Do You Need a Licence to Operate a Mini Excavator?

If you’re asking “do you need a licence to operate a mini excavator?”, the short answer is generally no for typical private property use. You don’t normally need a specific excavator licence simply because you want to hire and operate a mini excavator for a backyard, landscaping or other private property job.

Quick answer

For typical private property use in Queensland or New South Wales, you generally don’t need a specific excavator licence to operate a mini excavator such as the Kubota U17-3.

That means a homeowner doesn’t normally need to go away and obtain an excavator ticket simply to dry hire a mini excavator for a typical job around their property.

Never operated one before? That doesn’t automatically rule out dry hire either. At handover, Digger2Hire can give you a rundown of the machine, show you the controls and explain the basics before you get started.

Can I hire a mini excavator if I’ve never used one before?

Yes. First-time operators hire mini excavators for residential jobs.

The controls can look like a lot when you first sit in the machine, but the basic movements soon start to make sense once you’ve had some time on them.

At handover, we can give you a practical rundown of the Kubota U17-3. We can show you what the controls do, how the machine operates and the basics you need to know before starting your job.

Generally, we find customers are feeling confident with the basic controls within the first 30 minutes or so of using the machine. There’s no prize for getting there quickly, though. Take your time and get comfortable with how the machine responds before getting stuck into the job.

Do I need an excavator ticket?

For typical private property use, you generally don’t need a specific excavator ticket simply to operate a mini excavator.

Queensland no longer requires the old earthmoving equipment certificate for excavators. In New South Wales, earthmoving machinery generally does not require a licensed operator when the machine is being used for the purpose for which it was designed.

There can be different requirements when machinery is being used as part of a business, workplace, construction site, demolition project or specialised type of work. If that’s your situation, check the requirements that apply to the particular work and site.

Is a 1.7T mini excavator a good machine to learn on?

A 1.7T mini excavator can be a practical size for residential work because it’s compact without being so small that it loses too much useful digging ability.

Digger2Hire uses a Kubota U17-3. It has variable-width tracks, zero tail swing and a compact overall footprint, making it useful where backyard access is limited.

Compact doesn’t mean you should rush. The best approach for a first-time operator is to start slowly in a clear area where possible. Get used to the controls before trying to work close to fences, walls or other obstacles.

If you’re wondering what this size of machine can handle, see our guide to what a 1.7T mini excavator can do.

What should I practise first?

You don’t need to start by digging the deepest part of the job.

Spend a little time getting familiar with the basic movements first. Learn how the boom, arm and bucket respond. Get a feel for slewing the upper structure plus moving the machine forwards and backwards.

Small, deliberate control inputs are a much better way to learn than trying to work quickly.

Once the movements start to feel natural, you can begin working on the actual job at a pace you’re comfortable with.

Choose a sensible first job

Not every excavation is a good first project.

General landscaping, moving soil, straightforward trenching or digging in an open backyard can be much easier to approach than a difficult excavation beside a structure or on challenging ground.

If the job involves a steep slope, very deep excavation, heavy lifting, hard rock or work where there is little room for error, experience matters much more.

If you’re not comfortable with the job, there’s nothing wrong with deciding that dry hire isn’t the right option for that particular project.

Check what is underground before you dig

Whether you’ve operated an excavator for years or you’re hiring one for the first time, you need to know what may be underneath the area you’re planning to excavate.

Before You Dig Australia provides a free service that can supply information from participating asset owners about underground infrastructure around your proposed work area.

This applies to homeowners too. Don’t assume there’s nothing underground simply because you’re working inside your own property.

If you’re excavating in New South Wales, there are also specific notification requirements for work near gas and electricity networks. Lodging a Before You Dig Australia enquiry before starting is an important part of planning the job.

Plans are useful information, but they shouldn’t be treated as an exact map of every service on a property. Private services may not appear, while asset locations or depths may not be exact. If you’re unsure what’s below, sort that out before putting a bucket or auger into the ground.

Make sure the machine actually fits your property

Being able to operate the machine doesn’t help much if you can’t get it to the job.

The U17-3 can retract to 990 mm wide, which makes it useful for many residential sites. The gate isn’t the only measurement that matters, though.

Check the narrowest point along the whole route, overhead clearance, tight turns, ground conditions and the room available once the machine reaches the work area.

Our guide to checking whether a mini excavator will fit through your side gate explains how to measure the access properly.

Make sure you’re hiring enough machine for the job

A beginner doesn’t necessarily need the smallest excavator available.

The machine still needs enough digging depth, reach and capability to do the work efficiently. Choosing a machine that’s too small can turn a straightforward excavation into a frustrating job.

The U17-3 has a manufacturer-rated maximum digging depth of 2,310 mm. That doesn’t mean every excavation up to 2.31 metres is automatically a sensible job for a 1.7T machine.

If depth is important to your project, read our guide to how deep a 1.7T mini excavator can dig.

If you’re still deciding which size you need, start with our mini excavator size guide.

What attachments can I use?

The attachment can make as much difference to the job as the excavator itself.

Digger2Hire’s U17-3 package includes three buckets, a ripper, an Auger Torque X2000 with 300 mm and 450 mm augers plus a Hydraulic rock grabber.

You don’t need to use every attachment just because it’s available. Choose what suits the work you’re actually doing.

You can see the full range on our excavator attachments page.

What if I’m still not confident?

Ask us.

Tell us what you’re planning to do, how much access you have, how deep you need to dig and what the ground is like. Photos can be useful too.

We’ll tell you whether the U17-3 looks like a sensible machine for the job. If what you’re describing really needs a different machine size or an experienced operator, we’d rather tell you before you hire the wrong equipment.

Do you need a licence to operate a mini excavator?

If you’re asking do you need a licence to operate a mini excavator, you generally don’t need a specific excavator licence for typical private property use in Queensland or New South Wales.

Being new to excavators doesn’t automatically prevent you from dry hiring one either. At Digger2Hire, we can give you a rundown of the U17-3 at handover so you understand the controls and basic operation before getting started.

Most people don’t need long before the basic control movements start to feel familiar. Generally, we find customers are feeling confident with the controls within the first 30 minutes or so. Take your time, work within your ability and don’t tackle a job that you’re not comfortable doing.

Sources

• Queensland Government: earthmoving equipment operator certificate requirements
• SafeWork NSW: Excavation Work Code of Practice
• Before You Dig Australia: information for homeowners

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First time hiring a mini excavator?

Digger2Hire offers the Kubota U17-3 1.7T mini excavator for dry hire with three buckets, a ripper, an Auger Torque X2000 with 300 mm and 450 mm augers plus a hydraulic rock grabber included.

Tell us what you’re planning to do, where the job is, how much access you have and whether you’ve operated an excavator before. At handover, we can give you a rundown of the machine and its controls before you get started.