Start from the outcome, not the machine. Most Australian jobs combine a digging machine (an excavator), a machine to move and spread material (a skid steer or loader), something to compact it (a plate or roller) and trucks to bring material in and take spoil away—plus lifting or access equipment when work happens at height. The recipes above give the combination and sequence for eight common jobs.
| Project | Plant commonly hired |
|---|---|
| Prepare a house site | Excavator 5–8 t, Posi-track, Tipper, Roller / plate |
| Repair a farm dam | Excavator 20 t, Dozer, Water cart, Padfoot roller |
| Deliver a warehouse fit-out | Scissor lift, Knuckle boom, Forklift, Telehandler |
| Repair a regional road | Grader, Roller, Water cart, Loader |
| Build a stormwater trench | Excavator 13–20 t, Trench shields, Pump, Trench roller |
| Plan a commercial roof lift | Mobile crane, Dogman / rigger, Boom lift, Traffic control |
| Open a solar farm workfront | Grader, Telehandler, Skid steer, Water cart |
| Mobilise flood recovery | Pumps, Excavator, Loader, Tipper |
Starting points only—site access, ground and scale change the right machine. Each recipe explains the sequence and questions to ask.
How to use a project recipe
Each recipe lists the plant, the order it usually arrives on site and the questions that suppliers need answered to quote accurately. Use it to check nothing is missing from your plan—a compactor for backfill, a water cart for dust, a float for the second machine—and then send the same brief to two or three suppliers so the quotes can be compared on the same basis.
Not sure about sizes? See the excavator size guide, the scissor lift vs boom lift guide and indicative rates in the plant hire cost guide.