Excavator Rental Rates: Compact and Full-Size Machines

ACT rents the excavators it sells and services: Takeuchi compact excavators from the TB210 to the TB290, Develon compact excavators from the DX35Z-7 to the DX85R-3, and Develon full-size machines from the 30,000 lb DX140 to the 78,000 lb DX350. Every machine goes out serviced and ready to dig, from the Charlotte branch to jobsites across North and South Carolina. Rates below are current and the same at every ACT branch.

Compact excavator rental rates

Compact excavator is the manufacturers’ term for what many people call a mini excavator: machines from about 2 to 10 tons that get into tight sites, ride on a tag trailer, and do most residential and light commercial digging. ACT carries Takeuchi and Develon side by side at nearly every size.

Model	Operating weight	Day	Week	Month
Takeuchi TB210 / TB216	3,900 lb	$225	$500	$1,300
Takeuchi TB225	5,000 lb	$200	$600	$1,600
Takeuchi TB230 / TB235 / TB335	6,400 lb	$225	$725	$1,800
Takeuchi TB240	8,500 lb	$400	$850	$2,500
Takeuchi TB260	12,000 lb	$550	$1,500	$3,600
Takeuchi TB257FR	13,000 lb	$500	$1,400	$3,500
Takeuchi TB290	18,600 lb	$625	$1,450	$4,345
Develon DX35Z-7	8,800 lb	$225	$725	$1,800
Develon DX50Z-7	12,000 lb	$550	$1,500	$3,600
Develon DX55R-7	12,600 lb	$600	$1,550	$3,700
Develon DX62R-7	13,700 lb	$600	$1,550	$3,700
Develon DX85R-3	19,000 lb	$625	$1,450	$4,345

The TB260 and DX50Z-7, both 12,000 lb, are the most rented size in the fleet: deep enough for most utility and foundation work and still easy to transport. The TB290 and DX85R-3 at the top of the range dig to 15 ft and handle the heavy lifts; the TB210/216 and TB225 at the bottom are for tight access, landscaping, and interior work.

Full-size excavator rental rates

For mass excavation, demolition, pipeline, and site development, ACT rents Develon full-size excavators. These travel on a lowboy; ACT quotes transport with the rental.

Model	Operating weight	Dig depth	Day	Week	Month
Develon DX140	30,000 lb	19 ft	$625	$1,600	$4,700
Develon DX180	39,000 lb	20 ft	$944	$2,600	$5,900
Develon DX225	48,000 lb	21 ft	$1,161	$2,900	$7,250
Develon DX300	64,000 lb	24 ft	$1,800	$3,300	$9,000
Develon DX350	78,000 lb	25 ft	$2,000	$4,000	$12,000

Which size do I need

Match the machine to the deepest trench and the heaviest lift on the job, then add a margin so the machine is not working at its limit all day. Three common cases:

• Trenching and utilities in a yard or around a building: a TB230, TB240, or DX35Z-7. Reduced tail swing lets them work against walls and fences, and they are the easiest to tow.
• Residential site work, footings, septic, and drainage: a TB260, DX50Z-7, or DX55R-7. Twelve feet of dig depth and enough lift to set pipe and precast.
• Commercial excavation, demolition, and land clearing: a TB290 or DX85R-3 at the top of the compact range, or a DX140 and up when the volume justifies a full-size machine.

Not sure? Describe the job to the rental desk and they will recommend a machine. Our guide to choosing a compact excavator size walks through the same decision in more detail.

The TB290 with a mulching head

For land clearing, ACT rents the TB290 fitted with a mulching head as a package: $1,500 a day, $5,400 a week, $10,000 a month. An excavator-mounted mulcher reaches over and into brush that a track loader cannot, and the TB290 has the hydraulic flow to run it all day. For clearing from the ground, see the TL12 with a mulcher on the track loader rentals page.

What is included and what is extra

• Included: a machine that goes out serviced and ready to work, and no repair bills for normal use. Normal wear and tear is not charged.
• Extra: delivery and pickup, quoted by location when you book, and any attachments you add.
• Coverage, your choice: ACT’s loss and damage waiver (LDW) added to the rental agreement, or a completed certificate of insurance (COI) from your insurance company.
• Your responsibility: an operator (ACT does not supply operators) and damage caused by negligence.

Buckets, thumbs, and hydraulic breakers are available with the machine; ask for them when you book so they go out together. A 500 to 750 lb class breaker rents for $200 a day.

Daily, weekly, or monthly

The numbers make the decision simple. A TB240 is $400 a day or $850 a week, so the week wins on day three. A TB260 is $550 a day or $1,500 a week, the same break point. Monthly rates run about three weeks’ worth: the TB260 is $3,600 a month against $1,500 a week.

ACT rents by the day, week, and month. On most machines a week costs about the same as three days and a month about the same as three weeks, so a job that runs past two days is usually priced by the week and a job past three weeks by the month. You do not have to get it right up front: the rental team watches active rentals and moves you to the weekly or monthly rate when that is cheaper for you. If the job runs long, keep the machine and call the rental desk; extensions are handled the same way.

Delivery across the Carolinas

Rental equipment ships from ACT’s Charlotte branch to jobsites across North Carolina and South Carolina, with pickup at the end of the rental. Delivery and pickup fees are quoted by location when you book, and the charge is the same whether the machine stays two days or two weeks, so a longer term spreads it further. You can also pick up with your own truck and trailer rated for the machine.

The smaller compact excavators ride on a tag trailer; the larger ones need a heavier trailer, and the full-size machines need a lowboy. If you do not have the right trailer, ACT delivery is the simpler answer, and the rental desk will tell you which.

Common questions