The Mini Digger Guy Blog
Musings from a mini digger driver
Mini digger hire: why the right bucket saves you time and money
by Robert Hughes | Sep 10, 2025
When you think about mini digger hire, it’s easy to assume that any bucket will do the job. But the truth is, using the wrong bucket can make your project take longer, cost more, and leave a poor finish. That’s why hiring a mini digger with an experienced operator—and...
What happens to the waste when you use my mini digger and driver hire service?
by Robert Hughes | Sep 9, 2025
One of the questions I often get as The Mini Digger Guy is: “When you dig out my garden, what happens to all the waste?” It’s an important part of planning your project, whether you’re digging for a pond, levelling ground for turf, or preparing for a patio. Here’s a...
Bamboo removal: dealing with a serious bamboo issue
by Robert Hughes | Sep 2, 2024
Two days and two skips later, we'd removed all the bamboo from across the entire garden There's a reason why "bamboo removal" has suddenly become a common Google search term... it's an incredibly resilient plant that will take over your garden and cause major issues...
Save time and money: why hiring a mini digger and driver is the smart choice for your garden project
by Robert Hughes | Jul 13, 2023
If you're looking to renovate your garden, there are a variety of tasks that may require some digging work such as levelling ground, removing debris, or digging over and filtering soil. These tasks can be back-breaking, time-consuming, and expensive if done by hand....
Shed base, cable trench, sunken trampoline, and a pond – all in 2 days!
by Robert Hughes | Jan 26, 2021
My son and I recently completed a big 2-day mini garden digger project right in the heart of Cambridge, including digging out for a big shed base, a deep trench for an air source heater, a pond, and a sunken trampoline. All this work would have taken a couple of weeks...
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All reviews
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I had someone else who I gave money to carry out my works was turning up taking away little bits of soil on his truck to save money , I saw a loss on it loosing money I had to tell the guy not to come back as he was just there taking my money that’s all he cared about , THEN I FOUND ROB, I phoned rob Sunday evening at he was around my house Tuesday morning at 7am to carry out my work removing soil to exactly what I requested I just wish I meet this guy before the last guy if I could give 1000000 🌟 s I would , thank you rob for what u done. I highly recommend rob to carry out your works !!!!!!
Owner's reply
Thank you for the kind words Luke, it was a pleasure to work for you.
I had a really overgrown allotment and it was out of control and Robert came to my rescue! He was able to accommodate on a Saturday which was very helpful as I work full full hours. Robert did a absolutely fantastic job and managed to complete in one day as he was so efficient! He was really knowledgeable when it come to best ways to remove waste, get rid of weeds and how to keep in the best condition once complete. I can't recommend him enough!! BEST SERVICE EXPERIENCED and a great guy too!
Owner's reply
Thank you so much for the great review Amber. It was a pleasure working for you. I think the hard work you will put into your allotment will be very rewarding. Cheers Rob.
From my first contact with Rob I could tell he was the man for me. He arrived on time and got straight to work. I never imagined that he could complete the job in one day. But he did He is clearly very skilled at what he does. I am absolutely over the moon with the job he did. I would not hesitate to recommend him. Cheers Rob, keep digging 😂
+2Rob & his digger did a fantastic job for us clearing, turning and levelling our ruined “lawn”. His years of experience as a landscaper are invaluable - he knew exactly what we were after & how to achieve it. It was a pleasure to spend the day working alongside him. Highly recommended. If you’re considering hiring a mini digger, spend a fraction more and choose Rob - you won’t be disappointed!
Rob and his digger helped us with removal of some heavy roots and a number of concrete posts, he arrived on time and was very professional, manoeuvring through tight areas to get to the job, he helped load the skip aswell! Great job, would highly recommend and use again.
+1Meeting someone to first time and working along side them like you have for years is exactly what this experience was like. Will defiantly work with again and recommend to the heavens. Turned up bang on time and helped dig out 20+tons of muck. I wouldn’t hesitate if you think you can dig it, for the money and time don’t bother just call Rob! Thank you again mate!
We booked Rob for one day to help us clear a large area of our back garden. Such a nice chap and what a great result! Rob used his mini digger to cut through tough brambles, old shrubs and pavers as we literally couldn't see the woods for the trees 😆 We now have a lovely clear plot ready hopefully for a lovely cabin in the spring...if it ever stops raining! We've got more projects in mind and won't hesitate to call Rob back. Highly recommend, thanks Rob. ☺️ (check out Robs video of our plot!)
We can't thank Rob enough for his help. He managed to traverse his digger all the way to the back of our garden and helped us clear the brambles and rubbish that had been collecting up for over 30 years, leaving us with beautiful soil and a chance to create our dream garden. He is extremely professional and very, very tidy. Oh, I nearly forgot - he's a smashing chap as well :)
Rob did a great job for me at very short notice. Working with the smallest margin for getting the digger into the garden he expertly navigated the door then spent a full day digging and levelling. I cannot recommend him highly enough!
Wonderfully helpful. Excellent value for money We were planting a set of five trees. The digger hire was invaluable compared to manually attempting to dig. Definitely having a skilled driver to work alongside was far better than hiring the vehicle myself. Rob was also really helpful out of the digger. Helping to move the soil, move the trees. He could have just sat in the digger and watched, as that was what we had hired him for, but instead he really helped and ensured the trees were all very well planted. Fantastic job and would thoroughly recommend.
I hired Rob along with his mini digger and whacker plate to dig out and lay a new car parking area. Was really pleased with the result, really enjoyed meeting him and would definitely recommend and use again.
Rob cleared our front garden including top soil and tree stumps, and then laid MOT base foundations for our new driveway. He was friendly, knowledgeable and very competitively priced - and saved us loads of blood, sweat and tears. Would 100% recommend. Thanks Rob!
We would 100% recommend Rob to anyone looking for a mini digger with driver. He removed a large amount of rubble, scrub and tree stumps from the rear of our garden and levelled the whole area. He took care to not damage the rest of the garden and left the area looking clean and tidy. He takes pride in his workmanship and on top of that is a lovely guy who is happy to share his knowledge and expertise.
Owner's reply
Thank you Jack, you and Simone have been great to work for. In addition to that your hospitality was awesome. I would give you a 5 Star review on Trip Adviser!
Robs digger work was top notch! I can't recommend him highly enough. His workmanship is exceptional and he has done an incredible job transforming our garden. Rob provided guidance and advice and he always made us feel like valued customers. I would have no hesitation in recommending Rob and the quality of his work. 10/10 Thanks Rob.Robert did an amazing job for us at such short notice. A very polite and friendly man who carried out the work and left our garden in a neat and tidy state. Even did a few bits that weren’t part of the original brief. Thanks Robert
Owner's reply
Thank you for the great Review and your hospitality Tristran. I'm glad you were happy with the service, you are a good guy to work for.. but I do look forward to the time when maybe England will beat South Africa in Rugby again!I needed a Trench Digging to follow the contours of my Garden,close to Trees and plants over virtually the whole length. It seemed to me quite awkward to excavate and get the depth required. I had started to dig by Hand and had given up.. ready to change the hoped for plan. Luckily I contacted Rob. He saved the day. I was amazed by how Rob managed to achieve Exactly what I had hoped for..... and More. His Skill and talent with the Digger is admirable, impressive and fascinating to behold. The job was completed efficiently and to my utmost satisfaction. A thoroughly nice Chap, charming,amiable an entertaining day indeed . Tea Biscuits and a wonderful job completed. What more can you ask for ? Highly recommended , Thanks again Rob !Rob did an absolutely brilliant job digging out and preparing the sub-base for two patio areas in my garden. When you hire Rob you aren’t just hiring someone who is a whizz with a mini-digger - you are engaging an expert landscaper with many years of experience in the trade and that knowledge is invaluable. Rob worked through the occasional heavy rain to dig out my two areas, and gave me a lot of advice along the way. His attention to detail is fantastic and his work ethic admirable. Like me, he is very particular about how things are done. For example, he took great care to protect my lawn with swept OSB boards, and he was scrupulous about ensuring that MOT was swept up on the driveway before he brought the mini-digger down it to ensure the driveway surface wasn’t damaged. He managed to dig out the two areas, put in MOT Type 1, and whack it to the right levels for me while I barrowed. Excellent job, finished all in one day, and he kindly offered his help with any queries I had if I came unstuck with the patio laying. A great guy and the craic was great along the way. You’d be mad not to hire him if you need these types of services, and his expertise to go along with it. Highly recommended. Cheers Rob!We hired Robert with his mini digger to prepare our garden in Watford, and he did a fantastic job. He travelled all the way from Peterborough, arrived on time, and was ready to do whatever it took to make the work easier for us. Robert was professional, hardworking, and very easy to get along with. He turned over the soil perfectly, making the garden ready for the next stage, and left us very impressed with his attitude and effort. A genuinely lovely guy and highly recommended to anyone needing reliable digger work.Rob you done an amazing job today preparing the area that I’m getting concreted. Thank you 😊. I was only planning on having the area dug out but as I’d hired him for the day he ended up helping move all the hardcore as well. Not only this, as I’m a complete novice with this type of work he advised on the next steps too. Brilliant work and a really nice guy. I would recommend this guy to anyone who needs his services. 👍🏻Rob done a great job removing some earth, laying type 1 and tamping it done. Lovely man, just gets in and gets the job done. I’ll definitely use him again and would highly recommend him.I asked him to come to my house and dig out a drive around 60ft × 10ft and dig out a base for a shed 10ft × 8ft I took away as much as I could by wheel barrow and he as requested put some to one side but then took the time and trouble to spread that out for me. Well pleasedRob did some digger work for Gareth and Natasha. He was reliable, very helpful, and quick and efficient. Would definitely recommend this service. Thanks Rob!Rob carried out a good amount of work in a single day to aid in my landscaping project. Great Service. Conscientious and diligent to details. Very easy to work with. Highly recommend.We hired Rob to dig out our driveway ready for completion. Rob was great and really helpful in suggesting the best way to organise the process so that we maximised his time and got best value from the way we needed to do things with his help. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing to save time and get a great, high quality dig out. Thanks again Rob!We would hire Rob again in a heartbeat. We had some very deep ivy and hedging stumps and roots that were left by a tree surgeon and Rob took them out with ease, as well as clearing other areas in our garden and helping us dig out our pond. He was so knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and truly enthusiastic about his work. It was without a doubt the best money we've spent on our do-er upper so far, and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a digger and driver hire!Highly recommend Rob and his Mini digger service, absolutely top class from start to finish. Honest, reliable, attentive and value for money with out a doubt! Highly recommend!Rob has just completed a garden dig out for us and wow you get some serious hard work from Rob for the day! He really knows his craft and the precision in how he dug our garden, ensuring the footings were accurate is absolutely fantastic, he also gave advice on other aspects of our project. We would not hesitate to recommend Rob if you need any dig out works completed - you will not regret it!Great service! Got loads done in a day. Would recommend highly.Rob helped us dig out an old patio and level the ground for a new patio and lawn - one day to do what would have taken weeks by hand! Super friendly and knowledgeable, we will definitely use Rob againFirst class experience with Rob and his fabulous mini digger. I needed two trenches dug out for some cable laying in our heavy clay soil. The task was completed in good time and it was a pleasure to deal with Rob who was skilled in his work and proper gent. Seeing a machine being operated so skilfully is exactly why you get the experts in. Highly recommend Rob and his machine to anyone.Rob worked through terrible rain to clear an overflowing ditch. Lovely bloke. Great attention to detail and good value.Rob was very hard working and willing to do anything that was required. He achieved in a day what would have taken me weeks. Great value for money and have no hesitation in recommending himWe asked Rob to look at a hedge we needed removing and some garden area that needed some stumps digging out. He came along to see exactly what was required? Checked the area to make sure it was safe for a digger and estimated it would be two days work. Book a date in the diary, he turned up promptly on day one and did an extremely thorough job in not easy conditions. At the end of it, he also tidied up after himself, and doublechecked that everything we had asked for had been done. I would have no hesitation in recommending Rob, absolutely first class work, and a really lovely guy as well.Brilliant communication. Work done exactly as agreed. Super friendly. Would highly recommend Rob and his digger.Rob did a fantastic job on my lumpy back garden. His digger making light work of clearing the old turf and levelling the ground in preparation for new turf. Friendly, efficient service. Thanks Rob.Rob did a great job digging the foundation trenches for a my rear extension. Access was narrow and limited, and space was tight, but Rob worked hard to get the trenches dug in a day. Great job!What can I say! I’ve had a lot of trades over the years with house extensions and such. Rob is the best I’ve had. Just a genuine top bloke, I could not fault him from start to finish, in time, delivered far far over my expectations for what could have been achieved in a day to the highest of standards. I would recommend Rob to anyone, in fact I already have! Thank you for all the work rob and I’ll be back for more! For not rob completed a 50sqm driveway subbase from a grass surface, dug out coordinated with addition trade for removal, laid the MOT base levels and wackered all in a day ready for the gravel delivery.This is the second time we called upon Rob and his digger. Great time keeping, arrives prompt. Lots of energy to give a hard days work and get the job done, a real can-do attitude. Rob removed 15 tree stumps and flattened the land after. Left the job very tidy. Managed to drive his digger through our garage and down a step into the garden. Really nice guy, feel comfortable him being in our home.
Owner's reply
Thank you for your kind words and hospitality Hannah. You and Richard, like before, were great to work for. I never take work for granted and am very grateful.Great service. Helpful and hardworking. A real professional.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the 5-star rating, Charles! Cheers, RobrecommendsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Facebook.
Rob came to dig up some big roots for us, very friendly, worked even in the heavy rain we had. would 100% Recommend and would definitely use this company again. Thanks again guysRob did an amazing job of levelling our lawn area and digging out a flower bed. Firstly he managed to get the mini digger into the back garden via a very narrow side alleyway that I struggle to walk down without breaking my neck. Then he got the digger up onto the raised lawn area via a quite steep access point and set to work on the garden. The garden was a complete wreck but he skilfully managed to remove large areas of weed growth and a concrete shed base, all while preserving the plants and bushes we had dotted about the place. Then he dug out our flower bed and with the assistance of his colleague, cleared out a huge amount of clay and brought in the equivalent of three ton bags of fresh soil for the flowerbeds. Rob completed all this in two days and the transformation in the garden was incredible. He did a fantastic job and is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Owner's reply
Thank you for this very kind review Julian. It was great working with you guys and I hope the ground is drying out.Rob provides an excellent service at good value. He is an highly skilled and experienced individual. Rob worked with us to clear an allotment that would have been incredibly difficult to do without his assistance. Highly recommended!
Owner's reply
Thanks for this Chris, it was a great team effort. I enjoyed working with you guys in a beautiful location. Good luck with the Veg growing.We are so happy with Rob’s work. Rob with his digger, cleared the space at the bottom of our garden enabling us to have raised beds installed. He also cleared, prepared and sowed grass seed for our new lawn area, and dug out a new pond for us. We would 100% recommend Rob to anyone looking to have garden work done that requires a digger, he is reliable, works incredibly hard, and is good value for money. He is also a very lovely man. Pesh & James
Owner's reply
Thank you so much for the review Pesh. You guys were great to work for, I would love to see the wildlife pond when you have completed it.Rob did an amazing job preparing a flowerbed full of roots, ivy and tree stumps. A pleasure to deal with and really cared about doing a great job. I highly recommend him (and his digger) and would not hesitate to have him back.Rob did a fantastic job digging our foundations for our extention. He was able to offer some good advice and expertise about ground work. He worked efficiently and got the job done within the time frame. Rob was really friendly and we would definitely use him again and would recommend him to others.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the review Dan. You guys were great to work for.Great service! Rob went out of his way to come and look at the job in a time which suited me. Worked hard to get the job done in a day. Very pleased with the end result. Already looking at booking him again for the next project
Owner's reply
It was great to work for you Liam, thanks for the review!Amazing job from Rob – he got the digger through a narrow opening and tackled the job with ease. The rake on the digger has sieved through everything so well and left me with amazing quality top soil! He was professional, friendly and arrived on time. Would 100% recommend Rob for any job that you need doing!
Owner's reply
Thank you for the great review and the awesome cheesecake Jo. It was really nice to work for you.Rob has been to us twice, and we’re about to book a third visit. Prompt and hard working, but most importantly knowledgable, with a very keen sense of the right thing to do for nature and the environment. Interesting and engaging too! Would thoroughly recommend Chris, Hemingford GreyWe would have no hesitation in using Roberts Digging services again. Reliable, polite and quality work!
Owner's reply
Thank you for the work and the kind words Irene. You were great to work for. Cheers RobRob (and his mini digger) helped us remove a number of tree stumps, roots and levelled the garden. Rob is a great worker with a vast amounts of knowledge and experience. Would highly recommend.
Owner's reply
Thank you for the great review Matt. It was good to work with you and your Father in law.Rob is the gold standard when it comes to professional workmanship. We have used Rob's services on two separate occasions to remove extensive amounts of bushes and conifer trees - no easy task. On every occasion he has been the consummate professional, always ensuring attention to detail and delivering the work to exacting standards. Rob comes highly recommended and we look forward to inviting him back for the next phase of work.
Owner's reply
Thank you very much indeed, Neil, for the great review - always a pleasure working for you. Cheers, RobRob responded promptly when I got in touch and was very helpful. He arrived promptly with his digger and worked really hard for the day levelling our garden and moving a number of trees. He was reasonably priced, full of useful advice, worked really hard and we achieved a lot more with the digger for the day than we would have achieved on our own in the day. I would recommend working with Rob.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the lovely review, Eleanor! Cheers, RobRobert was a very skilled driver and took care and pride in his work. He was helpful as the work progressed and completed a first class job
Owner's reply
Thanks for the lovely review, Anthony, and for recently recommending me to your neighbour! Cheers, RobExcellent job done in near artic conditions - saved me a lot of toil and perspiration! If you're looking for a man with a digger I would have no hesitation in recommending Robert.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the great review, David! Cheers, RobArrived on time. Did a hard days work in bitterly cold conditions and to the required standard. Thanks.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the great review, Kris! Cheers, RobFrom the very first phone call I could tell that Robert was the right person for the the job. I wanted to have a large natural pond in the garden and he was so enthusiastic about the project. He arrived promptly and did the job brilliantly. He really went the extra mile for us and we couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Owner's reply
It was a pleasure working for you both, Jae, and thank you for the lovely review. I hope the pond is doing well! Cheers, RobWe used Rob to come and level out our rear garden and remove a large concrete path. Rob did a brilliant job, worked hard and completed the work in a day. As this was part of a DIY job, Rob was more than helpful with tips and advice along the way. We found his prices extremely competitive and would highly recommend Rob for future projects.
Owner's reply
Thanks for the lovely review, Craig! It was a pleasure working for you both 😊 happy to help out with advice when you start your DIY garden project. Thanks, RobertWe used Rob’s services to clear our back garden and level out the ground. Rob did a brilliant job all in one day. He was friendly yet professional and made us feel reassured about a job we had been wanting to get done for a long time. We will be be using his services again in the future. Thanks Rob!
Owner's reply
Thanks for the lovely review, Lisa! It was a pleasure working for you both 😊 happy to help out with advice when you start your DIY garden project. Thanks, RobertRob has just completed a wonderful new driveway for us in St Neots. His workmanship is excellent, and speaking as a Civil Engineer I can also testify that he has put in a very robust foundation. He takes an obvious pride in his work and completed the job dilligently. He turned up every day until he job was complete and cleaned up thoroughly each night and upon completion. Would recommend him to anyone.would recommend Rob and his team who have just completed blocked pathing driveway, replacing grassed area with slate and extending area, so driveway is bigger by front door. very pleased with outcome. skilled and enthusiastic workers who enjoy what they do. also did base for summerhouse and extended patio, all looking great thanks
Owner's reply
Lovely feedback, thank you, Val! 😄Rob has transformed our garden by replacing some truly horrible decking with a fantastic patio, retaining wall for the flower bed and freshly laid turf. He understood exactly what went were hoping for from the off and his skill and expertise are clear to see in the finished product. Just in time for the heatwave! Many thanks.Robert totally transformed our front garden by replacing our driveway and building a step to the front door; his workmanship is beyond fault; he takes an obvious pride in his work and it shows. We have had everyone from neighbours to the postman complement the drive and say how good it looks - we are delighted with it - many thanks RobertRob came recommended to us to undertake the job of block paving our driveway and he absolutely lived up to that recommendation. We are delighted with the final result and the drive has already been much admired by friends and family. He takes a genuine pride in doing a first rate job with no short cuts. Rob worked with his son Ryan on our drive. Both were great blokes, who also loved a steady flow of tea and a good chat every now and then to keep them going. We would absolutely recommend Rob if you're considering having your driveway block paved. Many thanks Rob (and Ryan)!Rob worked very hard to complete our drive through some unbearably hot weather! We are absolutely thrilled with the results. People often stop to comment and admire the work! I would have no hesitation recommending Rob to anyone!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
