/buckets.htm

Al

[Bob Willson]

Ummm no. Not like that one. The one I wasn't thinking of was a different colour :o :o :o . Sorta pinky like these embarrassment smilies.

[davo453]

Thanks for all your responses

Yep I would like all the attachments after all as we all know he/she who dies with the most toy's wins, but there are around 60 of them and that would mean less space for the woodworking gear, can't have that. If I did get em all my return on investment would run out to around 10 years :D

I hadn't really seen the dingo as an earth mover so much as a trench digger and post hole digger etc with the ability to back fill. It will power up to a 750mm auger on the post hole digger and is a very effective trencher it dug a service trench on my mates place in soil (clay shale and rock) that defeated a JCB type backhoe, I also have some regular work for a trencher already.

I also reckoned on the stump grinder but it's hard to gauge the demand for that. The 4 in 1 bucket is a must I think.

The dingo is so small that on first sight it really does look like a bit of a joke but I was very impressed when it was demonstrated to me and what's more it's an Australian product :D

Cheers Dave

PS if you fancy a look the website is www.dingo.ws

[ozwinner]

Very nice peaty looking soil in the promo.:rolleyes:


Al

[Shane Watson]

Personally I reakon your on the right track. I've been operating a dingo on the side for about the last 14 years. My father owns one and his use is primarily digging post holes. But he has the 4 in 1 bucket, forks, rock breaker, leveler etc etc etc. His is also running on tracks at the moment and with Dingo about to release a new version of thier track system he'll most likly be swapping to the updated tracks. I forget what model his latest dingo is but its the one with all the fibre glass fairings on it.
As for comparing them to a Bobcat the only thing a bobcat has got over a dingo is ground speed. And Bucket capacity. Hydralic power is far superior on a dingo and a dingo will out drill a bobbie everytime (obviously I am speaking from my own experiences) And with a rock breaker there hasn't been a hole my old man hasn't been able to dig, if he couldn't, it required blasting to get it down to depth. Don't be decieved from there size they are a powerfull little machine and the rip-off brands havn't matched it yet, eg Kanga etc.

[journeyman Mick]

Dave,
talk to some local builders to gauge demand. Just ran into a mate today and he hasn't been able to get anybody to do one of his jobs, five days solid work under a house for a dingo. We are having a minor building boom here at the moment. Demand would also depend somewhat on the urbanisation where you are. Dingos and micro excavators get plenty of work in suburban and urban sites because access is often a problem. I'm in a rural area and doubt there'd be much work here for the smaller machines. I toyed with the idea of getting a bobcat but a weeks work driving for a mate changed my mind, hard on the back from the bouncing and also changing implements. Don't know if I fully agree with Shane on the bobcat V dingo. Most of the work I've used bobcats for a dingo wouldn't have been able to do. Horses for courses, I've had most machines work on my jobs at some stage and a bobcat excels at site clean up (dingo hasn't the bucket or weight capacity to pick up half pallets of blocks) and minor site levelling (you need a machine that weighs at least two tons). Then again, when I've used a dingo it was because it was the best machine for the job, ditto for backhoes, dozers, excavators etc etc.
Talk to landscapers, raw materials and nursery suppliers and fencing contractors for further research. I'm guessing that a 4 in 1 bucket followed by a trencher and a post hole borer would be the most useful. (I've used a rotary hoe attachment which was brilliant, but this would have limited application.)

Mick

[Barry_White]

Dave

I worked for a company that originally owned a Dingo which they hired out. They finally replaced it with a Kanga Digger and found it to be more reliable as well as more powerful than the Dingo. It maybe worth a look before you decide.

[davo453]

Again thanks for the responses, I will look at the Kanga, it's always a good idea to check every option. The Dingo does seem to have a good system though.

The building industry in Perth is still going crazy with no end currently in sight. I've spoken to a couple of builders and they with some obvious reservations seem keen to use me. Builders here are talking about importing trades men from the east to fill orders. Sounds as though there won't have much luck there though.

I take the point about a larger machine being best for the job, but with my budget a new bobcat is out of the question and I hate buying old construction equipment it never gets looked after. Also I can tow a dingo (or similar) and trailer behind my ute, at least until I can work out if I need a bigger truck.

Cheers Dave

[journeyman Mick]

Dave,
don't get me wrong, I wasn't knocking the smaller machines just pointing out that the limiting factor with machines (in my experience, anyway) has usually been their weight, or lack of it and not their hydraulic power. It doesn't matter how much power a machine has, if it hasn't got the traction or the weight it won't be able to drive that auger into rocky ground or break out that hard packed dirt. That said, the smaller machines have their place and are probably a better return on investment. Also talk to electricians and plumbers (especially ones that do maintenance and repair works) as they are always needing trenches dug. Often on new works the earth works tend to be programmed in from the beginning with larger machines coming in and doing the bulk of the work, this is especially true with large scale subdivisions. However people that work around existing buildings want a machine that will have the lightest tread and smallest footprint and this is where the smaller machines really excel. Best of luck in your new enterprise. :)

Mick

[Fantapantz]

Weight 'IS' the huge factor...........Dingos are useless levelling unless you got nice clean (rock free) soil...As for post holes,ditto, not enough weight to push the auger into the ground unless it's nice clean soil. From experience in my backyard i'll only use a large bobcat cause the small ones take too long cause they dont have the weight... I would definitely check out the demand before I buy......At $50hr for a dingo versus $80hr for a bobcat.......Go the bobcat it'll only cost half as much in the longrun.....

Back to what you should buy for it.definitely a trencher and post hole borer.that'll be 3/4 of the demand. Thats why I'll be hiring one, $270 for a weekend to do post holes for a new fence in a tight area. half an hour on the back and anyone can effectively operate one.....All you need to have is common sense...

Oh just thought,,,,,,,can you get a stump grinder attachment, that would be a fair size market as well.......

[davo453]

The newer dingo is a bit heavier than the old one it's up around 950kg which at least improves it's lifting ability, still a light machine though I know.

Interesting that you mention a stump grinder, they do one and I had it on my original list. But I haven't been able to judge the demand for it so its has fallen off the list for now.

You reckon there would be a need, most of the services in the Yellowpages seem to offer tree pruning etc too, thats not something I want to do (not too good with heights).

Cheers Dave

[Shane Watson]

[QUOTE=As for post holes,ditto, not enough weight to push the auger into the ground unless it's nice clean soil. [/QUOTE]

odds are the dingo will push down an auger where the bobbie won't. I've seen it with my own eyes and done it. I've been onsite when a dingo has been called in to drill holes that nothing else could. Bobbie operators don't like it happening on their site either. A dingo don't have any trouble drilling large augers either. This all comes done to hydraulic power as opposed to weight & the dingo from my knowledge outpowers the bobbie in hydraulics.
This whole Dingo vs Bobcat debate could rage for ever. Everyone that has predominantly used a bobbie will favor the bobbie, those that have predominantly used a dingo will favor the dingo. If the operator is good, either machine will perform well. And yeah they both have their advantages.

[journeyman Mick]

........most of the services in the Yellowpages seem to offer tree pruning etc too, thats not something I want to do (not too good with heights).

Cheers Dave

Dave,
you obviously haven't got the right tree pruning technique:
Stand at base of tree with comfortable wide stance.
Fire up your Stihl Magnum Pro chainsaw :eek:
Do a hinge cut at a comfortable height
Do another cut from the back of the trunk down at an angle to meet the hinge cut
Lop the resulting fallen tree into sizes suitable to mill/chip/dump :eek:
See, you don't need to get to any height if you've got the right technique. ;)

Shane,
sorry, I can't see how operator skill or hydraulic power can overcome the problem of an auger simply skittering around on top of rocky ground while the machine that's trying to push it down into the ground lifts its tracks or wheels off the ground and still hasn't enough weight to drive it in. :confused: Similarly for lifting loads, all the hydraulic power in the world is of no use if the machine hasn't enough weight to counter the load. I'm not saying any one machine is better than another, they all have their place, but in my experience the best machine for the job is the heaviest, most powerful machine that can be safely used and maneuvered in the space allowed. sometimes that's a track loader, other times it's a couple of labourers with pick, shovel and wheelbarrow :( . I'll use whatever can safely get the job done in as little time as possible with the least chance of damaging the site. I also wasn't suggesting to Dave that he should get a bobcat, I believe that the smaller machines are a better proposition regarding return on capital investment, ease of transport and maintenance costs :) .

Mick

[Bob Willson]

Mick, your tree lopping/felling advice was spot on except for one thing.

The back cut should be straight across and about 2/3 of the way up the hinge.
If possible I would always attach a rope to the top of the tree and pull SLIGHTLY with a car. Not too much or it can split the tree as you are cutting it. When the tree is just about ready to fall have somebody drive the car away, pulling th etree with them. Do not do a wheelie, 10k an hour is heaps. Make sure that the length of the rope attached to the tree and the car, is longer than the height of the tree. :) This method overcomes any tendency of the tree to follow its own weight as it falls, as it will always follow the rope.
I was a tree lopper in suburban Brisbane for about 10 years so I know a bit on this subject. :)

[Shane Watson]

Mick mate I can't argue with a lot of what you say & infact agree whole heartadly with some of what your saying :eek:
But fact remains I know what i've done on a dingo and seen what they can do. And weight has never been an issue in drilling an auger even through rocky ground. :o
If you maintain your cutting tips on the augers its the auger that ulitmately pulls itself down. Too much weight on the cutting tip can reduce its efficiency & life.
Just like drilling through metal with a drill bit, you place too much pressure on the drill and the drill bit will not cut effectively and will most likly burn your bit (especially if your not using a coolant). :cool:
The lifting power of a dingo is also up there, I've lifted full pallets of logs and rails round onsite without worry. :cool:
Being around dingos for over 14yrs I have a fair indication of what they can and can't do, But your right, they ain't always the best tool for the job and I also subscribe to that theory. ;)

Cheers!! :D

[davo453]

Ah yes Mick I've used your technique many times, having lived on a property badly affected by die back and a drop in the water table :( I have in fact sadly done it hundreds of times and also used a front end loader to just push them down from the top (much quicker).

It's the restricted space problem were you need a cherry picker to get off the ground and working around power lines that doesn't fill me with enthusiasm.

The guy from Dingo is bring his machine (K9-4) to my place on Tuesday to try a post hole or two and dig a trench, the ground here is very rocky and has defeated my mates bobcat and hole digger several times so I'll report back then :D

Cheers Dave

[ozwinner]

Mick, your tree lopping/felling advice was spot on except for one thing.

The back cut should be straight across and about 2/3 of the way up the hinge.
If possible I would always attach a rope to the top of the tree and pull SLIGHTLY with a car. Not too much or it can split the tree as you are cutting it. When the tree is just about ready to fall have somebody drive the car away, pulling th etree with them. Do not do a wheelie, 10k an hour is heaps. Make sure that the length of the rope attached to the tree and the car, is longer than the height of the tree. :) This method overcomes any tendency of the tree to follow its own weight as it falls, as it will always follow the rope.
I was a tree lopper in suburban Brisbane for about 10 years so I know a bit on this subject. :)
Plus also dont forget the video camera, so we can all see the results on Funniest Home Vids' :D

Al

[journeyman Mick]

Bob,
I've dropped some trees, but not lots. Most of my chainsaw work has been in fencing and pole construction.
Dave,
Sad about the dieback and falling water table. Know what you mean about dropping trees in confined areas. I'll do the easy stuff but anything tricky I'll leave to an expert. I've got a cousin that's an arborist and some of the stuff he does is amazing. He came round to our place when we first moved in as there was a spindly red stringy bark about 20M high leaning over the house. He climbed up and managed to drop it by taking about 1.5 - 2M off at a time and lowering the log down on a rope. I had another rope on the log and had to pull it out clear of the house. The log would whizz past him after he cut it (until his rope would stop it) and looking at it you'd think it was going to brain him :eek: . When my wife saw what he was doing she rang his wife and told her she was crazy for letting him go out and do that kind of work. If anyone ever gets a quote for tree lopping work and thinks it's a bit steep they need to consider the dangers involved (and the insurance premiums :mad: )

Mick, the chainsaw wielding greenie :D

[Bob Willson]

Worst (scariest) job I ever did was on the top of Mount Tamborine. Tree about 100 metres tall on the edge of a 200m cliff and they just wanted the top half cut off. Wore the dark brown pants for that one. :)

[AlexS]

Some NT colleagues showed a film at a conference a few years ago about some of their construction & destruction jobs. In one case, they attempted to drop a BIG dead tree by boring a hole in it and exploding a stick of dynamite or some such.

The tree took off like a caber, end over end towards the camera - pity it didn't have a sound track, I reckon it would have expanded our vocabulary.

[ozwinner]

I owe you a greenie when it lets me do it. http://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/geno/rofl.gif

Al

[vsquizz]

Dave, saw this while I was out today. In the photo you can just see two augers, bucket and ditch digger attachment. Looks like a great setup.

Cheers

[davo453]

Looks good Squizzy

Whereabouts was it? wonder if he would be my competition :)

I can see the augers and the trencher and it looks like the bucket is fitted to the machine but what?s the thing on the back of the trailer.

Also what's the legal weight limit for a single axle trailer with brakes, anyone know?

Cheers Dave

[vsquizz]

Dave, Photo taken in the Swan Valley. I couldn't figure out what the hydraulic controls where at the back of the trailer, it was only a drive by shooting.

As for trailers and legal weights, well thats a whole big bunch a cans of wriggly things. The rating for the trailer is essentially an engineering assessment of the construction, axle capacity and wheel/tyre combination. After that the State and Federal laws kick-in. However, the predominat limitation is the Manufacturer's limitation for the trailer and the towing vehicle. All the ADR regs changed a couple of years back and I don't prefess to know them all. Contact DOPI (just love that) Dept Planning & Infrastructure or old DOT.

Whilst the government regulates the speeds and the maximum limits the individual manufacturer's limits may precede this. For example my Subaru, and its tow bar, are limited to 500 kg un-braked and 900 kgs braked. In some states all loads over 750 kg must be braked and so on...The Dept should have a leaflet on it.

Cheers

[davo453]

Ah yes in the Swan valley eh, he probably would be competition for me I guess.

I will contact DOPI :D, My Ute will tow 1800 kg braked so it should be ok but there's obviously a legal limit per axle. For example large trucks are allowed 6 ton per single wheeled axle and 9 ton per double wheeled axle depending on tyres etc.

Must be a similar rule for car type trailers. The dingo dealer is talking a single axle trailer and with the machine weighing 920kg and the attachments being at least around 600kg I could be in trouble. The picture shows a double axle trailer and he has the lighter machine (K9-3) on it.

Cheers Dave

[DavidG]

You are in trouble.
920 + 600 Kg is 1520 Kg

You can only tow 1800 so your trailer must weigh in at 280 Kg or less

Even a little 6/4 weighs that much.

You will need a dual axle unit with brakes and that will weigh at least 500Kg (mine weighs 780Kg for a 14' by 6'6")
Remember there is a lot of money riding on the trailer. Dual axles are much more stable than a single axle. Make sure you get load sharing axle setup NOT the slip spring setup.

This puts you very close to two tonne (1520 + ~500Kg). Over two tonne you need electric breakaway brakes and they are not cheap.
(so I was told)

[davo453]

I said I’d report back on Tuesday after my dingo demo, so here goes. It is impressive it handled our (for want of a better word) soil very well. They used a 12” chain (without rock teeth) on the trench digger and it relatively easily dug a 12 meter long trench down to 1 meter in about 8 mins, chucking football size rocks out as it went.


They bought a post hole auger with rock teeth and that wore it’s way down through a large rock to 500mm in about 10 minutes. If it can handle the soil here it can cope pretty much anywhere, Granite could take a long time mind you.

The dingo had heaps of torque and only stalled a few times.

Wish I’d though about this before we built the new house as I’m sure we would have saved heaps on earth works.

All up I’m impressed and will probably get one, naturally when ever you start looking into this you blow your original budget and yes it’s happened to me already. Not least because I’m faced with upgrading the Ute to be able to tow it.

Just gotta convince the enemy now………….

Cheers Dave

[DavidG]

Dave
Think about only carrying the Dingo on the trailer and the attachments, as required, in the ute. ie Only carry the attachments you need for the specific job.
You should then be able to get a trailer and fit in under the max tow capability of the ute.

Another idea is to get a little low truck (1.5 tonne) and make a set of loader ramps. No need for a trailer then. Think Kia make one.

Dave..
ps Pix attached of my little girl that I carry on the 14' trailer

[journeyman Mick]

Dave,
if you're shopping for another ute look at their GCM (Gross Combination Mass)as well as their towing capacity. I've been looking at 4WD utes as I want to buy another when $$ permit. Originally I was looking at the Rodeo as it had the longest legal carrying capacity (longest wheelbase). It had (if my memory serves me correctly) a 2ton towing capacity and a pretty good Gross Vehicle Mass however it had a pretty low GCM, which meant that if you were towing a 2ton trailer you couldn't put much more than your lunch box in the tray. I found the Nissan Navara had the best GCM and towing capacity (2.8 ton braked trailer and a full load 1 ton+). These figures may be different if you're looking at 2WDs. Hope this is of some help.

Mick

[RETIRED]

Pix attached of my little girl that I carry on the 14' trailer

NIce toy David. I could have as much fun on that as my forklift :D

[vsquizz]

Dave

Dave..
ps Pix attached of my little girl that I carry on the 14' trailer
Now thats a Tonka toy, where do I get one (is that Triton orange??)

[davo453]

Thanks for the ideas.

Dave that?s a cool looking machine and 4wd too !. I had thought of putting the Dingo on a low truck but would like to keep the tray clear so I can carry other stuff.

Mick I also took a look at the Rodeo but as you say the GCM is not really up to the job, the Navara I hadn?t looked at, I will take a look but I once had an 88 Navara that kept stuffing gearboxes, so once bitten twice shy there?.

The current thinking is for a cheap Japanese import 2 or 3 ton tipper. They can be found for around 11k meaning I can sell my Ute and buy one with a bit of change (with luck). It would be sad to change over though as the Hilux has been very good.

A tipper would mean I can cart small loads of sand etc to the jobs and make a few more $$$

Cheers Dave

[wanderer]

Davo, I am interested to see if you actually bought the Dingo Mini Digger, as I am going through the process myself at the moment, and would be interested to see what you thought of the units.

I am different to you in the way I have not been in the earth moving or excavating industry, but have an engineering background and I am looking at getting into another field.

Any Information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Wanderer

Hi Guy’s

I’m about to make a significant investment, I am seriously considering buying a Dingo Mini Digger and attachments, with a view to starting a small probably part time contracting business.

I’ve driven many earth movers in my time everything from a Bobcat to a D9 but only on an amateur basis. I do however feel I have a good enough grounding to get into one of these machines and with practice produce a good job.

Question is does anyone know anybody that has done this?, did they make a success of it? Do they regret going for such a small (all be it powerful) machine?. Which of the many attachments should I get?.

And many other questions :D

Cheers

Dave

[davo453]

Hi Wanderer

No I haven't bought one yet but am very close, I have the final costings and am about to take the plunge.

The demo was very impressive and my market research (for what it's worth) was positive.

I've sent you a private message.

Dave

[ozwinner]

Hi Wanderer

No I haven't bought one yet but am very close, I have the final costings and am about to take the plunge.

The demo was very impressive and my market research (for what it's worth) was positive.

I've sent you a private message.

Dave
Hi Davo

Im am interseted in this thread also, Im a brickie at the moment, but I will hit my use by date very shortly.
How did you do your "market research "?

Cheers, Al

[wanderer]

HI Again Davo,

Yep got the message thanks, I am completely new to this place, so it was a nice surprise to find your post.

I am also setting myself up for a demo this time home, and am looking at the K9-4, the dealer said a realistic price would be looking at $42 - 45,000, where the ad says from 36. I was also thinking of an ex government Landcruiser tray back, but will see, as I intend to start part time for now, and then give up the day job when it is going well. I work 28 days on and 28 off on oil rigs, so I should be able to get a bit of a run at it, also I am about to build a house, so have 1/3 acre to play on.

Did you have a look at the Backhoe attachment, I am guessing that would be an expensive investment, and may try and hire that for now, and look at purchasing later.

Wanderer

[vsquizz]

Ok you guys, I've had a enough of the Banjo. When you get around to purchasing the machine, you need to test the trailer set-up (tow to my place), test the machine out (shift 3 tonnes of sand at my place) and improve your skills (shifting 3 tonnes of sand at my place). I will stand around and offer advice....


Im am interseted in this thread also, Im a brickie at the moment, but I will hit my use by date very shortly.
How did you do your "market research "?
About 8 months ago I started my own business. I thought I knew a lot, but lets say knowing a lot about engineering (or whatever it is you do) is not the sole makings of running your own "successful" small business. Theres lots of help available out there for small businesses now and especially for doing market research. I begrudgingly went a did a Small Business Management course and found it quite an eye opener and very very helpful. I'd be happy to pass on some of my limited experience if anyone is interested. (for a 3 tonne sand relocation negotiable fee:D )

Good Luck

[Ric]

G'day Davo
I pick up my machine tomorrow, a K9-4 with 4 in 1 and PHD, inital reason for getting one was that we lost a heap of fencing on our farm in Feb and decided that getting a Dingo with the PHD and doing the re fencing ourselves beat a contract fencer by a mile and we will be left with a machine to sub contract with. We also have a 2 1/2 acre house block in Walliston that we just moved into and a garden that looks like a gravell pit, besides I love a new toy every now and again.
I hope we are not to close as neighbours but regardless working together in coopetition is a good thing, happy to talk with you about Dingo if you wish.

Like you I was very impressed with the capacity of the Dingo for digging holes, I have had Post hole diggers and FEL's on every thing from Massey 65s to JD 4080 and I recon the Dingo digger beats the pants off them.

Ric

[davo453]

Hi Ric

I get my machine tomorrow also (Friday). K9-4 with post hole digger trencher, trailer and a load of other stuff.

I'm in Bullsbrook but will be prepared to travel (if you live in Bullsbrook your used to that) so we may be competing a bit but as you say that?s not a bad thing. I'll be looking for something to specialise in anyway eventually.

Every man and his dog will have one of these things soon :)

I've sent you a private message.

Cheers Dave

[davo453]

Just thought i'd post a picture of what I ended up with. If you see me on the road give me a wave. Spent more on the truck than I intended (typical really)

Also should you need a job doing North of the river (Perth) let me know :D

Cheers

Dave

[Alastair]

Just a word of caution. Particularly with the trencher mounted, they are bloody top heavy. My brother-in-law recently hired one for the weekend. I spent most of Saturday with timber packs and screw jacks getting the sucker back onto its wheels after he capsised it. I gave him heaps about amateur operators, and then while showing him "how to do it properly" I bloody near did the same. The ground had a slight slope, but nothing more than10 deg or so.

[vsquizz]

Davo, excellent. Ive just had the truck drop off about 14 tonnes of limestone at my place (after I shifted that amount of sand by hand/barra).

Just a thought; The bricks I'm using are 350 x 300 x 1000 (reconstituted) so over 100 kgs each (8 bricks to a pallet). The contractor is coming in next week to put up the retaining wall (so I can finally get that new shed). I asked him if he had a team of gorrillas working for him, he said most gorrillas have a higher IQ than his boys but they use a special clamp on the Bobbie. Given the miles of limestone going up around the place is this an option for the Dingo and does it have the counter/ballast weight to handle it??

Good Luck and remember;

All good work is an uphill battle

Cheers

[davo453]

Alastair yes they are top heavy with the trencher on, the rule with all earth movers (bobcats and front end loaders etc) is to keep the load as low as possible, and you go up or down the hill with the heavy end uphill (but low). They should really explain that when you hire em it's not the sort of thing you want falling on you.

Squizzy the Dingo has a safe working load of 250kg on the arms which obviously lessens the further it is away from the machine (it will lift alot more though in my experiance). I have a lifting arm and they do a block lifting thingo which is basically the same as the bobcat one.

Good luck with all that limestone, look forward to photo's when it's done, pity you live south of the river :)

Cheers Dave.

[vsquizz]

Davo, Here ya go mate. Before and well...what we did today.

Oh and Al these big rectangular things are called Bricks...and these ones weigh 220 kg each :D . Just as well you retired mate, The Kubota has made you redundant;)

Cheers

[ozwinner]

Pfhhht

Used to lift em handed mate, Kubota, is that the name of the BBQ?

Al :D :)

[vsquizz]

Jes*s your fast Al:D .

[ozwinner]

The wonders of modern science.

Now when I was a lad.....................................

Al :D

[vsquizz]

Here's a few more.

Al we had the barbie last week when we toasted marshmellows over me old shed...RIP:(

But when all this is finished whhooHoo:D

Cheers

[ozwinner]

I think there'll be a few toasted.............mmmmm.............ppl this Saturday, as we are haveing a get together at our new venture, hic, oowhh me poor head.

Pity you bunch of missfits live so far away. :D

Al :) ;)

[vsquizz]

I'll have one for ya anyway Al:) . Hope it goes well.

I was just wondering, did you ever work out when you were a young bloke and somebody told you bricks and mortar was a good thing..well... that they didn't mean layin em?:rolleyes:

Cheers

[ozwinner]

Actualy, bricks and mortar has been real good for us. :D
Now hopefuly, junk will be too. :cool:

Al :)

[davo453]

Looks a good job Squizzy, how wide was the foundation trench?

[vsquizz]

Looks a good job Squizzy, how wide was the foundation trench?
2 x 300 mm brickie killers wide, plus some, so about a 800mm, 1 cut with excavator. You only need that wide when you have to put in the backing bricks (for over 1 metre). I'll whack on a few pickies of the front we did today. {read run out, lay some bricks, down with rain etc etc} What a Prune of a day.

I get to spend tomorrow core drilling holes in the top to put the colourbond back up. Hopefully that will be easier than breaking the rapid-set off the old posts with the sledgie was.

Cheers

NB note Prune of a day :D

[vsquizz]

Here todays efforts Davo

The lengths a bloke will go to just for a new shed:)


Cheers

[davo453]

Looking good squiz, so this is to put the shed on top of or bribery to enable you to build the shed?

It?s all in a good cause anyway. I?m wishing I?d built a bigger shed now the current one is 18x9mtr but is now full when the Dingo and trailer etc are in there.

It is so true that a man can never have a big enough shed.

Dave

[vsquizz]

Looking good squiz, so this is to put the shed on top of or bribery to enable you to build the shed?

Dave
A bit of both Dave. The shed goes on the south side which needs retaining. To get at the southside we had to do the front. There was too much sand out the front and the best place to put it was on the north side which would then need retaining. Part of the deal with the shed was to do the double garage properly so doing the north side was 1st in line. Goes like this

North side + Front + Southside = New Shed and Squizz broke:D

All very logical really.

Cheers

[RETIRED]

NB note Prune of a day :D

Well done Squizzy. :D

[vsquizz]

Well done Squizzy. :D
We aim to please:) . Actually, it was a little more pear shaped than prune like.

[vsquizz]

Davo, sorry to do this to ya mate but I'm going to hire a Kanga. I've had enough of the Banjo. Hire place down the road has them for $140.00 a day, what do you reckon?. Its the plastic track one.


Cheers

[vsquizz]

Oh and here is completion of the northside, well most of the hard yakka anyway. Now comes the worst bit, where She picks the plants and the edging an all that....

Sorry about the mug in photie, just woke up, fell asleep on the bricks...:D

Hey Al look I'm a brickie!....oops, no crack showing...Bugga:( not qualified!

You'll notice I still have a "few" bricks left over. Thats the next job..Crikey I can't wait to get back to work. This couple of weeks holiday is killing me....and my hands...from all that concrete and bricks...what a mess...there all coarse an dry...Ooohhh my poor pinkies Al ...AL what am I going to do...there all rough ..OOoooooooo!

Cheers

[namtrak]

I run a little landscaping business and have toyed with buying a kanga (over the dingo) and have decided to stick with hiring them. For around $100-140 a day I can charge that out and don't have to worry about servicing etc. And I figure at $40,000 I am tied to the unit for 3/4 years before it pays for itself.

A must would be 2 augurs, trencher, 4 in 1 bucket, leveller. The kanga is only really any good for moving topsoil, mulches etc. As with a BobCat once you get into any sort of sub-soil you are totally buggered.

I find the tracked kangas are handy for when your doing trenching as they move steadily and make less of a mess of where-ever your headed, but if your moving dirt, using the augurs bascially anything else then run with the wheeled jobbies as they move nearly twice as fast.

[RETIRED]

Sorry about the mug in photie, just woke up, fell asleep on the bricks...:D

Hey Al look I'm a brickie!....oops, no crack showing...Bugga:( not qualified!


Cheers
Were your prayers answered? :D

[vsquizz]

Were your prayers answered? :D
Nope, it was all still here this morning:D :D

Namtrak, the guys at the local hire shop reckon the tracks are really good in the boggy stuff where the wheeled jobbies will get stuck. They did say it was slower. I'm only hiring this one because its literally down the end of the street and cheaper than Coates/wreckair. But get this; I hired the core drill with 127 mm bit for $140/day. Coates wanted over $250 for the same.


Cheers

[davo453]

Davo, sorry to do this to ya mate but I'm going to hire a Kanga. I've had enough of the Banjo. Hire place down the road has them for $140.00 a day, what do you reckon?. Its the plastic track one.


Cheers

You obviously realise that your a traitor, but the Kanga is certainly ok and the tracks will be good in soft sand. It is arguably little less powerful than a Dingo but has to beat a shovel any day, 140 seems reasonable you can pay up to $220 but that usualy includes more than just a bucket.

Cheers


Dave

[vsquizz]

You obviously realise that your a traitor, but the Kanga is certainly ok and the tracks will be good in soft sand. It is arguably little less powerful than a Dingo but has to beat a shovel any day, 140 seems reasonable you can pay up to $220 but that usualy includes more than just a bucket.

Cheers


Dave
My thoughts exactly
Cheers

[namtrak]

The tracks do work better in boggy conditions. If it's dry though, consider the wheeled version - the speed difference is chalk and cheese.

And $140 is a good deal, pick it up at 7 and use it for about 14 hours!! to get some real value.. And then you can legitimately argue the point with swmbo that you have saved over $1000 because if you hired a man and his machine for 14 hours it would have cost 14 by $70, rather than $140 neat (plus fuel for digger and driver). Now what would a $1000 buy? Vacuum, second fixed router, 235mm cut-off etc etc?

I get the kanga for $100 with all attachments, but only cause I hire nearly every week for a day or so. And it isn't through Coates etc, who charge much higher - I've just lucked out a bit cause a local car hire company wanted to make a few dollars on the side....

[davo453]

Thought I'd follow up on my Dingo purchase and "new business"

Unfortunately It's hasn't been a total success. Don't get me wrong I've done a fair amount of work with the machine and it is very good at what it does.

The quality of the product and service backup can't be argued with at all.

My problem has been in the availability of work, I've tried everything I can think of, having advertised in all the local papers, dropped flyers written letters and made phone calls etc. I did (I thought) research the market before buying it and got positive responces, but they have come to nothing.

The fact is that even though the Dingo does an excellent job, many people.

1) Don't know what they are capable of but know the name Bobcat.
2) Some that know of the Dingo know the older machines and their limitations.
3) Those that do know their capabilities generaly only use them on limited access jobs (which is logical i guess)

The trick it seems is to specialise and use the machine as a tool for maybe a fencing contracting business or Handyman or something and take on the occasional extra job. This is not what i set out to do, but reality bites I guess.

I've not given up though. But am going to have to take on a part time job driving again by the looks of things, at least for the time being anyway.

Cheers



Dave