How hard is it to learn to use a rental mini-excavator?

[kozal01]

4 days including taxes, insurance, fuel and delivery? For what size?

Yes, $550 total with fuel and delivery/ pickup. No idea the size, its in the pictures above. I told them what I intended to use it for and they sized it appropriately.

 

[4570Man]

Yes, $550 total with fuel and delivery/ pickup. No idea the size, its in the pictures above. I told them what I intended to use it for and they sized it appropriately.

That’s a really good deal. There’s 3 options for rentals in my area. Lowes has a Cat 302.7 which is smaller than the one you rented for $329 for 24 hours or $987 for a week. Neither price includes tax or delivery. The other 2 places don’t have the rates published on their website but they’re comparable.

 

[kozal01]

That’s a really good deal. There’s 3 options for rentals in my area. Lowes has a Cat 302.7 which is smaller than the one you rented for $329 for 24 hours or $987 for a week. Neither price includes tax or delivery. The other 2 places don’t have the rates published on their website but they’re comparable.

When I was looking at the local equipment rental places they were much higher. I happened to be at the dealer I bought my tractor from and I mentioned wishing I had a mini x and he said they rented them out, had no idea they did that. He did cut me a break since it was a holiday weekend and they didn't need it back right away but it was still going to be about $800 for 4 days.

 

[4570Man]

When I was looking at the local equipment rental places they were much higher. I happened to be at the dealer I bought my tractor from and I mentioned wishing I had a mini x and he said they rented them out, had no idea they did that. He did cut me a break since it was a holiday weekend and they didn't need it back right away but it was still going to be about $800 for 4 days.

My dealer rents them as well but they require you to have your own insurance which makes them pretty unappealing to a homeowner.

 

[kozal01]

My dealer rents them as well but they require you to have your own insurance which makes them pretty unappealing to a homeowner.

I wonder if its a state requirement or something they want? I didn't have to have anything like that.

 

[seville009]

The learning curve is very short, especially if you’re already familiar with operating equipment (in terms of being careful, respecting the power of hydraulics, etc).

I actually bought a used large one (Hitach EX-60UR) (about 6.5 tons weight) around 2008, used it for about ten years, then sold it for pretty much what I paid for it.

Depending on how large your stumps are, you generally will want the largest excavator that you can afford. Makes it easier if there is a thumb on the bucket, especially if there are large rocks around the stumps to deal with.

Just a suggestion - look on Craigslist or somewhere for someone who does that type if work. Might be less expensive and less of a headache to just hire it out if this just a one time thing for you.

 

[Redlands Okie]

$1,000 a day? That's insane. I paid $550 for 4 days! Shop around.

Central Oklahoma here, roughly $375 to $500 plus tax a day for a smaller mid size excavator that could be hauled behind a 1/2 ton pickup.

 

[4570Man]

I wonder if its a state requirement or something they want? I didn't have to have anything like that.

Renting isn’t their business model. They don’t even have a sign up that they do it. I figured they decided it was easier to pass the responsibility on to the customer instead of getting the correct rental insurance.

 

[garry1p]

Not hard at all.
Have the rental people give you a quick run through.

 

[BlueKnife]

I'm considering renting a mini-excavator to dig about 10 stumps in the 12 to 24" range. My question is, how steep is the learning curve for a mini-excavator for someone who has lots of hydraulic tractor experience? Can I reasonably expect to dig 10 stumps in a day starting with no mini-excavator experience?

Depends on soil type and your aptitude for such things. Both are huge variables. That said, a rental mini small enough to tow with a 3/4 or one ton pickup is definitely not the right tool to be pulling 24 inch stumps, unless the roots are already rotted. Consider renting a big stump grinder or hiring someone to grind the stumps. It'll probably be similar money or cheaper and the end result will be much more satisfactory. I owned a tree service in Ohio for 20 years. With the stump grinder that I had, grinding 10 12-24" stumps would have taken about one to two hours or so, depending on tree species and root flare and assuming fairly easy access.