There is a dangerous little habit in the construction and plant-hire industries. An excavator owner buys a machine, looks at the monthly finance repayment, adds a bit for diesel, throws in a few maintenance costs and decides what to charge per hour. Then, at the end of the month, the money comes in, the bills go out and there is surprisingly little left over. Sound familiar? The problem is that owning an excavator costs considerably more than most people think. The purchase p