Thread: Dingo Mini Digger

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.

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

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.

Originally Posted by davo453

Which of the many attachments should I get?.

Which attachments to get? :confused:
Are you serious? :confused:

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

Al

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.

Originally Posted by Bob Willson

I don't believe that they make a 4 in 1 bucket for the Dingo, .

Like this one?

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

Al

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

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

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

Cheers Dave

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

Very nice peaty looking soil in the promo.


Al

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.

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

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.

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

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