Mini excavator hire in Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays

Mini excavator hire from Hank’s Equipment Hire covers Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Proserpine, Bowen and the wider Whitsunday Coast. The hire fleet runs a Caterpillar 301.7, a 1.7 tonne machine with zero tail swing and a 990mm retracted track width for tight-access work. Each hire includes a trailer for self-tow, or delivery is quoted on distance to the worksite.

The mini excavator on hire is a Caterpillar 301.7. It’s a 1.7 tonne machine with zero tail swing, built to fit through standard gates and handle a wide range of attachments on the same hydraulic auxiliary line.

Machine specs:

• Operating weight: 1,715 kg
• Dig depth: 2,540 mm
• Retracted track width: 990 mm
• Expanded track width: 1,300 mm
• Zero tail swing
• Tilt hitch fitted
• Hydraulic auxiliary line fitted

Buckets:

• 250mm trenching bucket
• 300mm trenching bucket
• 450mm general purpose bucket
• 1000mm mud bucket
• 1000mm sieve bucket

Other attachments:

• Ripper
• Hydraulic grab
• Auger drive

Auger sizes:

• 200mm
• 300mm
• 450mm

The attachment suite covers trenching, post holes, footings, drainage, demolition prep and material loading on the same machine.

The Caterpillar 301.7 handles small to mid-sized excavation jobs across the Whitsundays. Zero tail swing, a 990mm retracted track width and the full attachment suite mean one hire covers digging, drilling, ripping and material handling work on the same machine.

Trenching for utilities and drainage

Plumbers, electricians and irrigation contractors use the 301.7 for power, water and comms cabling runs, plus ag drains. The 250mm, 300mm and 450mm trenching buckets handle most utility widths.

Post hole drilling for fences and footings

The auger drive runs 200mm, 300mm and 450mm augers for fence posts, deck piers and signposts. Rural property owners and fencing contractors get a day’s post work done without a separate post driver.

Footings and groundworks

Builders use the 301.7 for shed slab prep, decking piers and house extension footings. The general purpose bucket handles the bulk dig, and the augers cut pier holes on the same hire.

Landscaping and levelling

Landscapers and DIY property owners use the 301.7 for site levelling, retaining wall prep, garden bed shaping and pool surround work. The ripper breaks up hard or rocky ground, and the GP bucket finishes the levelling.

Demolition prep and concrete breakouts

The ripper handles concrete pad edges, rocky ground and compacted clay. The hydraulic grab lifts and stacks broken material into a tipper or trailer.

Material handling and site cleanup

The hydraulic grab moves logs, rocks and debris on site. The 1000mm sieve bucket separates fill soil from stones, and the 1000mm mud bucket cleans out silt from drainage ponds.

Hank’s Equipment Hire offers two ways to get the Caterpillar 301.7 onto the worksite: pickup with the included machinery trailer, or delivery across the Whitsunday Coast.

Pickup with the included trailer

Pickup from Airlie Beach can be arranged in advance, with a machinery trailer included for self-tow. A tow vehicle rated to handle the combined weight of the 301.7 and trailer is required, along with electric brake compatibility and a 7-pin flat plug.

Delivery across the Whitsundays

Delivery is available across Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Proserpine, Bowen and the wider Whitsunday Coast. Costs are quoted on distance to the worksite. Deliveries beyond the Whitsunday region can be arranged anywhere in Queensland on request.

What you need to hire

Hires require a current Australian driver’s licence at handover. The minimum hire period is one day, with day rates, weekly rates and long-term rates available.

Call Hank’s on 0434 085 029 to check availability and get a quote on the Caterpillar 301.7.

The phone is on around the clock. Voicemails receive a return within one hour. Quotes cover day rates, weekly rates and long-term hire, plus delivery from Airlie Beach to the worksite.