What to Consider When Hiring Heavy Construction Equipment

The use of heavy equipment has become an indelible part of today's construction industry; almost no construction project can be completed without the input of heavy construction machinery.  However, it is not always practical for construction firms to purchase every piece of equipment needed as it is very expensive. For businesses intending to keep the costs of operation down, construction equipment hire is certainly the best alternative.

The following points will explain some of the important factors to be taken into account to ensure that the right heavy equipment is hired for your particular construction project.

Nature of work to be carried out

First things first, you need to clearly understand the type of work that has to be performed at the construction site. Construction activities typically comprise digging up earth, demolishing old structures, moving heavy loads at the construction site, and so on. If you are constructing a building bottom-up, you will need excavating equipment to dig up soil before you can lay the foundation. Excavators come in different dig depth capacities.

The right equipment for the job will be the one that can dig up to the depth you require and meet other work specifications. For instance, getting excavators that come with a  bucket attachment will make it easier to lift and load earth onto hauling trucks. If you are unsure of the maximum dig depth, lift height, arm force, and power rating of the excavator you require, you can consult the equipment rental company.

Equipment operation

Are you hiring construction machinery that you have used before or are you going for the latest equipment model available on the market? If you are renting equipment that your staff has operated before, you may not need to worry about operational safety. On the other hand, if you are renting a new equipment model that your personnel has never operated ever before, you will have to provide proper training in advance. Otherwise, you may need full-package service, which will involve hiring the construction equipment together with equipment operators.

Condition of the equipment

When you are renting construction equipment, it is very important to carry out a thorough inspection of the machinery to ensure that it is in good working shape. Because hired equipment is used equipment, there may be several undetected problems with the equipment that can lead to operational failure. Having a qualified mechanic check out the equipment can save you the trouble of doing frequent repairs, which only lead to loss of machine uptime.