Digger Lid Have It Covered

Its often said that the simplest of ideas are the best ones, and that is certainly the case for a pair of entrepreneurs from Australia who have developed a business producing all weather covers for diggers.

When we think of Australia from a UK perspective we think of all year-round sunshine and canopy diggers you can sit on topping up a tan. But of course, they get heavy spells of rain too, and this is why these two guys came up with the idea of covers to fit over the canopy on mini excavators. 

Luke (24) and Joel Pfitzner (27), are two brothers from Melbourne, Australia who are currently operating out of a garage at their home/office set up.

Luke takes up the story of how their firm came to fruition, “Our business that we called DiggerLid, stems from an idea we had in our own construction company. We have a long construction background, being qualified carpenters, and then going out on our own to form Total Outdoor Constructions.

Our main focus was outdoor construction renovations including decks, pergolas, retaining walls and all things landscape construction and small excavations.

We went big, buying an Isuzu truck, Wacker Neuson EZ17 and ASV RC30 tracked skid steer loader (later upgrading to an ASV RT30). After months of working in the rain we thought there had to be something to get us through the day, which is where we came up with the “DiggerLid” concept.

A few months went by of design and production, and we juggled the construction side and DiggerLid for a while until we just really jumped in the deep end selling up all our machinery to fund our new start-up”.

Now just 18 months after selling their first product, they have a range of DiggerLid enclosures to suit over 50 different small mini excavators with more planned going forward. The range has certainly snowballed as has interest in their products, so much so that they are now producing other hand covers, and accessories like mobile phone cradles, and some cracking DiggerLid branded merchandise too.

One would have to say, these products are ripe for the UK market where let’s face it, wet weather is always an issue! They would be especially favourable for those working in the utilities sector where canopy machines are often the order of the day, in those conditions these covers would be an absolute godsend!  

The guys currently produce DiggerLid’s to fit mini excavators from 1-tonne up to 4/5-tonne, which feature opening sides, front and back with clear plastic for visibility. As they put it on their website, “Don't suffer through another long & wet day, the Clear Digger Lid gives you the comforts of an enclosed cab machine for a fraction of the cost!”

Some of the main features of the covers are:  

- Tough 650gsm PVC coated material

- Opening sides and back with clear plastic windows

- Fully opening front for max vision/ ventilation while operating

- Adjustable fitment via 5 buckle straps to suit a variety of makes and models of conventional swing machines.

- 12v access port allowing you to run your 12v accessories to the outside of your machine, like beacons.

- Side opening vent to ensure the Digger Lid does not interfere with your machines cooling system

- Fully double-sided zip for quick and easy side

I see a great future for this business, producing a simple but effective product, and something that anyone who has sat on an open canopy digger in the cold and wet, will appreciate for sure, great work guys!