Skid Steer Hire in Melksham, Wiltshire
A single-track lane to a listed cottage leaves no room for a digger to swing its boom. A skid steer turns within its own footprint instead.
Stone walls either side of an old Wiltshire lane are usually narrower than they look from the road. Measuring the actual gap settles which machine can get through.
Old Lanes Rule Out the Obvious Machine
A renovation behind a listed cottage down a single-track lane often has no room for a lorry to turn, and even less room for a tracked excavator to swing its boom once it arrives.
A skid steer turns within its own footprint rather than swinging outward, which clears a gap a digger of similar power simply cannot use.
Coppard supplies skid steers for exactly this kind of job across the older parts of Melksham and the surrounding market towns. Height can matter just as much as width in this kind of job, since a low archway or an overhanging thatch edge can rule out a taller machine even where the ground footprint would otherwise fit.
Our Skid Steer Range
The full fleet is listed on our Skidsteers collection, with every other service from this depot linked from the Melksham Forklift Rental Service page.
Tracked and wheeled options are both available, with tracks generally suited to softer ground and wheels to a firmer surface already laid along the lane.
Call 01380 828988 with the narrowest point along the route measured in metres, and a model confirmed to fit gets sent rather than one that might just squeeze through. A renovation with a public footpath running alongside the lane also needs a machine that can work safely close to passers-by, which our team will factor into the size suggested. A quick call to discuss the approach ahead of booking usually settles any doubt about which size will actually fit.
Skid Steers for Melksham's Older Lanes
Stone walls either side of a historic Wiltshire lane are usually narrower than they appear from the road, since the cottages behind them were built long before modern plant existed.
A low archway or an overhanging thatch edge can rule out a taller machine even where the width would otherwise be fine, so height matters just as much as width on this kind of route.
Let the depot know both figures together, and the size suggested will account for the whole approach, not just the gate at the end of it. A written note of the narrowest point, taken with an actual tape measure rather than a visual guess, gives the depot the clearest figure to work from.
What's Included With Every Skid Steer
A load chart, a service record and a short walk-round happen before any skid steer is handed over. Call 01380 828988 if a narrower machine turns out to be needed once the lane is actually measured on site.
A bucket, forks or a breaker can be fitted depending on the task, with fuel going out full and ordinary wear through the hire never charged for.
Our drivers carry extra quick-hitch pins as routine, so a mislaid one is never the reason a swap gets delayed. Where a different attachment is needed once the job is under way, a swap can usually reach the renovation site without losing the day. This local knowledge also helps our drivers flag a possible fit issue before the lorry ever leaves the yard.
Why Choose Coppard
Fifty-four years of plant hire across Wiltshire back every booking made from this depot, alongside CPA membership and Constructionline accreditation.
A machine that cannot get through the lane costs a renovation more in delay than the small cost difference between sizes would ever have cost to book correctly from the start.
Our team has delivered to enough of Melksham’s older lanes to know which widths allow a digger and which only ever allowed a skid steer. Call 01380 828988 before booking if there is any doubt about whether a machine will fit, since a wasted trip costs more than a quick measuring call upfront. This local knowledge often settles a borderline case faster than a measurement read out over the phone on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I measure a narrow lane before booking a skid steer?
A tape measure taken on site beats an estimate every time, since stone walls either side of an old lane are often narrower than they first appear from the road. Measure the tightest point along the whole approach, not just the gate, and give that figure when booking. A tape measure taken on site beats a visual estimate every time, since stone walls either side of a lane are often narrower than they first appear from the road.
Does ground condition change whether tracks or wheels suit the job?
Yes, softer or rutted ground usually suits tracks better regardless of the machine’s power output, while a firmer surface works fine on wheels. Describe the ground as well as the lane width, since both affect which model the depot recommends. Describe the ground as well, since softer or rutted surfaces can change whether tracks or wheels suit the job better regardless of power output. This matters most after a wet spell, when ground that usually takes wheels well can still be too soft.
How quickly can a skid steer reach a renovation site?
Most Wiltshire bookings are confirmed within the week, often sooner where a suitable size is already on the yard. Give the depot the lane measurement at the same time as the date, since that detail can occasionally rule a size out and change which slot applies. Give the depot the lane measurement at the same time as the date, since that detail can occasionally rule a size out and change which slot actually applies.
Can a breaker or auger be fitted to the same skid steer?
Yes, breakers and augers both fit the same quick-hitch system fitted as standard, so a single booking can cover more than one task on the same visit. Mention both planned tasks when booking, and both attachments can travel out together. A breaker runs on a different hydraulic flow rate to a bucket or forks, and the quick-hitch system fitted to our machines is set up to handle that switch without booking a separate hire.
What UK rules cover using a skid steer at work?
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 set out duties for equipment used at work, skid steers included. Coppard checks and records every machine before hire, so that side is sorted before it leaves our yard. A valid licence should also be checked on site before work begins. A valid licence should always be checked on site before work begins, whichever machine size has been booked for the renovation.
Looking for Skid Steer Hire near me?
Call Coppard at 01380 828988 to discuss which skid steer fits your lane, and to book a delivery date.
