RH Digger & Driver Hire supplies excavators with experienced NPORS-qualified operators anywhere within 50 miles of Andover. A 3-tonne digger and driver costs from £355 plus VAT per day on weekly hire. A 6-tonne from £405. The full range runs from a 1-tonne micro (£320) to a 14-tonne excavator (£475), every price is published on our rates page. Most jobs can be booked within a week — call Rory on 07545 265075.
Every machine we send out comes with an operator — we don't do self-drive. One price covers the digger or machine, the driver, and our insurance: £5 million public liability and £10 million employers' liability with NFU Mutual, with certificates available before the job starts. Our operators also arrive equipped with laser levels, compactor plates, site mixers, cut-off saws and a full kit of hand and power tools, all included in the operator rate, so small ancillary jobs get done without a second trade on site. Fuel and transport are quoted separately so you only pay for what your job actually needs; transport is free on selected machines.
RH Digger & Driver Hire is the trading name of RH Plant Machinery Ltd, company number 14486912, owned and run by Rory Hay from just north of Andover. When you ring, you speak to the person who'll be planning your job — usually the person operating the machine too.
| Machine | Best suited to | Day rate with operator |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5t excavators, including micros | Tight access, gardens, internal works | from £320 + VAT |
| 3t excavators with iDig 2D laser control | Gardens, driveways, drainage runs, tight access | from £355 + VAT |
| 6t excavators with iDig 2D laser control | Footings, ponds, land drainage, site strips and low-ground-pressure environments | from £405 + VAT |
| 9t excavators | Forestry works, farm tracks, access roads and sewage treatment plants | from £425 + VAT |
| 14t excavators | Demolition, bulk excavations, earthmoving, lakes and lagoons | from £475 + VAT |
| Telehandlers | Materials handling, loading, bale and pallet moving | from £355 + VAT |
Day rates are on a weekly-hire basis (5 days), machine plus NPORS operator, exclusive of VAT, fuel and transport. Single days and 2–3 day hires cost more per day, every figure is published on the rates page. A 3-tonne digger and driver is £1,775 plus VAT per week; single days from £427. Fuel is charged at cost, per litre used - typical usage is on the rates page. Weekend work available at an additional rate.
Many of our excavators run iDig 2D dual-grade laser level control - the operator sees dig depth and grade live in the cab, so footings, drainage falls and levels are cut right first time. A full range of attachments is available, from augers, flail mower, tree shear, power harrow, ripper tooth and grading rakes to breakers, from £10 +VAT per day on the rates page.
Most of our digger and driver work falls into: excavation for foundations and footings, driveways and hard standings, land and paddock drainage, ponds, site strips and levelling, farm tracks and gateways, and machine-and-operator support for builders, landscapers and main contractors who need capacity on site. If it needs a digger and someone who knows how to use it, it's our work.
Because our group also includes Hay & Co, our design and construction arm delivering landscapes and external works for country houses and estates across the South of England, our operators dig to a precise finish — levels checked, edges clean, site left tidy. It's the difference you notice when the digging is the start of something you'll look at every day.
We work within roughly 50 miles of Andover: all of Hampshire and Wiltshire, most of Berkshire, and into Surrey, Dorset and Oxfordshire. Regular patches include Andover, Winchester, Salisbury, Newbury, Marlborough and the Test Valley villages.
Self-drive hire looks cheaper on paper, but you're paying for the hole, not the machine. An experienced operator does in a day what takes an inexperienced operator two or three. Dug to level, first time, without hitting a pipe or taking out more ground than the job needs. Our iDig laser control means no over-dig, so you buy less concrete and less backfill, and cart away less spoil. There's no hire insurance, no excess, no deposit and no machine you're liable for. On most one-off domestic and farm jobs, the digger with the driver is the cheaper way to get it dug.
RH Plant Machinery Ltd is owner-run by Rory Hay, backed by 20 years' combined experience operating and managing plant on groundworks, agricultural and landscaping projects across the region. Every operator we supply is NPORS-qualified and employed for their experience, not just their ticket. We carry £5 million public liability and £10 million employers' liability insurance with NFU Mutual, plus contractors' all-risks cover, and we're happy to provide insurance documents and RAMS before we arrive on site. Recent projects completed in Andover, Hungerford and Winchester.
From £320 plus VAT per day on weekly hire for a 1-tonne micro, £325 for a 1.5-tonne, £355 for a 3-tonne, £405 for a 6-tonne, up to £475 for a 14-tonne, all including operator. Single days cost more per day (3t: £427). Full tables on the rates page. Rates exclude fuel, transport and VAT.
No. Because our operator stays with the machine, hire and liability insurance is ours, not yours. We carry £5 million public liability cover with NFU Mutual and can send certificates before the job starts.
As a rule of thumb: our 3-tonne suits gardens, driveways and drainage; the 6-tonne handles footings, ponds and soft ground on its low-ground-pressure tracks; for bulk earthworks our 9 and 14-tonne machines take over. Tell us the job and we'll recommend a size — bigger machines often work out cheaper because of their increased capacity.
Usually a week or two, but availability changes fast - please ring to check. We can sometimes cover urgent jobs at short notice.
Yes, at an additional rate. Weekend work is often the practical option for occupied homes and working farms.
Yes, supply to builders, groundworkers, landscapers and main contractors is a core part of the business, from a day's cover to full-week bookings. NPORS tickets, RAMS and insurance certificates (£5m PL / £10m EL) sent before we're on site, operators used to working to your engineer's or foreman's setting out, and VAT invoicing that keeps your QS happy. Ring for trade terms on longer bookings. See plant hire for contractors.
Yes — we regularly slot in under another trade, dig to their setting out and hand over ready for the next stage.
Both our excavators carry iDig 2D dual-grade laser level control, which shows the operator dig depth and grade in real time. It means footings, drainage falls and finished levels are cut accurately first time — no over-dig, less concrete, no re-work. It's included in the rate, not an extra.
No. Every machine goes out with one of our operators. It's how we guarantee the machine's condition and the standard of the work.
Ring Rory on 07545 265075 or email rory@haycote.com with the job, the postcode and rough dates — you'll get a straight answer on size, availability and price, usually the same day.