Category Archives: construction equipment

Why to hire a power scraper

Heavy equipment is more in demand in both construction and mining industries. Among these equipment, scrapers are always required on the construction site. Power Scraper (PS) is a unique machine used for digging and long distance hauling of plough able materials and used for levelling of ground. It is finest machinery which can carry huge volumes of dirt at a time and move it from one place to another. One advantage over other earth moving machines is the capability to remove wet soil from the surface. It performs on heavier and other tough type of soils. It is a dominant tool in construction of highways. Many construction industries, start-ups and first time users prefer hiring heavy equipment including scrapers.

The following are the reasons why to hire a power scraper:

  • There is huge demand for scrapers, due to the increase in construction activities. Power scrapers (PS) are very expensive, which makes it difficult for construction companies to purchase a new scraper for doing multiple jobs at their work site. Further, due to economic downfall, most customers cannot afford to buy a brand new scraper and prefer hiring one for short period.
  • For short duration construction projects, buying a new scraper means waste of money since it the grader is used for a particular duration after which it is not used.
  • When PS at a construction site is not functional or damaged and it needs to be repaired.
  • Due to the increased workload on the construction site, more number of scrapers are required.
  • The user wants to try a new model which is technologically advanced. However, before purchasing a brand new one to be used for a long time and the option of buying on rent is helpful. This gives user an idea of application and if it is suitable for his work.
  • Most buyers prefer for used scrapers which are reliable, easy to operate, ready availability of spare parts and have high resale value.

 

While hiring of a used PS one needs to be careful and observant of the machine. One should inspect it very well, the machine should not be damaged, and should be less than 5 years to age. The buyer should refer to product specifications and hire a model according to its application at the work place. The user should also know the overall costs in terms of the repairs, fuel costs, and operator costs.

 

PS is a versatile and flexible machine. Thus hiring a power scraper is beneficial since is cost-effective for construction companies

 

 

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Don’t default heavy equipment payments

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Loans are always an additional burden that one has to deal with. Loan should be taken only when you are sure that you will be able to pay it off in time. However, the future is unknown to all of us and when things change it either change for good or for bad. We borrow money with the hope to pay it off and also make enough effort towards that direction. Business loans are riskier for banks and hence they grant loans after doing a lot scrutiny. They verify the nature of business, the reason why loan is required and many other relevant factors that play a crucial role to determine if the borrower can pay the loan in a timely manner. Only after the lender is absolutely sure the loan gets sanctioned. There are instances when even after meticulous scrutiny some of the borrower defaults the payment. This certainly hurts the bank but at the same time it also hurts the defaulter in a much grave way.

In the construction sector, you just can’t get away without paying the lender especially when you have borrowed the money to buy heavy equipment. You may be doing well in your business and have lot of projects under your belt. Being so busy you might forget to pay the lender for the heavy equipment. If you forget that, it is still fine but you can’t miss the non-payment letters that you get from the bank. If you fail to pay them even after receiving letters from them, the lender will repossess the heavy equipment and they have every legal right to do so. They will try to reach you before taking this action but if you are on a business visit or are so entangled with your work that you do not pay any heed to them then it will be a cause of worry for you. The lender will get in touch with a repo company who will without letting you know about anything will drop in to your construction site and will tow the machine.

It will be very difficult to get it back from them. Nevertheless you have to pay the dues in full along with the penalty you may still have to go through a lot of hassle before you finally get it back. However if you still fail to pay them then the heavy equipment will be auctioned and it will have a new owner. This is definitely what you will not want to go through as it paints you in a negative light. Moreover your credit rating will go for a toss and you have to probably wait for years to get a loan to buy heavy equipment.

Getting a loan at a lower interest rate becomes extremely difficult for people who have earlier defaulted on loans. So if at all you come across a situation where you have defaulted and have now learnt a lesson from your mistake, the hard time will not pass so easily. No major lenders will be willing to fund you and if at all they do they will at a higher interest rate. This in no way sounds to be beneficial. Therefore keep a track of your loan payment schedules and do not miss a single payment.

Unable to sell your heavy equipment – Try renting them

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It is quite difficult to sell an expensive item how old it may be. You may just not get any buyers and this could be really frustrating at times when you are in dire need of money. At the same time, you may want to get rid of an expensive stuff that you no longer need but you are also not ready to sell it at a dirt cheap price which is why you are not getting more buyers. The people who are interested to buy the item often show their displeasure after knowing the price of the item.

People belonging to the construction industry have often experienced this kind of situation when they are hunting for buyers to sell their heavy equipment. Either you have to sell it at a cheaper rate or you just won’t get more buyers. The reason is simple. People who would be interested to buy a second hand heavy equipment will normally be small time contractors or small construction companies who have just begun their journey in the construction sector. They will have many strong reasons will not want to buy a machine that is though quite useful to them in their business is nevertheless expensive and out of their budget.

If you are part of such a situation it will be prudent for you to give up the idea of selling the machine and think about renting it. In this way, you can earn money on the machine and then the day you feel that it has gone real old and you will not mind selling it as scrap, get hold of a scrap dealer and finish the work. Till then stick to the idea of giving it on rent and earning money without having to do much. Many big construction companies who have lot of heavy equipment under their possession normally lease their machines to small contractors who in turn work for them in their projects. In this way, the machine is used for his construction work and he also manages to make good money out of it.

If you are not a giant construction company and do not possess too many machines to follow the above idea, you can play it smart by renting it to other contractors. You will find many such people who are in hunt of guys willing to lease their machine. You have to just talk to people about it. Talk to your friends who are contractors that if they know anybody who is looking to take the machine you have on rent. Try to spread it across to as many people as you can and you will get responses. Try to give a reasonable quote that is acceptable to the other party and if all sounds good then you should go for the deal.

Before you rent your heavy equipment please try to refurbish it by painting the machine and making it look new. People expect a machine that works and you need to ensure that the parts in the machine are in good condition and it will work for the period that it will be on rent.

Tips to become best heavy equipment salesman

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The job of a salesman is considered to be very demanding and challenging. He often has to go through a lot of hassles during sales call and eventually in the meeting. A salesman requires lot of patience. He can’t expect things to work like he wants. Many a time he will find situations going against him. This can lead to frustration and therefore a person who does not have patience can’t find his place in the sales sector for a long time. You be into any industry, if you have to deal with sales then you got to be patient. You can try hard to sell a product but while you do that you can’t lose your patience. This is what many salesmen fail to do. While they try so hard to sell the item, they go so deep into it that they do not realize that they are getting pushy with the customer. This irks the customer and they end up saying a big NO.

Salesman selling heavy equipment have to be very cautious while they are dealing with their customer. They can’t afford to haste things with them. You got to be very smooth with them. There are few tips that a salesman should keep into consideration while they are on a sales meeting.

Upgrade your communication skill:-

For some reason every salesman believes that he is a good communicator. If he can speak well it certainly does not mean he is good in communication. Selling heavy equipment is not all about good communication skills but it is more about effective communication where you speak sense to the prospect and can covert him into your customer. Just by speaking well you can’t convince a person to change his brand. People in the US are brand-conscious and they will not want to change their brand as long as there is a good strong reason to do so. The job of the salesman is to display that reason to them. People who are associated with heavy equipment are more conscious with the brand they are using than perhaps anybody else would be. Heavy equipment salesman should be knowledgeable, confident and that should reflect in their way of presenting themselves to the prospect.

Be in the company of technicians and operators:-

You get to learn a lot when you are in the company of technicians and heavy equipment operators. They can teach you a lot about heavy equipment. Though they will not be much helpful to you as far as the selling technique is concerned but they can really develop your base understanding on heavy equipment. This will help you to answer some of the most challenging questions that come from customers. Ideally, heavy equipment salesmen are not so savvy with the technical aspect of the machine but it always creates a good impression when you are able to answer those technical questions. You can always learn the techniques from your peers. They can help you in that area.

How to look at oil analysis reports on your heavy equipment

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Oil analysis reports on heavy equipment are as crucial as a blood report is to a human. By the blood report we get to know the ailments in our body and in the same fashion by doing an oil analysis we get to know if the machine that we see so strong is indeed strong or is it becoming weaker from inside. Remember just like we humans who may look strong from out but may carry a lot of ailments that remains hidden inside our body the machines too may have issues inside it but may still look healthy from the outside. It becomes the duty of the owner to ensure that the fluids of the machine are checked in a timely manner and then an analysis is done to understand the actual position of the machine and if the equipment is not as healthy as it appears to be then necessary steps need to be taken to get it fixed.

A contractor will not have the tools to conduct oil analysis and therefore it is recommended to check for an authorized and qualified oil analysis laboratory who will do the necessary tests for you and give you the detailed report. Ideally the oil analysis laboratory gives you 2 types of reports. One is the basic report and the other is the diesel crank case report. The basic report is not a very helpful one as it only provides with very limited information which focuses on wear metals and contaminants. But there is certainly more to see than just these two and therefore it is advisable to go for the diesel crank case report. In the latter one, a person gets detailed analysis on the report which helps the owner understand the current position of the machine. It not only gives feedback on wear metals and contaminants but also on additives, viscosity and base number.

Other than these 2 analysis there are more oil analysis that can be done which will be slightly expensive than the above 2 tests. They include more chemicals which make the process lengthier but accurate and which is why if anyone wants to go for advanced oil analysis they can ask for it. By paying a bit more will lessen your worries as you will have the correct picture in front of you and that will help you to decide the way forward. Once you are done with the tests and the preventive actions are taken the next question is when you should again undergo the tests. Well that will be informed to you by the guys in the laboratory. So get a detailed guideline from them and also some piece of advice on how you should be dealing and what extra care should be taken to increase the longevity of the heavy equipment.

Doing oil analysis regularly not only lengthens the life of the machine but also increases its efficiency and you may find that the machine is consuming less fuel and have become more productive.

Winters can be a big problem for heavy equipment

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Extreme climate change can pose real big problems to almost any type of business. When people face difficulty to move from one place to another due to extreme weather, it does have a larger impact on the smooth functioning of the business as well. As a matter of fact, you will not find much of an alternative to crack the problem.

Hot summers are still manageable but heavy monsoon and chilled winters are almost unacceptable for most of the industries and if we talk specifically about construction then monsoons and winters are its biggest enemies. If it rains heavily then there is a problem with transportation of materials and simultaneously you can’t even work on an existing project. Winters can have havoc on your heavy equipment. Winters do not affect the project directly but it plays a bigger role in hampering your work by attacking heavy equipment. Thus the productivity of heavy equipment takes a hit and you take the hit on your business.

Before the arrival of winter, you should be prepared to do some basic repair work on your heavy equipment. Your machine goes through a lot during all the weathers and still perform. So it becomes crucial for you to ensure that the needs of the machine never go unattended. With the onset of winter, the oil gets thick which blocks the flow while you start the engine.

This has been a major problem for every operator. At times it takes over an hour for an operator to just start the machine. Other than that, there are many other complications that come in with the arrival of winter. Experts believe that heavy equipment that are serviced regularly and are well maintained do not give a tough time to the operators during winters but the ones that are not serviced at regular intervals are bound to cause trouble.

Take help of a mechanic:-

Firstly it is important to keep the heavy equipment well maintained. So keep a track of the days when you service the machine and also ensure that you do not delay the service date for the upcoming month. It has been observed that you perhaps think to delay it by a day or two but you eventually end up delaying it by more than a week. This is absolutely not healthy for any heavy equipment and it thereby weakens the machine from the inside. Before winter arrives, you should take help of a mechanic and ask him to inspect the machine. If they find any flaw with it, ask them to get that fixed even if it requires replacing some important parts of the machine. Give very clear instruction to the mechanic that you want the heavy equipment to work like it always does during the winter.

Take help of user manual:-

Heavy equipment before the start of the problem give signals. If you fail to comprehend those signals, take help of the user manual and check what does signals are for and what you need to do if it throws some kind of signals. The user manual usually talks about the care that you should take and going by the book can really lengthen the life of the machine and also keep it running during winters.

Things You Should Know before Renting a Bulldozer

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Bulldozer is very important heavy equipment commonly used in construction industry. They are powerful machines, which can effectively remove the stumps and boulders, help in demolitions, aid in excavations and can raze brush. They are often used in clearing of large acres of forest land to be converted into a productive area. It is often observed that construction industries prefer buying it on rent or on lease. While first time buyer may not be aware of such options. Many a times, after purchasing a brand new bulldozer, the user is not satisfied by its working or finds it limited in its functions. Purchasing a new bulldozer is a very expensive, hence it may be wise to take it on rent especially in case of first time users

 

The following are some of the tips for the buyer before renting a bulldozer:

  1.  Purchase of equipment which is in good health:

Although it is used equipment, buyer must take care that the equipment must be in good health. Very old equipment if taken on rent may operate sub-optimally during the rented period. This may lead to unnecessary expenditure due to repairs. Hence the used equipment not more than 5 years and in working conditions must be selected. The buyer should inspect the machine thoroughly for extent of wear and tear. Check the engine, leakage problems if any, welded parts (sprockets, tracks and arms), working of gear and brakes, rollers, and perform oil analysis.

 

 

2.  Nature and length of work :

Buyer should know the exact nature and volume of work. This will enable selection of an appropriate model of bulldozer. It is essential that buyer should know the exact period of requirement of rented bulldozer, since it needs to be mentioned in the agreement.

3.  Product specifications:

Among the different types of equipment models present, buyer should determine the size and shape of bulldozer. Choosing the right type which is best suited for the nature of work is necessary.

4.  Requirements and limitations of a used bulldozer:

Bulldozer has to be filled with fuel at least 3-4 times in a day and its parts needs to be greased at regular intervals. This machine has to be checked daily for maintenance issues. Bulldozer has a limitation that it cannot work throughout the day. Hence, the buyer should determine the extent to which a used bulldozer can work effectively. Further, it is necessary to know if the site conditions are suitable for the bulldozer to work, since it cannot work on any terrain. The tracks of bulldozer need to be often cleared.

5.  Safety requirements:

Bulldozers are huge equipments and one needs to follow instructions before operating them. They are dangerous equipments and should not be used without following instructions. Since mistakes committed while operating these machines can lead to accidents. The buyer should become familiar with its parts and the way it operates before using it. If the buyer is not familiar or comfortable operating bulldozer, then should hire an experienced bulldozer operator. Further, buyer should ensure safety by wearing safety belts, ear plugs and dust masks to prevent health problems.

6.  Expenses incurred:

Before taking bulldozer on rent the user must be sure to bear the expenses in form of rental cost, hired operator cost, maintenance costs, fuel and greasing costs, and cost of safety aids. Rental expenses vary since it depends on the length of the rental contract and age of the machine. To know the appropriate rental cost, buyer should compare prices by referring to websites. During the rental period, it is responsibility of the buyer to to maintain the machine well before handing it over to the service provider.

Overall, renting of bulldozer is beneficial since is cost-effective for construction companies and in cases where the bulldozer is required for short duration of time or for seasonal work (thereafter it is of no use). It allows the buyer to discover if the selected model has application for the intended work.

Following these tips can guide buyers in purchasing appropriate bulldozer on rental basis and get the job done well.

Training videos are a big help to fix heavy equipment

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An owner of a construction company will never want his heavy equipment to stay silent for a single day. It costs a lot of money to the company as a whole and then it also gets tougher for him to complete the work in stipulated timeline. In US a construction company works on strict deadlines and has to complete the work within the time frame. A delay of few days is ok but if it is a matter of a week or so then they may have to pay penalty. Now a construction company will never want to get into things where it has to pay penalty out of its pocket and therefore it ensures that all the things related to the construction activity are in order and he gets to use them as and when it is required.

Now there appears to be a problem with the heavy equipment that he has been using for the construction work and does not know how to get it fixed. Getting a mechanic at such a juncture is never so easy. The mechanics are loaded with enough work to have any time to come to the jobsite and fix the problem. This means that you are now completely dependent on yourself but the irony is you do not know how to repair the problem. This is quite a critical juncture for you and your business and it also leads to a point where you got to take charge of the situation and learn few things through which you can fix the issue on your own.

You may be immensely absorbed in your business and therefore you need a quick solution for your problem which you can expect to get in training videos on the net. So all that you need to do is an internet connection and key in the specific issue you have with the machine. You will see a lot of videos on the page. Out of those many videos some may be useful and others may not be as helpful. You need to know to pick the right video from the lot. The video that you will pick should relate to your concern and should show in details how to resolve the problem. These videos can be really helpful to you when it comes to fixing technical problems in your heavy equipment. You can also get to know tricks that you have never heard or seen before.

The people who upload such videos are expert in their profession and they understand that people suffer due to lack of knowledge on the given subject. This is why they take the effort to impart the knowledge to others and help them minimize losses in their business. Many small construction companies and private contractors find these videos as a big help and they often spend time watching them to upgrade their knowledge. You will get to see a lot of stuffs that is needed to keep the health of your machine intact and one should always follow them to increase the longevity of the heavy equipment.

The highs and lows of heavy equipment salesperson

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A salesman in general goes through a number of highs and lows in his career but what keeps him going is his sheer will to change the tide and resurface as a winner. Heavy equipment salesman also experience similar type of difficulties but certainly of different magnitude. Since he is dealing with high priced products selling them quite often is not a simple task. He may encounter many challenges that a salesperson of a low priced commodity does not have to face. His challenges may come in different forms and shapes and in order to tackle them all he requires motivation from people doing similar job or from people who are his peers. Other than that, the current market condition also plays a major role in the sale of heavy equipment commodities. For instance, if the entire construction industry is not doing well, it also becomes difficult for the salesperson to make any sale. People are not getting much benefit from the industry and most of them are waiting for things to change.

This is perhaps one such occasion when heavy equipment salesperson is really vulnerable and they are forced to take up selling other things. Some get into selling vehicles and stuff and for some they find it convenient to simply change the line of business. The cream of the period is when the construction and mining industry is doing well or is at its peak. This gives a lot of opportunity for the salesperson to show their skills and make the most from the moment. There are few who are of the belief that irrespective how the industry reacts there is always a scope for selling machines or its accessories. You can’t always sell those big machines to construction companies or contractors. At times you have to depend of selling accessories too and it can still earn you good commission. People do not want to purchase a new machine if something goes wrong with its part. They would want to replace the faulty part with a new one.

Heavy equipment salesperson should equally focus on selling accessories. It can keep them going for a long time and will also not demoralize them if they are unable to sell any heavy equipment. Grow your network and try to reach out to as many people as you can. There is always a scope of finding a person who is looking for what you are selling but it is just that you do not know him. Try to meet as many people as you can. Not all meetings will turn out into a sale. You can definitely meet them for a small talk and check if they need anything. Moreover, you can try to know if they know someone who is looking for a specific stuff related to heavy equipment and if you can be of any help.

The thumb rule is work hard when the overall industry is doing well so that you make the most of it and during the sluggish periods which will not last for long try to stick to what you does the best.

What machines are used in an environmental disaster clean up?

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We often think that heavy equipment are exclusively used for construction related work and it does not have any importance other than that industry. However, the fact is heavy equipment are used in many other areas which does not fall in the construction genre. Construction is probably one of the sectors where we use the machines a lot but this is certainly not the only place where we require these big pieces of metal. Heave equipment are extensively used to clean up the debris after a catastrophe has hit a place. Be it an environmental disaster clean up or a human made catastrophe, these heavy equipment play a significant role when it comes to saving lives of people who are stuck under the debris. There have been a lot of instances in the past where heavy equipment like an excavator are used extensively to pull out debris from a catastrophe hit zone and save the precious lives of people.

Heavy equipment are also used in cases where there has been a manmade catastrophe. For instance, if there is a major accident in one of the chemical industry that causes havoc in the area. In order to contain that from spreading, the authorities take necessary steps so that it does not spread to the other areas. However, once it has been contained the next part is to set things right and this is where the use of heavy equipment come. They need to bring in different types of machines as no one type of heavy equipment will be capable enough to do the entire job. Heavy equipment such as dozers, excavators, backhoe loaders, articulated trucks and other such machines are used to remove the left outs. This is an extremely painful and risky job for the operator as it can also endanger his life. So the guys who are behind the machine should be extremely experienced and need to tactfully complete their job.

When an environmental disaster like earthquake hits a place, it can swallow the entire city and it can be quite a difficult task to set aside the debris and rescue people from it. Floods, heavy winds, hurricane can also cause extreme damage to the people of a city and heavy equipment are used for the rescue work. Not just heavy equipment but also the attachments that are used on machines play an important role in cleaning up the mess in the zone. Therefore, when you are deploying heavy equipment like an excavator in a zone that has been struck by an earthquake, you also need to keep handy all those attachments that are required to remove the debris quickly. After all, you may find many lives inside the wreckage waiting for help to come.

Dozers are used to break open structures that cause hinder to the rescue work. So you can make use of lot of machines on the site at the same time. Each doing their part of work and ensuring that they simply things for the rescue team to pull out lives stuck inside.