In message , Roger
writes
Avid readers of this ng will know that I am on the lookout for a cheap
digger but I remain undecided as to the type to buy and could do with
some impartial expert advice on the subject. The more I think about it
the more I think a mini digger will best suit what I have to but I still
have some doubts on various aspects.

I have decided to up my budget to £3000 but that is still very much the
bottom end of the market, particularly for a mini digger.

I would have offered my JCB 3D but you said distance costs:-)

Anything that old is not going to cheer up any elfin safety person so
you are restricted to own jobs. The ability to move muck 1 ton at a time
may not be an enormous benefit if you do not have the space to manoeuvre
a large machine.

With a full size digger the choice is really which particular JCB but
there is a bewildering range of mini diggers from a considerable number
of manufacturers so I would like to know which manufacturers have a
reputation for reliability or perhaps more pertinently which
manufacturers to avoid.

Can't answer that but you might factor in the value of a 4 in 1 bucket
for levelling/scraping and the forks for any pallet work. I don't think
you get either with a mini.

regards

--
Tim Lamb