How Much Does Mini Excavator Hire Cost on the Central Coast?
If you’re planning a retaining wall, a trench for drainage, or clearing a tight backyard for a small residential job, the first question is always the same: what’s this actually going to cost? Groundbreakers now runs two mini excavators, a 1.2 tonne and a 1.7 tonne, so the honest answer depends a little on which size your job needs. Here’s what goes into a mini excavator hire price on the Central Coast, and what to check before you book.
How much does mini excavator hire cost per day on the Central Coast?
Groundbreakers’ 1.2 tonne Kubota U10-5 hires from $190 a day (inc GST); the larger 1.7 tonne Kubota U17-3 hires from $210 a day (inc GST). Both are published rates, not a “call for a quote” figure.
The full published rates for each machine:
| Kubota U10-5 (1.2T) | Kubota U17-3 (1.7T) | |
|---|---|---|
| Day rate | $190 inc GST | $210 inc GST |
| Weekend (collect from 5pm Friday, back by 5pm Sunday) | $340 inc GST | $360 inc GST |
| Week | $920 inc GST | $1160 inc GST |
| Delivery | $85 inc GST, anywhere on the Central Coast | $85 inc GST, anywhere on the Central Coast |
| Collection | $85 inc GST, anywhere on the Central Coast | $85 inc GST, anywhere on the Central Coast |
To compare both machines and book, see our mini excavator hire on the Central Coast page. The U10-5 rate is also on its own Kubota U10-5 page, and the U17-3 rate is on our 1.7 tonne excavator hire page. Every hire yard prices mini excavators a little differently, but the pattern is consistent: a day rate for the machine itself, plus separate lines for delivery and pickup, with the per-day cost dropping the longer you hire for. Groundbreakers keeps fees lower than the bigger chains by running lean, with no big yard overheads to pass on, which is worth factoring in if you’re comparing against a national hire company. Get in touch for a job-specific quote.
What’s included in the price, and what costs extra?
The base rate covers the machine only; delivery and collection are $85 (inc GST) each, anywhere on the Central Coast, on every machine Groundbreakers hires out.
This $85/$85 flat rate applies to all three machines, the U10-5, the U17-3 and the Cormidi C7X mini dumper. It’s published on the Kubota U10-5 page and the U17-3 page as a flat figure rather than “enquire with our team,” which is unusual for a small hire company and worth pointing out: a lot of yards hold delivery pricing back until you call.
Fuel is the customer’s responsibility. Machines go out full and must come back full, otherwise a $3.85 per litre refuelling charge applies.
This is the detail that trips people up on a first hire: two companies can quote the same “day rate” and still land on very different final invoices once delivery and fuel are added. Groundbreakers keeps this simple: return the machine with a full tank and there’s nothing extra to pay, run it back empty and the refuelling charge covers the difference. It’s the same straightforward approach as the flat $85/$85 delivery and collection fee, no surprises on the final invoice.
Is dry hire or wet hire better for a small residential job?
Dry hire means you get the machine only and operate it yourself; wet hire includes a trained operator, which suits jobs where you don’t have the experience or time to run it safely.
Dry hire is the simpler, usually cheaper option if you or your tradie already know how to run an excavator. You’re responsible for operating it safely and returning it in good condition. Wet hire (machine plus operator) shifts that responsibility to the hire company and is generally the safer call if this is your first time near an excavator, per the breakdown from Sprintlaw’s guide to dry hire vs wet hire. Our mini excavators go out on dry hire, and our team also runs them on operated jobs where that’s the better fit. Get in touch to talk through your job.
If wet hire is the way you are leaning, it is worth knowing that is a service rather than a hire booking. We cover it properly on our wet hire excavator and earthworks page for the Central Coast, including site clearing, trenching, footings and driveway preparation, with the machine and the operator both supplied and the work quoted on your actual job rather than a day rate. Not sure which suits your job? Our wet hire or dry hire guide has a quick 5 question check.
Do you need a licence to operate a mini excavator hired for a residential job in NSW?
In most cases no specific operator’s licence is required for a mini excavator on private residential work, though a Construction Induction (White Card) is needed on a building site.
Mini excavators generally aren’t on the high-risk work licence list that covers things like scaffolding, cranes and hoists in NSW. You can check the current list on SafeWork NSW’s high risk work licences page. If the job is contracted residential building work rather than DIY on your own property, the person doing the excavating may need to hold the relevant contractor licence for that trade. NSW Government’s excavating work page has the current detail on when that applies. This is general information, not legal advice specific to your job. If you’re not sure which category you fall into, it’s worth a quick check before you book.
Which size mini excavator do I need on the Central Coast: the 1.2T or the 1.7T?
The 1.2T Kubota U10-5 suits the tightest side-access jobs; the 1.7T Kubota U17-3 digs deeper and reaches further for bigger footings, retaining walls and drainage runs.
The U17-3 has zero tail swing, meaning the back end doesn’t swing out past the width of the tracks. The U10-5 doesn’t, it has a conventional swing with a 510mm minimum tail turning radius, still tight, just not zero. That’s a real plus for the U17-3 on a Central Coast block where you’re working close to a fence or a neighbour’s boundary. Here’s how the two machines stack up, straight from the manufacturer’s working-range figures for each:
| What matters | Kubota U10-5 (1.2T) | Kubota U17-3 (1.7T) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating weight | 1200kg (incl. 75kg operator) | 1675kg (incl. 75kg operator) |
| How deep it digs (max digging depth) | 1800mm | 2310mm |
| How high it lifts (max digging height) | 3050mm | 3540mm |
| How far it reaches (max digging radius) | 3380mm | 3900mm |
| Track width (adjustable) | 750–990mm | 990–1240mm |
| Turning radius (with swing) | 1075mm | 1215mm |
| Tail swing | Standard swing, 510mm min. tail turning radius | Zero, doesn’t stick out past the tracks |
Most backyard jobs are limited by the narrowest gate or path on the property, or by how deep and how far the machine needs to reach, before they’re limited by anything else. With tracks retracted, the U10-5 narrows to 750mm, tight enough for most standard side gates, while the U17-3’s track width adjusts down to 990mm. As a rough guide: the U10-5 is the pick for the tightest access and the smallest jobs, and the U17-3 is worth the extra $20 a day once you need more reach or depth than a 1.2 tonne machine gives you. Full working-range figures are published on the manufacturer spec sheets linked from Groundbreakers’ own pages: the Kubota U10-5 specifications (PDF) and the Kubota U17-3 specifications (PDF), or see the Kubota Ultra-Compact Excavator U10-5 page and the Kubota U17-3 page for the full hire details.
Why hire from a family-owned Central Coast business instead of a national chain?
As a family-owned, Koolewong-based team, we deliver and collect the machine ourselves, so you deal with the same people from the first call through to pickup.
We’re a genuinely local operation, not a national chain with a call centre between you and the yard, based in Koolewong and delivering across Central Coast suburbs including Gosford, Woy Woy, Terrigal, Wyong, Tuggerah and Berkeley Vale. Johny, the director, has over 20 years working with plant and machinery in the mining and civil sectors, a detail confirmed on our own homepage. That matters most on a small residential job, where a big chain’s minimum hire terms or delivery scheduling often don’t flex for a one-day backyard job the way a local family business can. If you’ve got a scaffold or trailer need on the same job, our scaffold hire Central Coast and trailer hire pages cover those separately. See more on who we are on our About Us page.
FAQ
What size mini excavator do I need for a small job like a retaining wall or trenching?
For most backyard retaining walls, drainage trenches and small footings, the 1.2 tonne Kubota U10-5 is sized right; for deeper digs or bigger footings, step up to the 1.7 tonne Kubota U17-3. The U10-5 digs to 1800mm and reaches 3380mm; the U17-3 digs to 2310mm and reaches 3900mm. See the comparison table above for the full working-range figures.
How much does the bigger 1.7 tonne excavator cost to hire?
The Kubota U17-3 (1.7 tonne) hires from $210 a day, $360 for the weekend or $1160 for the week, all inc GST, plus $85 delivery and $85 collection anywhere on the Central Coast. This is $20 a day more than the 1.2 tonne Kubota U10-5, for a machine that digs deeper, higher and further. See the Kubota U17-3 page for the full rate card.
Can I hire for just a half-day, or only by the full day?
No, Groundbreakers only hires the mini excavators by the full day. There’s no half-day rate on either machine, it keeps bookings simple to manage for a small team. If your job only needs the machine for a few hours, you still book and pay the day rate shown in the price table above. In practice this rarely matters, most small jobs like a single retaining wall section or a day of trenching fit comfortably inside one day. If you think the job will run into a second day, the weekend rate (collect from 5pm Friday, return by 5pm Sunday) usually works out better value than two separate day rates. Get in touch if you’re not sure which option fits your job.
What areas does Groundbreakers deliver mini excavators to?
We deliver across Central Coast NSW, including Gosford, Woy Woy, Terrigal, Wyong, Tuggerah and Berkeley Vale, with delivery and collection at $85 (inc GST) each. We’re based in Koolewong and this is where we deliver most days. If your job is outside these suburbs, get in touch to check, we do sometimes travel further for the right job. See our products and equipment hire page for the full range we deliver into this area.
Do I need my own insurance to hire a mini excavator?
No damage waiver is offered on dry hire. If the machine is damaged during your hire period, you’re responsible for the cost of repairs. As a small, family-run operation, Groundbreakers doesn’t offer a damage waiver product the way a larger national chain might. The full detail of this is set out in our Terms & Conditions, which applies to every hire. It’s worth a quick read before you book, and worth checking the machine over with our team at pickup or delivery so any existing wear and tear is noted upfront.
Is fuel included in the hire price?
No, fuel is the customer’s responsibility. Machines are supplied with a full tank and must be returned full, or a $3.85 per litre refuelling charge applies. Return the machine with the same fuel level it left with and there’s nothing extra to pay. This is standard practice across the plant hire industry and applies to every machine in the fleet, not just the mini excavators.
Is there a minimum hire period?
Yes, one full day. Groundbreakers prices by the day, weekend or week, there’s no shorter booking option on either mini excavator.