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UK economy may be past the worst: Updated 11th June 2009
There now seems growing consensus among economic experts that the worst of the recession may now be over. Several leading newspapers including The Times are running stories to this effect. Declines in house prices are beginning to slow and may even be reversing. Buyer interest and activity has been growing throughout the year (though some of this is a typical, seasonal trend) and mortgage lenders are rolling out new, more competitive 90% deals for first time buyers. Confidence among those surveyed by Housebuilder Watch within the housebuilding industry is now far higher than it has been since January 2008. Construction News reports there are now other, larger contractors looking favourably at the UK housebuilding market for the first time and the Homes and Communities Agency is discussing a new funding scheme to increase the house building supply base. So much for the good news, but it may well take some time for recovery to establish itself and, in the interim, there will undoubtedly be more pain, not least because most of the recently bailed-out banks are still hanging onto their money as far as business is concerned. Hang on in there! Beyond economic use: Updated 13th May 2009
New parts do cost, but not nearly as much as worn parts can. Each time we think we've seen it all, another horror turns up on our parts counter! Time and again, we see parts that have been left well beyond economic life and are shaping up to cause some serious damage:
At a time when few plant companies can afford unnecessary costs, let alone the luxury of buying a new fleet of diggers, preventative maintenance really does pay dividends. At DIGBITS we can provide you with quality replacement parts at very reasonable prices. We are independant of any manufacturer and our non-genuine parts offer a viable alternative for budget concious plant operators. Some parts are sourced direct from exact same supplier as the genuine OEM items, whilst others we re-engineer and manufacture ourselves, often exceeding the specification of the genuine article. Save yourself some time, money and hassle and call our spare parts experts on 01889 503020, 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 2009 Budget: Updated 20th April 2009 Potential measures which will have a direct benefit to construction are thought to include: — £300 million on council homes. — £200 million on renewable energy plants. — A move to kickstart the home loans market by offering to underwrite £50 billion worth of new mortgages.
Lobbying on behalf of the construction industry: Updated 6th April 2009 In October 2008 Defra began a review of the waste exemptions from environmental permitting. The aim of the review is to provide a more risk based and proportionate approach to the regulation of waste recovery and disposal operations, complementing the new environmental permitting regime. The consultation included a number of proposed measures aimed at increasing the use of exemptions for as wide a range as possible of low risk activities (including most of those operating under an Environment Agency low risk position) whilst removing or restricting the availability of the exemptions for higher risk waste operations by seeking to regulate higher risk operations through one or more standard permits. We have lobbied hard to make the views of our customers heard and our input has been included in the consultation, the results of which can be found here: Defra response summary. Clearly we have a vested interest, but equally you will find other compact recycling equipment manufacturer's names absent from the list of respondents (page 68 of the report) which we find unusual. This work is part of our ongoing commitment both to compact waste recycling and to our customers. House prices rose last month: Updated 2nd April 2009 The latest Nationwide data shows a somewhat unexpected 0.9% rise in property prices during March 2009, the first rise since October 2007. Nationwide warned the figure could simply be a 'bounce' rather than the start of outright recovery, but U.K. homebuilder Bellway Plc plans to “step on the gas” in land purchases stating that, in their opinion, house prices may not fall much further. The report gained coverage on both the BBC and Bloomberg. Full report download here: Nationwide Q1_2009 Report Foundations of a housebuilding recovery?: Updated 18th March 2009 A report today on Bloomberg reveals the UK government plans to prop up the housing market, which has been adversley affected by the recession and the banking crisis.
Rising unemployment, reposessions and a rationing of loans by banks have intesified pressure on the property market. It is thought the government may seek to extend the shared ownership "Home Buy Direct" scheme which makes new homes more affordable for first time buyers - crucial to re-starting the ailing property market. Under the scheme buyers can purchase a home for as little as 70 percent of the market price with the help of an equity loan funded by the government and participating developers. The loan is provided without a fee for the first five years and can be used as a deposit. This mechanism could be used to get the domestic property market moving from the bottom up, whilst also ensuring that new, stricter loan-to-value criteria are met.
US housing start recovery: Updated 17th March 2009 The US sneezed and we caught a cold, but just as our markets tend follow them into adverse conditions, so we eventually follow them out again.
The bear market may not be entirely over, but there are now signs that some sort of 'bottom' may have been reached. It could, of course, be an elephant trap - a brief bounce before another freefall - but housing starts rose for the first time in eight months, up 22.2 per cent from January to an adjusted annual rate of construction of 583,000 in February, according to commerce department figures. The figures exceeded economists’ predictions of 450,000 new starts. Analysts beleived that reduced construction costs had persuaded builders to begin work on dormant sites. We beleive more 'realistic', re-priced land values - see our previous news article below - may also have played a part in increasing the viability of certain projects. Realistic house prices : Updated 25th February 2009 There have been interesting revelations from one of Britain's biggest housebuilders, Barratts. First, in an interview with Andrew Davidson of the Sunday Times Barratt's chief exec Mark Clare as good as admitted the role played by the big buidlers in the house price bubble. Many already suspected the big builders did very nicely out of sitting on land banks as they rocketed in value, whilst controlling the supply (and price) of new houses and claiming they were being hampered by planning issues. Now, it seems that Barrett accept the bubble has burst on their land bank and that they need to get back to the buisiness of building and selling houses as a primary means of generating a return. Reuters reports the company has written-off £494 million from the value of its land bank. With this dose of reality came a jump in the company's share price of 6.64% so clearly the markets believe that, with more sensibly priced new homes and coupled to the fact that Barratts - like other UK housebuilders, such as Redrow - have seen more upbeat trading since the start of 2009, a corner may now have been turned. Keep calm! : Updated 16th February 2009
Times continue to be tough for all of us in the building and construction related industries. The snows of this exceptionally cold winter are now melting, creating further difficulties on top of the economic woes. Just as no one can see the bust coming in the midst of the boom, so it is in the depths of a recession that the light at the end of the tunnel can be mistaken for an approaching train - but there is little of real encouragement yet. The latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors data does show that prices no longer appear to be plummeting, but this is more likely attributable to a lack of supply than a real improvment. You can download a PDF copy of the full report here: RICS Housing Market Survey Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove the property wesbite, said: “A lack of fresh stock leads some agents to suggest a more optimistic initial asking price, influencing a seller to give the most bullish estate agent the instruction to sell. This is a traditional tactic employed at the start of every year to attract fresh stock, but is a shortsighted move for both parties in a falling market.” This lack of new properties being marketed and the severe reduction in new builds probably offers our industry the most hope. From the Nationwide housing start data we posted on our last update on 19th January, it's clear to see how far the supply of new homes will fall below the governments previously stated target of 200,000 plus new homes a year and also that as usual, construction felt the effects of the downturn far earlier than other industries. There is no doubt that, in order to realign house prices, the supply shortage will need to be fixed and this is ultimately where, with luck, the industry may begin to haul itself out of recession, ahead of other sectors. Across the pond - and don't forget that when the USA sneezes, we catch a cold - there have been interesting parallels drawn between the current decline of their S & P 500 index and that of the 1973-75 recession. The purple line is the data from the 126 days between April 1974 and January 1975, with the black line showing the current downturn from mid May 2008, as far as November 2008.
It is early days yet, and it is undoubtedly true that, just as every army is always perfectly prepared to win the battle it last fought, so no two recessions are ever identical. But some of the above may just provide enough encouragement to help things along. In the meantime, we're here to ensure that not only do you get a good deal on parts and attachments, but also at a quality that will ensure you won't need to put your hand in your pocket again before the end of the downturn. Beating the downturn : Updated 19th January 2009 Firstly, may we wish our customers and partners the very best for the year ahead. None of us has DIGBITS was established in 1991 in the midst of another (albeit less serious) recession and is fully prepared to tackle the current credit crisis. Our aims and objective are the same as when we began, to offer you a quality product, with high levels of service at prices which ensure you get value. That said, do remember that today more than ever you need to use us or loose us! More than ever, because our customers are having to keep their excavator fleet running for longer - the rapid replacement cycles of the credit boom are gone for good - our services play an impartant part in helping customers to keep their costs under control. As an interesting side note, a large number of our customer's told us their businesses were feeling the strain long before the 'official' credit crunch began. Figures from the Nationwide's December press release (see page 3) make sense of at least some of this.
Certainly the exceptionally wet 'summer' in 2007 - it rained almost continually, throughought most of the country during June and July - did not help and came at a time when housing starts had already declined from 2006 levels. Immediately follwing the summer of 2007 was the beginning of the crunch proper, with the Northern Rock debacle and from there housing starts effectively halved. It may take some time for construction to pick up, but the speed and severity of the downturn would indicate that, with interest rates at record lows, if and when credit frees-up and the upswing begins, it will be rapid. We hope we're all there to see it! Keeping costs on track : Updated 27th November 2008 The rubber track market never stops evolving and every year, more items of plant become available on rubber tracks, as manufacturers seek to increase stability and mobility of their equipment.
Here at DIGBITS we take rubber tracks just as seriously as our customers - who rely on them to keep their plant moving. We ensure that as new machine models are launched and new styles of track become avaialbe from our suppliers, our data system reflects these changes. We've just up-dated our rubber track data system and, we're pretty certain there can be no other supplier who now lists over 5,400 machines on their database. If you have the very latest machine, we should have the a direct replacement track listed. If you have a machine that's five or six year's old, we may even have newer and more advanced track alternative than was fitted by the OEM. Since no single track manufacturer produces every size and type of track, we now source from several different factories in South Korea, China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. There is no other aftermarket supplier in the UK who:
The current economic climate will force many companies to extend replacement cycles for their plant, and some will be looking at replacing tracks for the first time. For all operators, reliable and cost effective supplies of key parts will be even more important than ever. Since OEM manufacturers do not produce their own tracks, buying directly from a reputable UK importer makes more sense and helps you keep your costs under control.
The 200 Tonne Challenge: Updated 15th October 2008 Builders and contractors looking to save money take note - do you realise the amount of fuel used in moving rubble off site?
We looked at a typical job which might involve the demolition of a detached property, generating around 200 tonnes of general construction rubble. Our fuel calculations were pretty conservative in terms of the 'default' methods of simply shifting waste off site. In other words, it's conceiveable that skip and tipper movements would use more than our figures stated. Aside from the issue of fuel useage and cost is the environmental impact. Increasingly sites will need to demonstrate a reasoned approach to issues like their carbon footprint, use of materials and recycling, as well as being responsible for minimising traffic and congestion they cause. The results can be found here: Rubble Processing Options Credit crunching spares: Updated 17th September 2008 By now, you may well have seen the latest DIGBITS ad campaign and be wondering just why we put a vintage racing car on centre stage of an ad promoting digger parts. Well here's the explanation.
Now, credit is less affordable and harder to come by for some, there is also insufficient work to justify the commitment of a new machine. DIGBITS was founded in 1991 in the midst of a recession, so we know how to survive ourselves and also what our customers will need from us. Our range of spare parts and attachments will help to keep machines running a little longer than normal, without costing the earth. The vintage racing car - a highly valuable one-off 1929 Napier-Bentley (no it's not ours!)- which is still used in competion today serves as a good, visual reminder that old doesn't have to mean clapped-out and useless. Quick Hitch SAFETY: Updated 5th August 2008 Following on from the news article we highlited on March this year, the case reported has now gone to court and the operator has been convicted of manslaughter and will serve a one year prison sentence. More on this case in Contract Journal.
The quick hitch involved - produced by Miller - was not faulty and operator misuse, in not fitting the safety pin supplied, was deemed to have been the cause of the accident. This and the four other fatal quick hitch accidents last year prompted the HSE to contact all quick hitch manufacturers together for a series of meetings aimed at preventing future deaths.
Along with other manufacturers, we have been involved with a number of the HSE's discussions and can now assure our customers that:
Any customers with existing DIGBITS quick hitches can contact us for updated copies of safety instruction manuals or advice on use. Put your boot in!: Updated 1st August 2008 Here's news of our latest customer offer; the DIGBITS Boot Bag, a must have for anyone in the construction industry!
The offer: The boot bags are FREE for a limited period, to any customer buying:
The bag: is made from green nylon ripstop material,
Since the boot bags arrived here at DIGBITS, they have prooved very popular and, apparently, versatile. So far the reported list of 'uses ' runs to:
Tough times!: Updated 29th July 2008 We're all feeling the credit crunch to varying degrees, but the good news for contractors is that there are ways to significantly reduce site waste and aggregates costs on smaller jobs.
Aside from general price inflation, there is pressure from increasing taxes on waste off site, rising costs of diesel, and incerases in taxes on quarried aggregates. On site recycling is proving to be one of the few areas where builders are able to achieve a meaningful saving on job costs. The industry press has been quick to note the trend; see more at Contract Journal.
Success-ED: Updated 27th May 2008 We had a fantastic SED! The follow-up on orders and enquiries from the show has taken priority - hence the delay in the post-show report. Many thanks to all our customers who visited the DIGBITS stand, and also to our BAVTRAK dealer personnel who helped to staff the stand.
The BAVTRAK 025 was left chomping at the bit during SED, as the 'lean, green, crushing machine' outstripped supplies of rubble over the three day show. We had enormous interest in our products, which resulted in several major orders being placed on the stand. However, logistics problems on site meant we simply couldn't get enough larger chunks of rubble onto our demonstration site for the BAV3 and BAVTRAK 025 to show their real potential. In fact, the BAVTRAK 025 was never once run at full throttle! We want potential customers to be able see the 025's true capabilities, before they order and ask that they don't hesitate to contact us, or their local dealer to arrange a demonstration. Birmingham Premier: Updated 19th May 2008 Birmingham based Premier Tool Hire took delivery of their first BAVTRAK 025 last week.
The 025 will be available for hire throughout the West Midlands and is the first crusher on the Premier fleet. Premier's Director Darren Luke (left) is pictured receiving the machine from DIGBITS Director John Clay (right). Recycling award for DIGBITS: Updated 17th April 2008
The award was accepted yesterday by our Director Marcus Clay at the ceremony at Reed Business Publication's HQ in Surrey. Our team have worked tirelessly to design and deliver products which address serious on-site recycling issues in a way which meets the requirements of both plant hire and building businesses. This success is attributable not only to our in-house team, but also the efforts of our suppliers, dealers and customers who work alongside us. There is a real need for products which address environmental issue, and it's great to have our product recognised as not just the 'best crusher', but the best new piece of recycling kit overall at SED 2008. The awards were given to the most innovative new products introduced to the UK market during the past year, judged by an independent panel of industry experts, including Colin Timms from Off-Highway Research Ltd, Tim Whiteman managing director of the International Powered Access Federation, Steve Jarvis of Edmund Nuttall, Richard Day technical director, The Concrete Society, Philip Jolly of PJ Brown Ltd and Douglas Anderson joint Managing director Gap Group. Fancy a factory visit? Updated 11th April 2008 BAVTRAK South West dealer Keith Maiden decided to collect his latest machine in person and check out developments at the BAV Crushers and DIGBITS Engineering works first hand.
BAV Crushers Technical Engineer, Alan Dutton (left) hands over the keys and tool kit to Keith Maiden (right). Prospective customers from all dealer areas are welcome to contact us to arrange their own factory visit and see the quality of workmanship and construction that goes into every BAVTRAK.
Call today to arrange your demonstration and factory visit on 01889 503020.
BAVTRAK adds up for Abacus: Updated 10th April 2008 Established Midlands tool hirer Abacus Hire Centres saw great hire potential in diversifying into compact, on-site recycling equipment in the Midlands area. As well as serving new market requirements of recycling, they saw crushers as a key means of securing additiaonal hires for the Abacus mini excavator fleet. Having decided to get into mini crushers they reasearched the market, the BAVTRAK 025 was judged to be the best 2.5 to 3.5 tonne class mini crusher available.
Abacus Managing Director, Duncan Manderson (left) receives his new BAVTRAK 025 crusher from DIGBITS Director, John Clay (right). Abacus has hire centres in Melton Mowbray and Oakham and aim to grow their mini crusher business across the Midlands.
Site Waste Management Plans go live on 6th April: Updated 3rd April2008
Non compliance can lead to fines of up to £5k and even jail. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest information here:
SPECIAL OFFER on front-end wear parts orders: Updated 27th March 2008 SAVE 5% on all orders for excavator front-end wear parts - pins, bushes and linkages - over £100 + VAT before the end of April. Simply quote the reference s105w when ordering.
Protect your investment and keep your digger front-end in safe and efficient working order. Everyone knows worn out front-end parts make the excavator harder to operate and may cause knock-on wear and safety issues. Yet we still see plenty of bushed machines out on site. The shock from a loose, rattling front-end will transmit through the whole excavator arm and into the slew ring.
Over time, it's not just annoying for the operator, but damaging to the rest of the digger itself. Left unchecked, pins can wear through bushes and into the dipper arm causing expensive damage. Use our quick reference diagram for fast, hassle free ordering. DON'T PUT OFF REPAIRING YOUR MACHINE UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE! Excavator operator charged with manslaughter : Updated 26th March 2008 Earlier this month Contract Journal reported that an excavator driver had been charged with manslaughter follwing an accident, involving a semi-automatic quick-hitch, where a bucket fell on another site worker, who later died of his injuries. See the full article here. The case, which goes to trial in July, highlights three important issues;
In order to assist customers when they are specifiying buckets, we publish our bucket fit diagram, which allows a quick and easy way to check that attachments ordered are compatible with your existings machine and/or quick hitch. Our sales team have many year's expertise in this field and will happily advise you of best practice. 25% Increase in Aggregates Levy: Updated 19th March 2008 An additional 5p will be added to the Aggregates What is certain however, is that this is yet another signal from government as to the direction and increasing pace of change of current and future legislation. Yet again, the construction industry will need to re-evaluate the cost benefit of recycling hardcore on site. The default, no-change position of continuing to ignore environmentally sustainable methods is no longer viable. Samoter success: Updated 11th March 2008 Italian BAV Crushers dealer Rammit created an impressive debut for the products at the Samoter exhibition in Verona, Italy, last week. The international exhibition - the largest construction event in Europe this year - attracted visitors from all over the world. Rammit's sales staff were kept very busy with domestic enquiries for BAV machines and DIGBITS personnel who attended to support the show also came away with dealer enquiries from five other European territories. Rammit are well established specialists in the supply of Prior to the exhibtion, Rammit had ordered two of each BAVTRAK machine; one for demostration and one for stock of both the 009 and 025. The company also took a BAV3 Alligator Crusher for demonstration use. The BAV machines working on the separate demonstration area on the showground drew enormous interest. From discussions at the show it is clear that the European Union's waste and recycling legislation is not only beginning to alter the way we work in the UK, but is also impacting in similar ways in throughout all member states. Record £1.2M waste fine: Updated 28th February 2008 Devon based John Craxford Plant Hire Ltd has received record fines for tipping illegal waste into their landfill site in Kingskerswell. The Herald Express reports the company was fined £448,000 under Proceeds of Crime legislation, plus a further £746,649 under the same legislation. The confiscations were ordered by Judge Philip Wassall at Exeter Crown Court, where Craxford and the company appeared for sentence for a string of offences under the Environmental Protection Act and Pollution Prevention and control regulations.
Waste accepted by and tipped into the landfill from local skip hire firms on an 'exceptionally large-scale basis' included wood, carpet, roofing felt and waste containing asbestos. The case was brought by the Environment Agency who secretly filmed activity at Craxford's site during their investigation. In the run up to the new Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) in April, this is a clear message from the EA as to their increased determination to police site waste. Many industry experts anticipate the EA will not hesitate to bring cases against construction firms who fail to meet the requirements of the SWMPs and they may be particularly keen to make examples of larger housebuilders if they transgress. More here. Executive Hire Show success : Updated 8th February 2008 The 2008 EHS in Coventry was without doubt DIGBITS busiest exhibition yet. If you're wondering why there don't appear to be too many punters in the images below, the reason is that these shots, taken early, before the show opened were the only one's we had time to grab.
above: Part of the DIGBITS exhibition team.
above: Image with thanks to Avant for the use of their aerial platfrom! In the Green Zone, the BAVTRAK 025 proved to be a massive hit and, although we did not win outright - congratulations to Arc Gen - were nevertheless a strong condender and we received a huge number of votes and interest.
above: The grass (OK so it was astroturf) really was greener in the Green Zone!
DIGBITS DVD - get your FREE copy: Updated 15th January 2008 The latest DIGBITS company DVD - which also covers the current BAV Crushers range - was launched at the end of 2007. Most of our customers should have recevied a copy in the post, but if yours didn't arrive, or it did but now you've lost it, or the kids have nicked it, or you're new to DIGBITS and want to find out more about us before you place an order, then just request your own copy on the contact us page. Regular customers who want another copy - either for themselves, or for a friend or colleague who may be interested - can also get extra DVDs sent with their orders, just ask our sales team. The DVD is FREE to all customers and prospective customers. For your own safety, Staffordshire Bull-Terrier/Rottweiler-cross is not included with DVD. No animals were harmed during the making of this news release, although several DVDs were chewed-up.
Major company news: Updated 2nd January 2008 Firstly, may we wish all our customers and suppliers a happy and prosperous New Year in 2008. Secondly, we have news of an important company development: As of 1st January 2008, BAV Crushers Limited has been established as a separate, associate company of DIGBITS. The change will better enable us to tackle the dual aims of further develop the products and levels of service offered by DIGBITS, whilst also managing the rapid growth of our BAV crushing and recycling manufacturing equipment.
Two BAVTRAKs for Site Recycling: Updated 13th December 2007 Northern rock, brick, concrete and other rubble now has an extra worry - the arrival of two new BAVTRAK crushers in the North East!
BAV dealer Site Recyling are taking delivery of 009 and 025 micro and mini tracked crushers for their hire and demonstration fleet. The East Yorkshire based dealer will be covering the areas of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and also parts of the North East. Site Recycling Director Mark Horncastle visited the newly built BAV Crushers factory this week to view the completion of their new crusher fleet. These are the first machines to be delivered out of the new works, which is adjacent to DIGBITS Engineering. Pictured are DIGBITS' Director, John Clay (left), handing over the completed machines to Site Recycling Director, Mark Horncastle (right).
Into the Green: Updated 7th December 2007 The organisers of the Executive Hire Show have announced a new "Green Zone" for the 2008 exhibition.
DIGBITS is delighted that the BAVTRAK 025 has made it to the final list of eight products, which will be on display in a dedicated area at the Coventry show in February 2008. The finalists were selected by an independant panel of judges, comprised of; Speedy Hire Senior Supply Chain, Manager Andy Connor EHN Editor, Alan Guthrie Supply UK Hire Shops Managing Director, Richard Coffey SHC (Skipton Hire Centres) Director and Chairman of HAE (Hire Association Europe), Claire Gains Construction News, Group Plant and Technical Editor, Andrew Gaved. Products selected for inclusion within the Green Zone at the Show had to demonstrate their ability to improve energy efficiency, conserve or recycle resources, thus reducing waste - all helping to protect our environment. The winner will be voted for at the show.
Don't get bogged-down in the SWMP!: Updated 29th November 2007 A survey conducted through the Federation of Master Builders has found t Laws to force all construction sites over £250,000 to implement SWMPs now look certain to arrive as soon as April 2008 following DEFRA's consultation process. Under current proposals, contractors in breach of these new rules will be liable for fines of up to £5,000, enforcable by both local councils and the Environment Agency. These fines are on top of other potential fines which offenders may unwittingly incur - including those for unlicenced waste carrying, unlicenced landfill and fly-tipping - which may be as high as £50,000. An article published today in the CJ2 section of Contract Journal highlights the issue and their website contractjournal.com provides further reading. As far as rubble is concerned, it seems clear that the spirit of the EU legislation - driven by the Proximity Principle - is intent on driving contractors towards recycling more on site. Recycling will have to be the first option considered, rather than the current default of using tippers, skips or grab lorriese to shift large amounts of rubble off site, often for nearly as much or more crushed stone to be bought back in. It makes perfect sense, but clearly many companies still won't see it until the fines start hitting. Chartered Institute of Building get their teeth into waste: Updated 16th November 2007 Construction Manager is the magazine of the Chartered Institute of Building, which has more than 36,000 members. For their latest issue, they talked to DIGBITS about the ramifications of the new site waste legislation and, inparticular, about the potential role of the BAVTRAK. See the full article here on the construction-manager.co.uk site. PHE trys the BAVTRAK 025: Updated 5th November 2007
Nick's site test reports have been a key feature of PHE and this, coupled with an editorial experince, dating back to 1981, mean his opinions have major influence on the plant hire industry's purchasing decisions. So, clearly, we're delighted at his positive reaction to the machine. Get the full article here. Countdown to BAVTRAK 025 official launch : Updated 18th October 2007
There's just over a week left before the 3 tonne BAVTRAK 025 mini crusher makes its official debut at the Interbuild show, at the NEC, Birmingham. The show, which runs from Sunday 28th October to Thursday 1st November is the building and construction industry's first chance to see what we beleive to be the future of on-site rubble recycling. The Digbits stand, C160, is in Hall 4. Click here for show information. A class-leading 630 x 330mm jaw feed area, up to 100% larger than some comparable rivals, means the BAVTRAK 025 is not only capable of processing large, single chunks of concrete, but is also less susceptible to jamming. Our unique, hydrostatic, twin-jaw crusher (Patent Applied for) ensures that brick, concrete or stone finding its way into the crusher will be dispatched with ease. Despite not having been officially launched, the 025 is already a sales success, with four machines already sold and two more provisional orders for early 2008. Also on display will be the already well established BAVTRAK 009, the 025's smaller sibling and both DIGBITS staff and regional BAVTRAK dealer sales people will be on hand to provide advice and information. With taxation and legislation mounting - 2008 is likely to see the introduction of the new Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) scheme from DEFRA - recycling rubble on site is increasingly becomming the only viable, sustainable option. The logic of the Proximity Principle; that where possible, waste should be recycled as close to the point of origin as possible, is hard to fault in the case of building site rubble and forward-thinking builders and plant hirers are taking action. So bring your cheque book along, unless you want the competition to get their BAVTRAK before you! Professional Builder on site: Updated 4th October 2007 Roger Bisby, Professional Builder magazine's products editor and man-about-site, visits the DIGBITS factory to report on the BAV product range. See the full report here: page 1 & page 2. EHN Editor reports on DIGBITS new sites: Updated 25th September 2007 Executive Hire News (EHN) editor, Alan Guthrie returns to DIGBITS to report on the rapid pace of change in both the company's products and infrastructure.
To get the full story on EHN's visit to DIGBITS, lcick on the link here: EHN September For more information on any of the topics covered in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our sales team on 01889 503020. Deatils of all our concrete crushing and recycling products, deisgned and manufactured in-house by DIGBITS Engineering, can be found on our dedicated bavcrushers.co.uk website.
PHE Fleet Additions news : Updated 24th September 2007 As reported in this month's Plant Hire Executive (PHE) magazine, the latest hire fleet addition of a BAVTRAK 009 has been made by Mobile Crush Ltd, of Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The newly formed company was set up by owner, David Yoxal, specifically to rent compact concrete crushers. The machine has already completed several succesful hires, generated by the bavcrushers.co.uk website, a service which is free to all BAVTRAK customers. PHE article in full. PMJ preview the new BAVTRAK 025: Updated 5th September 2007 News hot off the press in this month's Plant Manager's Journal (PMJ); contributing editor, Mark Anthony reports his views on a pre-production BAVTRAK 025 rubble crusher. Mark, who also writes for Contract Journal and the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) Demolition & Dismantling titles, gives a knowledgable overview of the latest addition to the BAV crusher range here: PMJ Review BAVTRAK 025 mini Crusher launch announced: Updated 4th September 2007
Testing of the prototype BAVTRAK 025 is now complete, and a limited number of demonstrations of the pre-production model will take place over the next month at our Rugeley testing and demonstration site. The new machine, which weighs-in at 2,950kgs, has what we beleive to be a class-leading jaw feed area of 630x330mm, and the specification includes a number of standard features, such as exit conveyor, dust supression and central greasing system. The official machine launch takes place at the Interbuild show, at the NEC, which runs from 28th October to 1st November. The Digbits stand, C160, is in Hall 4. If you would like to see the machine for yourself, either at work here at our test site, or at the Interbuild show, please don't hesitate to contact our sales team today. New BAVTRAK & BAV Alligator Crusher models: Updated 19th June 2007
The first all-new BAVTRAK model to be designed and built at our new DIGBITS Engineering facility is currently starts production later this month. The prototype 2.5 tonne BAVTRAK 025 mini tracked crusher (above) will begin testing in late July and the company is already taking bookings for demonstrations. There are three more model variants in the pipeline, all due by early 2008. Also starting testing in July is the monster, 4,000kg BAV6 Alligator Crushers, intended for use on excavators from 30 to 45 tonnes operating weight. This new flagship BAV will have a collossal 1200mm jaw opening with over 120 tonnes ram force - you've got to feel sorry for the concrete!
New Engineering Works opens : Updated 24th May 2007
The new DIGBITS Engineering facility (seen behind our HQ in the picture above) is now complete. All plant and machinery has now been moved from our old Cannock site and, thanks to the dedication of our Engineering team, production will resume next week. Work is also well under way on our new testing and demonstration area, adjacent to our HQ. The site will not only enable faster Research and Development, but will also be put to good use for customer product demonstrations and staff product training. The two developments form part of a £0.5m investment by the company, enabling it to meet growing demand for it's products.
BAV Crushers at SED : Updated 2nd May 2007
BAV products will be on prominent display at this year's SED exhibition at Rockingham, 22, 23 and 24th May. Cautrac, stand 713, Avneue T, will be demonstrating the BAVTRAK micro tracked crusher alongside a BAV3 Alligator Crusher, mounted on a Kubota U40. They also have a very limited BAVTRAK offer, for immediate delivery from their stock. Details here. Meanwhile, on static display at Sandhurst Equipment Rental, stand 387, Avenue D, will be another BAV3. This is one of the company's range of BAV crushing attachments - from BAV1 up to BAV5 - which are available for hire nationwide, for excavators from 1.5 to 28 tonnes. Download your own pdf copy of the SED site plan here.
DEFRA to force builders to recycle: Updated 3rd April 2007 A report in today's Financial Times outlines details of a consultation paoper from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, DEFRA, which includes plans to enforce an audit paper trail for building materials on construction sites.
All building projects over £250,000 will be required to draw up "site waste management plans" and will need to evaluate ways of recycling on site. In a parallel move, the Environment Agency also announced it was introducing on-the-spot fines for illegal waste carriers. This means immediate penalties for unlicenced vehicles carrying construction or demolition rubble off site - even if the material is being taken away for recycling. The weight of legislation is clearly trying to encourage on-site recycling. For more details:
2007 Budget: Updated 22nd March 2007
The Chancellor's budget speech yesterday brought some significant changes for those connected - either directly or indirectly - with the recycling, waste managment and quarrying industries. The bad news of higher environmental taxes is balanced by new incenctives for capital investment, especially in environmentally friendly equipment. More information can be found by clicking here. For those in a rush the main bullet points are: > Landfill tax to increase by £8 per year to 2011. > Small firms tax credit available for environmental investment.
Recycling Revolution: Updated 20th March 2007 Changes in waste management will affect everyone in the construction and plant industry - builders, contractors, plant hirers, tool hirers - and the pace of changes is about to accellerate.
We have prepared a brief report highlighting the driving factors behind these changes and focussing on our specific interest; the recycling of brick, concrete, stone and rubble. The report also describes new waste managment concepts including the Proximity Principle; which suggests that all waste should be dealt with as close to the point of origination as is possible. Although these concepts are not new, they are being implemented by local authorities with increasing force. The transportation of waste off site has an environmental cost, in addition to the financial cost and, increasingly, the delays resulting from traffic congestion. Already, in many areas there are increased restrictions on waste skips for smaller sites. Those who adopt new, on-site recycling technologies earlier, will enjoy the greatest advantage. Ultimately, planning and waste management legislation will alter the way we all work on site. Engineering Site Progress : Updated 19th February 2007 Work continues apace with our new Engineering facility, and the site (pictured below left) is on schedule for completion next month.
A fibre optic data link with the DIGBITS HQ building will allow instant access to the 3D CAD data and enables IT based work order generation. Increased craneage will allow us to look at producing even bigger assemblies and fabrications, vital for the bigger versions of our BAV and BAVTRAK product ranges which are currently on our CAD screens. The location, directly behind our Rugeley HQ (which can bee seen in the picture) will greatly reduce the current logistical issues assocaited with the present Engineering site in Cannock. Executive Hire Show Success: Updated 5th February 2007 It was success all round at the Ricoh Arena last week with the exhibiton in general, DIGBITS stand, and also the launch of the new BAVTRAK 009 receving plenty of attention.
Many of the vistors to this well-supported, first Executive Hire Show in Coventry beat a path to the DIGBITS stand. The launch of the BAVTRAK 009 recevied interest from both hirers and potential dealers from all over the UK and Europe and our demonstration team is virtually block-booked until mid April. Along with the commercial progress made at the show, our team were also the proud recipients of an official Executive Hire Show award, in recognition of our efforts to promote the show itself. The award is not only a credit to all staff involved, from the initial marketing and promotions, to the build-up and staffing of the stand but also to the level of communication and trust our sales team have achieved with our customer base. This communication is clearly a two-way street and we would also like to thank all customers who visited the show and our stand. Executive Hire Show Preview : Updated 25th January 2007 Can't wait for the show? Read a report by leading UK hire industry magazine EHN on the equipment due to appear on the DIGBITS stand next week. BAVTRAK 009 Launch: Updated 11th January 2007 The next generation of our tracked micro crusher will be unveiled later this month at the Executive Hire Show, Ricoh Arena, Coventry. Directions to the DIGBITS stand, E48, can be found by clicking here.
The new model - still a true micro class machine, at under 1000kg - will be available with a choice of powerful engines: 13hp Honda petrol 10.5hp Hatz diesel Productivity gains of over 80% , result not only from the more powerful engines (the base BAVTRAK micro has a 6hp petrol), but also an advanced hydraulic system. Whilst the crusher body remains unchanged the chassis is new from the ground up, designed and manufactured entirely by DIGBITS. Features such as independant hydraulic drive to each track, with self-braking motors make the machine even easier to maneouvre. The unique, patented safety hopper system remains, making this the ideal tool for recycling concrete on compact domestic and industrial sites - even indoors - being powerful enough for regular commercial use, and sufficiently user-friendly to be considered a DIY hire machine. TV Debut : Updated 2nd January 2007 DIGBITS' smallest excavator mounted concrete crusher, the BAVmicro, is set to make its debut appearance on national TV.
The BAVmicro, designed for micro and mini excavators from 0.5 to 1.5 tonne operating weight, will also be on static display on the DIGBITS stand at the Executive Hire Show, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 31st January and 1st February. It will not be signing autographs. Neither will the entry-level concrete crusher be demanding more for its services - current list price remains unchanged at just £2,800 +VAT. Top Dog for Rubber Tracks: Updated 23rd October 2006 Most people associate DIGBITS with rubber tracks, but not everyone realises quite how large our range (and stock) is.
With such a long history of involvement with rubber tracks, you know you can rely on us not only to give you the right tracks to fit your machines, but also the right quality. We have recently been approached by several, new track manufacturers, all of which failed to meet our quality criteria. Audits of warranty issues showed them to be between 500 and 1,000 times more likely to fail than our current product. Whilst we always look to keep our costs (and prices) down, we also realise how much of a problem premature track failure is for our customers. The cost of sending fitters to site and the aggravation caused to clients always outweighs any small, short term savings. With DIGBITS, you can be assured of product quality - whatever the size of track. Two new ranges added: Updated 25th September 2006 We are very pleased to announce the addition of two new attachments ranges to our portfolio:
The Kinshofer range of grabs for truck cranes are already UK market leaders, and we aim to further improve their grip on the UK excavator attachment market. We beleive the unique designs - especially the revolutionary new HPXdrive system - rugged construction and competitive prices are sure to impress. The PostPuncher range is already popular in the fencing and agricultural sectors, but again we have become involved with this product because there is a strong synergy with our range and it was something which would interest our customers. The product, which allows fence posts to be driven driven directly into the ground, quickly and safely, is bound for success. Whilst we increasingly sell what is produced in our own UK based bucket and attachment manufacturing facility, we beleive these products to be worthy additions our range. In both cases, the decision to offer the products was only taken after lengthy research (of both product and supplier) and with a clear idea of how DIGBITS can add to the equation. Both products will feature in our next Excavator Attachments brochure, due for publication early 2007. BAV5 consumes Black Country brewery: Updated 17th July 2006 A BAV5 Alligator Crusher on hire from Sandhurst Equipment to McAuliffe has chewed its way through one of the largest breweries in the West Midlands.
The former Cape Hill Brewery in Smethwick, previously owned by Mitchells & Butlers, has been cleared to make way for over 1,000 new homes to be built by house builder Persimmon. The BAV5 has been employed on a 30 tonne Cat 330 excavator to crush oversized chunks of structural concrete and brickwork, ahead of them being loaded into a large static crusher by a 50 tonne Cat 350 for final sizing.
Crusher Demonstrations: Updated 5th July 2006 By popular demand, we will be hosting a number of crusher demonstrations at our Rugeley HQ. The events will be held in our yard, although we hope to have our full Customer Demonstration area (see News entry 18th April 2006 below) in use shortly.
The next dates are: Friday 7th July, 10am Wednesday 23rd August, 10am Friday 25th August, 10am
Customers wishing to attand need to contact us the at least the day beforehand to confirm attendance and timetable of events. However, you may contact us earlier to ensure we have availability.
Reminder to all account customers: Updated 25th May 2006 Account holders will receive a letter with your next account statement from DIGBITS detailling changes to our current account banking.
From 5th June 2006, our current account banking will transfer from HSBC and move to Svenska Handelsbanken. All account customers must ensure they amend details for BACS payments immediately. Any queries should be sent care of our financial controller, Ms S Bird. These changes are part of a major, new finance package which will enable the company to progress with the expansion programme. See news feature of 18th April 2006. See BAV Crushers at SED: Updated 5th May 2006 The BAVTRAK and BAVmicro will be on demonstration and display on UK distributor Cautrac's stand at the SED Exhibition, at Rockingham Raceway.
The stand, number 773, is located near the corner of Avenues N and E. The exhibition runs from Tuesday 16th May, to Thursday 18th May, open from 9am. For those of you unable to attend the show can still arrange to see demonstrations of the BAV range by calling us, or your local dealer at any time.
Big BAVTRAK order from Hirebase: Updated 27th April 2006 Our innovative BAVTRAK micro tracked crusher has been taken into the hire fleet of the rapidly expanding Hirebase network, whose depots are based within selected branches of national builders merchant, Buildbase.
The deal, through the UK BAVTRAK distributors, Cautrac, has so far resulted in four machines being delivered to Hirebase depots around the country, with more scheduled to follow before the end of this year. Hirebase is the first major, national hirer to adapt to this growing sector of the recycling industry. Pictured: Trevor Gates, Hire Manager at Hirebase Aylesbury, and Mark Dutton, Field Sales Manager, Cautrac.
Expansion Plans: Updated 18th April 2006 It seems just a short time ago that we took the keys of our Rugeley HQ at Power Park but, nearly three years on, we are embarking on further growth of our facilities.
The first phase of this expansion will see our Engineering division relocated from Cannock, to a new facility at Key Point Rugeley in late 2006. This will give our skilled team the increase in space and capacity required to meet growing demand for our BAV crusher range, and conventional excavator buckets, attachments and spares. Above: Artists impression of DIGBITS Engineering, Key Point development.
The plan is for production facilities to track demand and within an estimated 12 to 24 months, the second phase will begin, on land owned by DIGBITS adjacent to their Power Park HQ. This development will include adding substantially to the all new customer demonstration area which should be operational in 2007.
Above: Artists impression of DIGBITS Customer Demonstration development. NEW BAV Crushers website: Updated 10th March 2006 We didn't post any news in February, but we haven't been idle! We were busy getting the all new BAV Crushers website online.
Now you can find out more about our BAV excavator mounted crusher range and the BAVTRAK tracked micro crusher. The site gives useful information on the sorts of issues you may want to consider, when thinking about recycling concrete and rubble on compact sites. Many frequently asked questions are also covered; including what "BAV" means!
Just into stock: Updated 24th January 2006
Our Used Equipment page shows just a selection of machines available - call us now to discuss your requirements or arrange a visit. We can manufacture a full range of buckets and specialist attachments to suit these machines, including our very latest, the BAVmicro Alligator Crusher which is being launched at the Hire Show in Excel, London this week. We also have new and demonstration BAVTRAK tracked micro crusher units in stock for you to view. (Although for BAVTRAK sales we will put you in contact with your local dealer.)
Happy New Year!: Updated 3rd January 2006 We would like to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year! To get the year off to a good start, there's a special offer for customers ordering before the end of February, and our latest product brochure - the 2006 Digger's Directory - is hot off the press. As always, new and exciting products have been added to our range in the updated brochure. Call or e-mail now to request your 2006 brochure and get details of the special offer. BAVmicro due in 2006: Updated 9th December 2005 This all-new BAV attachment will, for the first time, allow Alligator Crusher technology to be fitted to machines below 1.5 tonnes. The concrete cutting and crushing attachment has a target weight of under 100kg, making it suitable for use on most micro diggers.
All key components of the BAVmicro have been load tested using COSMOS stress analysis software. This has allowed many different component designs to be evaluated, ensuring the optimum balance between the conflicting interests of durability and weight-saving. Field trials on physical prototypes begin early 2006 and the new model will be available mid way through the year.
NEW Light Duty Rake attachment: Updated 31st October 2005 We can now offer a bolt-on rake option for our Boom Broom attachment (below).
The attachment follows enquiries for wider, shallower rakes which tend to be expensive using the conventional Land Clearance Rake construction. There is also the risk with wider Land Clearance Rakes, that the attachment may be strong enough to bend or twist the dipper arm if the outer edges hook-up on any immovable objects in the ground. The Light Duty Rake is designed so the rake component is a fail-safe, bendable/disposable link in the system, to prevent more expensive damage to the digger. See the Boom Broom page for more information. Biggest BAV for Sandhurst: Updated 15th September 2005 Sandhurst Equipment Rental have added the largest BAV Alligator Crusher - the BAV5 - to their rental fleet. This latest purchase means the company now offers the full range of BAV models available for hire.
DIGBITS policy is to avoid hiring any of the attachments and machinery we produce, in order to avoid potential conflict with our loyal hire customers. Using our computerised records, we try to pass on enquiries for short term requirements for our equipment to our hire customers.
Used Equipment : Updated 30th June 2005 We are pleased to announce a new development within DIGBITS - used equipment sales. By popular demand, we will be offering a small, carefully selected range of used diggers for sale at our Rugeley base.
Look out for the new section on our website shortly, but in the mean time, here's a taster: MICRO DIGGER Make: Kobelco Model: SK09SR Weight: 1,030kg Engine: 6kW (8.2 PS) Yanmar diesel Width: variable track frame, 0.75 - 0.98m Year: 2001 Price: very reasonable! Available to view in our yard.
"Straight Digging" Offer : Updated 9th May 2005 Look out for details of our latest, no-nonsense, special offer on digger spares. The "Straight Digging" deal on digging arm, front-end parts - including pins, bushes and linkages - is our best yet. You can enjoy a generous discount on our already competitive range of quality, alternative excavator spares, and choose from a range of free gifts.
We stock replacement parts to suit all sizes of excavator, from the 0.5 micro diggers, right up to full-sized 45 tonners. Our range covers all popular makes and models, from brand new machines, to machines as early as 1990.
All our parts are non-genuine, and made to meet, or even exceed the Original Equipment Manufacturer's (OEM) specifications, and because we are not linked to any excavator manufacturer, you can rely on us to help you parts budget go that little further. Contact our sales team if you haven't received a copy of the promotional leaflet. (see leaflet for offer terms)
Rubber Tracks - what are you paying for? : Updated 16th March 2005 There is often confusion when comparing prices of different makes of aftermarket rubber track, and sometimes we feel you - the customer - don't get an honest idea of what is on offer. We believe the straighforward and graphic illustration below may help clear-up some issues.
The three tracks (all to suit the same 1.5 tonne mini digger) shown in the picture (left) are taken from the following sources: A. Competitor, Chinese made, long-pitch. B. DIGBITS' Solideal, short-pitch. C. DIGBITS' DRB, long-pitch. So what can you tell from this illustration? Cosmetically, the quality of surface finish on the two DIGBITS brands is clearly visible, as is the removal of 'flash' from the central sprocket holes, which helps to prevent material jamming. The tread blocks on track A are thin, and have no offset - there are gaps across the tread at regular intervals - so both wear and tracking vibration (a major cause of component fatigue) will be higher. Track B has an offest (left to right) tread, giving continuous ground contact and minimal vibration. Although the tread blocks themselves are of a similar size, the high natural rubber content gives excellent wear characteristics. This track also has a short-pitch (i.e. twice the number of lateral, metal inserts) for added durability and smooth tracking. Track C has a semi-interlocking V-tread with near continuous ground contact, giving low vibration, and large tread blocks for long life. Hopefully, armed with this information, and our 14 years experience in rubber tracks, we can help you make an informed decision.
Web update: Updated 25th February 2005 Our regular, monthly 'news' contribution has been lacking in the early part of 2005, for two reasons. Firstly, we have been kept busy with the simultaneous launches of a number of important products (including the BAVTRAK and BAV5). Secondly, we have been working on a revised website, which as well as incorporating the new product ranges, also provides you - the customer - with a better online service. Navigation has been enhanced, and we have added a new Technical Resource section, which provides excavator owners and operators with useful information and answers frequently asked questions. We hope you find the new site useful.
Sneak Preview: Updated 24th December 2004
The new BAVTRAK micro crusher will be launched at the Hire Show in London, on 26/27 January 2005, on the CAUTRAC stand (609). The launch follows extensive testing and development since the prototype units debut at the SALTEX Show in Windsor, in September 2004. The unit, based on a Yamaguchi WB05, will be distributed by CAUTRAC who are the UK importers of the Yamaguchi machines.
Big new BAV: Updated December 2004
As is our policy with all new equipment, we will not be selling the product until we have put a prototype through it paces, and then some! Field trials will continue into early 2005, with sales of this 18 to 28 tonne class attachment commencing in March. We were initially surprised by the demand for this size of crusher, as we'd always assumed customers would opt for the cheaper option of our mechanical pulverisors. However, it seems there are several major advantages to using a BAV5 type unit:
We can dig it!: Updated November 2004 We believe it is important for us to try and understand our customers, and their machinery, in order that we can offer you the best possible service. As part of this target, we recently gave everyone at DIGBITS some time at the controls of an excavator. One of our sales team enjoying time off from driving their desk!
So now anyone involved with your order - from the sales team and office staff, right through to the warehouse dispatch crew - will have a more in depth knowledge of what we're about. It's a small detail, but one of many which we hope makes dealing with us that little bit better.
Matrix Tracking & Security: Updated October 2004 In a major new deal, DIGBITS has joined forces with Matrix Telematics to provide a comprehensive security and tracking package for all types of vehicles, including plant, agricultural and even marine. With plant theft alone reaching over £30 Million this year, the construction industry has been hit hard by losses and increased insurance premiums. The Matrix product, which now offers full compliance with the very latest Thatcham Cat5 standards, is recognised by most major insurers and vehicle manufacturers. Location and activity of vehicles can also be monitored, in the simplest way with mobile 'phone text, or over the internet by PC in the fully integrated Vehicle management Information (VMI) 'Explorer' software. Further details can be found in our new 'Security & Tracking' section.
DIGBITS for Victory!: Updated Friday 6th February 2004 We're proud
to launch our Buy British Buckets campaign - more details can
be found by clicking on the logo's and pictures in this news release. Winston Churchill, said; "Give us the tools and we'll finish the job!" We believe that our cost effective attachments are the tools you need to get the most from your excavator, in terms of increased hire rates, greater utilisation, and improved customer satisfaction. Corporal Jones, said; "They don't like it up 'em - the cold steel!" We're here to tell you that despite stiff opposition from cheap, foreign imports (largely from China), which has led to the recent demise of at least two UK bucket manufacturers, you can safely rely on DIGBITS. We'll continue our fight in terms of flexibility of product and use of high quality, certified materials, including HARDOX 400 plate.
New BAV Alligator Crusher Info: Updated Monday 12 January 2004
Customers interested in using their excavators to recycle and process waste concrete into re-useable, re-saleable product can get extra information, not shown in our standard brochure, for this product. Please contact our sales team, who will be happy to provide advice on these powerful attachments, and arrange for a copy of this latest information to be sent.
We have moved!
DIGBITS Ltd, Power Park, Towers Business Park, Rugeley, Staffordshire,
WS15 1UZ (Right) Artist's impression of new DIGBITS HQ. From
this new base we'll be able to offer our customers a wider range
of equipment - watch this space for more news - and even better
levels of service. At this point we would like to remind you that the 'Contact Us' page will enable you to e-mail orders or enquiries to us directly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our '2003 Diggers Directory' brochure, which now contains even more information to assist you in selecting the products you require. You can request your own free copy of our brochure on the 'Contact Us' page, or alternatively, you can fax your address to us. Our vast range of replacement rubber track has grown yet again, to include an even greater range of product, and our increased volumes mean we have reduced prices on many existing lines. Last updated September 2003 |
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The
Chancellor,
Alistair Darling is expectied to announce future spending cuts and tax rises but will provide hope for an upturn.
escaped the effects of the current downturn, but those of us still fighting have now have a good chance of riding out the storm. 
Levy - an increase of 25% - by the UK government in 2009. Ostensibly, the additional tax is an "environmental" measure, although the Quarry Products Association hotly disputes whether the tax does, in fact, provide any green benefits.
With an extra 50% of work space alone, this brand new building will boost our in-house Engineering capacity but the improvements do not stop there.
The diminutive, but highly destructive attachment is put through it's paces in episode seven of Granada TV's "Crash Test Dummies" series at 8:30pm on Friday 30th March. The first episode is due to be screened on 16th February on Sky One. Without giving away too much, suffice to say the BAVmicro, mounted onto a Kubota U15-3 mini excavator, makes short work of proving its performance.
For the first time, DIGBITS have carried out initial prototyping using a newly implemented 3D CAD system.
The Light Duty Rake is far wider, but also shallower than the conventional, Land Clearance Rake. It is also far cheaper than the equivalent width of Land Clearance Rake but will not be suitable for the same sort of tasks and is intended mainly for grading, weeding and raking.
For
those of you dedicated enough to be looking at our website
over Christmas and the New Year, here's just a taster of
what we have in store for 2005:
It
was bound to happen sooner or later, and following a number of
requests from customers for a 'bigger BAV', the latest addition
to our range of Alligator Crushers, the BAV5 is
now undergoing extensive testing.
At
the end of September 2003, we moved to new premises. These are
our new contact details: