TLB hire in Witbank and surrounds
A TLB with a trained operator for trenches, foundations, clearing and loading. By the day, the week or for as long as the job runs, delivered from our yard in eMalahleni.
- With an operator, or dry hire
- Delivered and collected
- By the day, week or month
What the TLB gets hired for
Jobs like these, on building sites, farms, mines and plants around Witbank and the towns near it.
Trenching for water, sewer, electrical and fibre
The rear bucket digs a narrow, straight trench to the depth on the drawings, with the spoil kept beside it for backfill.
Excavator hireDigging foundations and footings
Footings for a house, a boundary wall or an extension, dug to the pegs and string lines your builder sets out.
Clearing and levelling stands and plots
The front bucket pushes off bush, rubble and topsoil and leaves the stand level and ready for the builder.
Bobcat hireLoading rubble, sand and stone into tippers
Loads a tipper in a few passes from the stockpile, so trucks are not left standing on site.
Tipper truck hireBackfilling and general site work
Once the pipe or cable is in and checked, the spoil goes back into the trench and the site is tidied.
Small dams, drains and farm work
Farm dams, stormwater drains and furrows on the farms and smallholdings around Witbank.
Ways to hire a TLB
With an operator
One of our trained operators runs the TLB for you. Most TLB hires go out this way, from a single day upwards.
Dry hire
The TLB on its own, for crews and contractors with their own ticketed operator.
With a tipper truck
A TLB to dig and load and a tipper to cart it away, booked together for rubble removal, spoil and site clearing.
Standard TLB with a 1.0 m³ front bucket, 0.28 m³ rear bucket.
How hiring works
Tell us the job
Phone, or send the form below: what the job is, where the site is and how long you need the machine.
Get a price
We tell you which machine suits the job, whether it is free and what it costs, delivery included.
It arrives on site
We deliver the machine, with its operator if you want one, and collect it when the job is done.
A standard TLB, in numbers
Typical figures for the class. The exact numbers depend on the machine that goes out, so ask when you book if your job is close to a limit.
| Digs down to | about 4.2 m |
|---|---|
| Rear (digging) bucket | 0.28 m³, trenches from about 300 mm wide |
| Front (loading) bucket | 1.0 m³ |
| Loads over | about 2.7 m, high enough to clear a tipper's sides |
| Width | about 2.4 m |
| Weight | about 8 t, on four tyres |
What TLB hire costs
We do not publish a rate card, because no two jobs cost the same. Tell us these five things and we come back with a price for yours.
Get a price for your job- The machine and its size
- A 30 t excavator costs more to run and to move than an 8 t one. Tell us the job and we will tell you which size does it without paying for more machine than you need.
- With or without an operator
- Wet hire includes a trained, ticketed operator. Dry hire is the machine alone, for crews who have their own.
- How long you need it
- A day, a week, a month or an ongoing contract. Longer hires carry a lower daily rate.
- Where the site is
- Delivery and collection depend on the distance from our yard in eMalahleni, and on the transport the machine needs.
- Hours and conditions
- Single or double shifts, standby time, and ground or site conditions that wear a machine harder.
TLB, Bobcat or excavator?
Which machine suits which job. Still not sure? Phone and describe the job, and we will tell you which one to hire.
TLB
This pageDigs at the back, loads at the front and drives on tyres. The all-rounder for a stand, a farm or a few small sites.
Best for
- Trenches for water, sewer, power and fibre
- Foundations and footings
- Loading tippers
- Clearing and levelling stands
Pick another for
Long, deep trenches, hard rock, or a yard too tight to turn in.
Small, on tracks, turns on the spot and fits through a gate.
Best for
- Clean-up and rubble
- Levelling and paving preparation
- Moving material in tight spaces
- Spillage on plants and conveyors
Pick another for
Digging: it scrapes and loads, but trenches and foundations are TLB work.
Digs deepest, with the biggest bucket, and turns all the way round without moving.
Best for
- Bulk earthworks and cut and fill
- Deep trenches and pipelines
- Loading trucks all day
- Demolition
Pick another for
Small jobs spread over a stand: it comes on a truck and is slow to move around.
Something to cart away? Add a tipper truck or see rubble removal.
Before the TLB arrives
Have these sorted and the machine works from the first hour.
A way in
Tell us how wide the gate is, and where a truck can stop to offload the TLB.
What runs underground
Find out where water, sewer, power, gas and fibre lines run, and mark them. A cut cable or burst pipe costs more than the day's hire.
Permission to dig
Digging in a sidewalk or road reserve usually needs a wayleave from the municipality first. On a mine, power station or plant, the site's own permit and induction come first.
Pegs and depths
Peg out where to dig and know how deep and how wide it must go, so the operator starts on the first hour.
Where the soil goes
Decide where the dug-out soil goes: a heap beside the trench for backfill, or a tipper to cart it away.
Working around Witbank
The ground
Around eMalahleni the ground is mostly clay over sandstone and shale, and some sites hit rock not far down. Tell us if earlier digging on your site hit rock, and we will send a machine that can handle it.
The rain
The Highveld gets its rain in summer, mostly as afternoon storms from about October to March. Wet clay slows a machine and fills trenches, so we plan digging for the mornings and backfill soon after. Dams are best built in the dry winter months.
Mines, power stations and plants
Sites at the mines and the power stations around Witbank, like Duvha, Kendal, Kriel and Kusile, need the induction and paperwork done before a machine goes through the gate. Tell us what your site asks for when you enquire.
Questions we get asked
Something else? Phone 013 692 8599.
Can I hire a TLB for just one day?
Yes. Short hires of a day or two are fine. Tell us where the site is and what the job is, and we will confirm the machine is free and what delivery costs.
Does the TLB come with an operator?
It can. Most TLB hires are wet hire, with one of our trained operators on the machine. Dry hire, the machine on its own, is available for crews with their own ticketed operator.
How much does TLB hire cost?
It depends on how long you need it, whether you need an operator and how far the site is from eMalahleni. Phone us or send the form and we come back with a price for your job.
Do you deliver the TLB to site?
Yes, we deliver and collect around Witbank and the surrounding towns, including Middelburg, Ogies, Kriel, Kendal and Delmas.
Can I hire a TLB in Ogies, Kriel or Delmas?
Yes. We deliver TLBs from our yard in eMalahleni to Ogies, Kriel, Delmas, Kendal, Clewer, KwaGuqa, Hendrina and Middelburg. Tell us where the site is and we include delivery and collection in the price.
How deep can a TLB dig?
A standard TLB digs to about 4.2 m with its rear bucket, which is deep enough for most water, sewer, electrical and fibre trenches. For deeper trenches or long pipelines, a 20 t excavator digs to about 6.5 m.
What is the difference between a TLB and an excavator?
A TLB digs at the back, loads at the front and drives on tyres, so it suits trenches, foundations and loading on one site or a few small ones. An excavator only digs, but it digs deeper, with a bigger bucket, and turns all the way round on its tracks, so it suits bulk earthworks, deep trenches and loading trucks all day.
Delivered from our yard in eMalahleni
We deliver and collect across Witbank and the towns around it. Distances are straight line from the middle of eMalahleni; the road is a little longer.
In eMalahleni itself we work all over town, from Del Judor, Reyno Ridge, Ben Fleur, Tasbet Park, Duvha Park, Model Park, Die Heuwel and Witbank Central, and in the industrial areas of Ferrobank, Klipfontein and Marelden.
Get a quote for TLB hire
Tell us the job and where it is. We come back with what is free and a price.
Ask for a quote
Leave your number and we call you back. The Vanalls team works out the price for your job.
Or call 013 692 8599, Mon–Fri