Scraper
hire rates.
Indicative hire rates per hour for CAT motor scrapers from the 613 to the 657 (12–48 m³) — the cut-to-fill machines, in their haul window.
Scraper hire rates in Australia
Scrapers load, haul and spread in one machine, which makes them the cheapest way to move dirt when the haul distance suits them — roughly 150 m to 1.5 km of cut-to-fill. Shorter, a dozer pushes it; longer, excavator-and-truck wins. Benchmarks below by machine, from the same data behind our machine hire rate calculator.
Indicative hire rates
| Size | Dry hire | Wet hire* | Wet day (8 hr)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 613 (12 m³) | $189/hr | $350–$370/hr | $2,810–$2,970 |
| CAT 623 (20 m³) | $286/hr | $475–$495/hr | $3,790–$3,950 |
| CAT 633 | $368/hr | $590–$615/hr | $4,710–$4,910 |
| CAT 651 | $527/hr | $800–$825/hr | $6,390–$6,590 |
| CAT 657 (48 m³) | $908/hr | $1,240–$1,265/hr | $9,940–$10,140 |
Push-loaded machines need a dozer in front — price the push dozer separately. Wet hire shown at $2.00/L diesel and a typical operator rate band for the machine — put your own fuel price and operator rate into the machine hire calculator for an exact figure. Indicative benchmarks, ex GST, guide only.
Which scraper for the job
The CAT 613 and 623 are the small end — elevating bowls that self-load, so they suit subdivision and rural earthworks where no push dozer is standing by. The 633 is the general-purpose road earthworks machine. The 651 and 657 are bulk plant: big bowls that only pay for themselves on long, open cut-to-fill with a haul road to match. Bigger is not automatically cheaper per cubic metre — a large bowl on a short haul spends its shift turning around.
Price per cubic metre comes from cycle time: load, haul, spread, return. Moisture matters — scrapers hate wet clay and bog fast, which is why scraper jobs run hard in the dry months and why a weather allowance belongs in the program, not just the rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a scraper cost to hire?
Indicatively, a CAT 613 runs about $350–$370/hr wet hire, a 623 or 633 about $475–$615/hr, and the big 651 and 657 about $800–$1,265/hr — roughly $2,810 to $10,140 for an 8 hour day. Rates include the operator; a push dozer, where one is needed, is a separate line.
When do scrapers beat trucks and excavators?
In the 150 m to 1.5 km haul window on open cut-to-fill earthworks with trafficable ground. Inside that window one machine loads, hauls and spreads; outside it, dozers (short) or excavator-and-truck (long) deliver cheaper cubic metres.
What is the difference between single and twin engine scrapers?
A second engine drives the rear wheels, which gives traction on soft ground and grades and lets a machine self-load or work push-pull in pairs. Single engine machines are cheaper per hour but usually need a push dozer to load — that dozer and its operator are another line in your build-up, so compare the fleet cost, not the scraper rate.
Is the push dozer included?
The rate covers the scraper and its operator only. If the machine is push-loaded, the push dozer and its operator are a separate line, and on a single-scraper job that dozer sits idle between loads — which is why scrapers work best in fleets, with one dozer pushing several.
More rate guides: excavators, tipper trucks, dump trucks, water carts, rollers, loaders, graders, dozers, asphalt pavers, asphalt profilers, backhoes & skid steers. Or price any of 93 machines in the machine hire rate calculator.
Pricing the whole job?
Machine rates are one line in a real estimate. For water, sewer or stormwater work priced end to end, send the drawings. Acknowledged within two hours during AEST business.