Category Archives: heavy equipment

Sell off the outdated heavy equipment

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Every rewarding industry is dynamic and it requires people who are associated with such industry to change with time and situations. Knowing the construction industry, one will suggest that in order to survive in this industry, one has to keep himself updated and abreast with all the latest developments. It may not be a simple task but when it comes to heavy equipment, one has to seriously follow the mandate of the time. They have to procure latest heavy equipment or even machines that are not pretty old. This often leaves us with the question what will happen with the old machines that we already have in our position. The heavy equipment that you have been using for more than 1-2 decades should be shunted from use and also no operator would like to work on a machine that is so primitive.

You may have the finance to buy new machines but the real challenge would be to do something with the old stuff. Since they are so old that you can’t put it on rent or sell it off to someone who is also on the look of used machines, you are not left with many options. Well, there is certainly something left for you that you can do to get rid of the old hag. There are some companies that deal with very old machines. They buy them by giving a decent price and dismantle it. They pick up the important components from it and using their engineering skills try to develop a new machine. They may not have a band but they also find customers for the machines they have built.

So the first thing that you got to be doing is check out such companies in your area or in your city who buys outdated heavy equipment. You may find some within your city. The next thing that you should do is show them the machine and check how much they can offer you. Try to negotiate with them and see the best price that you can get. You have to try this with all the companies and then sell it off to the highest bidder. If you see problem is ferrying the machine from your place to theirs, you can ask them to come and pick it up. They can even dismantle the machine and pick everything. You take the money and that is it.

One more option that you can take is sell the machine to a scrap dealer but that is not a suitable one and should be only used if you are not finding any company who can buy your machine. If your machine is way too old and none of its parts is in order, it may become a real challenge to sell it off to these companies. They also look for some quality in your machine and if they do not see any they will refrain from buying it. Then you are left with selling the stuff to a scrap dealer who will pay you a meager amount which will not be something delightful.

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Depend on online websites to sell your heavy equipment

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Selling is a skill and if you are not good in that skill then you may have a hard time in selling stuff that you have used to some other person. It is not that everybody uses brand new items but as a matter of fact, you will find several people who like to use more of used stuffs than going for new things. The reason is pretty simple. Used items cost less and then they do not have to shell more to buy them. So they get the technology at a reduced price and in this process save some money.

However, in order to sell your used item to people, you got to sound very convincing and if you feel that it is too hard for you to sound convincing then you have to sell the stuff at a dirt cheap price. People will at least flock in hearing that you are selling it for real cheap. They may then not consider how latest the technology you were using. They might just go for it if they really need it. But in this entire process, the one who loses is you as you had the chance of making good money but just because you lack the skill of putting things in a presentable manner to convince people to pay a good price, you succumbed for a shoddy sale.

Now consider that you were trying to sell your heavy equipment and you were not able to present it the way you should have for a good deal. You will make heavy loss in the transaction. Therefore it is quite important for you to know the right platform from where you can sell your heavy equipment and can still expect to get a good price for it.

With the advent of internet and various businesses happening on websites, you can also make money in there. All you have to do is know which site is good for selling heavy equipment and what people does to sell their machines at a good price. For this, you should be watching other’s listing for a few days and check what different are they using on the website that helps them to fetch a high price for their items. This is the first and the most crucial step that will change the way of selling that you have adopted and have been practicing for a long time. Once you are done with checking other’s listing and got the idea, you have to work on your skills to put up your item in a similar fashion.

Most of the websites selling heavy equipment gives you the option of selecting a fixed price which means that you can put the price of the machine that you feel is suitable and let the buyers decide if they should be going for the purchase. However, what you should add on the listing is information that people will find helpful to know about your machine. If they feel the stuff you are selling meets their requirement, Bingo. You have made a sale.

Long Reach Excavator

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An excavator is normally used to dig deep inside the earth and extract the dirt out so that it can make way for a strong foundation for the building. Therefore, an excavator has a lot of importance when it comes to the construction or mining sector. Construction companies are ready to pay large sum of money to buy excavators that are best in fuel efficiency, productivity and reliability. On the other hand, heavy equipment producing companies also pay heed to the demands of their customers making it a point that they manufacture world class products after doing some extensive research work. When the construction companies felt the need of a long reach excavator, they had one probably during the 1970’s by MHJ Ltd. The long reach excavator was designed specifically to work on waterways. Now what is important in long reach excavators is the hydraulic fittings that needs to be of top notch quality and that gave way to companies like Hitachi and Komatsu who were said to be the leaders of producing quality machines in their zones.

A long reach excavator is needed to remove large quantities of stuff from water surface which is not possible by the normal type of excavators that we all know. Caterpillar was soon to join the race and became one of the most splendid manufacturers giving stiff competition to the ones who were holding the market for a long time. We will be speaking in brief about the specs of 345B L Series II Long Reach Hydraulic Excavator that became famous after it was introduced in the heavy equipment market.

Starting with the boom/stick of the machine, the shipping length and height of the unit is 49 ft in and 18.4 ft in respectively. The maximum cutting height and loading height is 47.4 ft in and 38.2 ft in while the maximum reach along ground and the digging depth is 57.7 ft in and 40.1 ft in respectively. Moving to the dimension of the machine, the width to outside of tracks is 14.2 ft in and the length of track on ground is also of the same measurement. The ground clearance of the machine is 2.3 ft in and the height to the top of the cab is 12 ft in and the tail swing radius is also 12 ft in. The track gauge is 12.2 ft in and the shoe size is 23.6in.

The 345B L Series long reach excavator has been gifted with high power to perform. The gross and net power of the machine is 345 hp and 321 hp with a displacement of 628.5 cu in. The operational weight of the machine is 51300 kg with a fuel capacity of 720 liters. The cooling system fluid capacity, hydraulic system fluid capacity and engine oil capacity is 66 liters, 520 liters and 30 liters respectively. The minimum bucket capacity is 1.4m3 and the maximum capacity is 1.7m3. It can travel at a maximum speed of 2.7 mph keeping it pretty stable.

 

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The right way to repo heavy equipment

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Heavy equipment are usually expensive materials and not many can afford to buy them by paying hard cash. The small contractors or small construction companies usually find it very difficult to arrange money to buy equipment but if they have no other option they approach a bank or some financial institution that lends them the money to buy the stuff. Now that they have possessed the machine, the next difficult task for them is to keep on with the monthly payments and any defaults with the payments may cost them the machine. Well, the loan system works this way. You borrow money from the lender and promise to pay the entire sum along with interest at regular intervals. Till the time you do not clear off the debt, the lender holds lien on the equipment. This means that if you fail to pay money to the bank, then it has complete right and authority to take possession of your equipment.

This really sounds harsh but people all across the United States have to go through this phase in some or the other time in their lives. Having said that, no lender ever wants to repo heavy equipment and they use this as the last resort. Lenders simply want their money back with the interest amount that the borrower has committed to pay. Just in case, if they find the borrower is unable to pay the installments they try to establish contact with the borrower to check if he is going through any financial turbulence. They try to sort things out with the borrower and if they find that he is unable or just unwilling to pay then they go for the repo; which means they send the guys to tow the machine from the borrower’s place so that it can be sold a dirt cheap price to someone else and in this process they can get their money back.

The process is quite simple. If the borrower is unable or unwilling to pay the loan, the lender brings the repo guys in the picture and then they got everything to do from there. They will track the item give the notice to the borrower where it will clearly state that they are taking away the machine since he was not able to pay the debts in time and after repeated reminders when he failed to show up with the money, the lender which has the first lien on the item is finally forced to take it back. The repo guys get some money based on the kind of stuff they would be towing. For instance, if they tow heavy equipment, then they get their fee based on the weight of the machine.

Before the repo guys can tow the machine, they got to be careful that they are towing the right equipment and not the one that belongs to somebody else’s. They need to check the Serial Number and accordingly tow the machine. They also need to inform the local police so that if the owner of the machine gives a call to the police, the authorities could explain him the matter. Once they repo the equipment, they keep the stuff in their storage facility or simply hand it over to their clients.

 

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Do not let winter eat away your heavy equipment

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Winter is a major cause of concern for both heavy equipment manufacturing companies as well as construction companies. Once it starts snowing, things become very difficult for them to carry on. The ongoing projects come to a standstill and there are high chances that the construction companies may not be able to deliver the work in time and due to this they may incur heavy losses. No business would ever like to make losses just because the weather condition is hostile and it did not allow the men to work. Other than that, the construction companies are also at risk as far as their equipment are concerned. Most of the equipment during winters just do not want to start. So the operators also face a tough time in getting the equipment started. A lot needs to be done to take care of the machine during the winters. Heavy equipment are at their worst during this chill season and if proper care is not taken then there may be lot of complications which will ultimately result in a bigger mess.

Check if the engine oil is in order:-

We tend to remain so busy with our work that we fail to give the required attention to the machines. Changing the engine oil at least once in 2 months should be done without fail. However especially winters, they should be checked more frequently and made sure that the engine oil is in good shape. In case, if the oil becomes thick then it is time to change the oil. Any delay in that situation will only cause problem to the machine reducing its longevity.

Get the equipment serviced by an expert mechanic:-

Just when the winter is knocking the door, it is advisable to get the equipment serviced by an expert mechanic. It would be prudent if you do not get the machine serviced by anybody other than an expert. Just when the winter is at the corner, a lot of things need to be checked in the machine which may often get skipped by a routine mechanic but may hardly skip the eye of an expert.

Painting the machine will be a good alternative:-

If you have an old machine and it needs urgent attention of the mechanic, get it checked first and then get it paint for once. Painting the machine will give a new look to the machine. You can also put some stickers or logos especially in areas where it is slightly dented and has scratch marks on it. Painting the equipment may also protect it from getting rusted during the chilled season. It acts as a good alternative when you are short of money.

Get the faulty parts replaced:-

Just in case if any part of the machine (attachable or not) goes faulty, it should be replaced as soon as possible. Just in case, if it is not replaced in time then severe cold may cause further problem which may become irreparable.

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Construction workers are more prone to risk during extreme cold conditions

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Incidents of accidents have become very common in a construction site and in spite of taking corrective measures by the higher department, these incidents are simply not willing to cease. At some time, it is the workers fault as they skip to follow the safety parameters and go to do work without the safety accessories, thus putting their life at extreme risk. At other times, it is sheer negligence that needs to be blamed for such accidents. The sad part is after experiencing so many unfortunate incidents, the construction workers and the higher management has still not found a way to tackle the menace. Ideally, one can’t adopt a mechanism that will alert them about a possible danger other than being cautious about it. It has been seen that most of the times, construction workers tend to work carefree and gets themselves hurt or killed.

During winters, the situation is worse. Workers have to work on icy roads where there are high risks of slipping while working and this may lead to major accidents. They may also not be able to foresee a possible danger and may go straight into it. Overall, winter is a big pain for both the construction companies as well as for the workers with no real solution around. There are few tips that one can follow to minimize the incidences of accidents happening in a construction site during winters.

Educate the workers about safety parameters:-

In order to save the valuable lives of workers, they should be educated about the safety parameters that are followed by the company. Not many workers may know how to use the devices when there is an emergency. You can’t expect them to know everything right from the very beginning. They need to be trained and should be explained about the various safety rules that one should follow. Concurrently, they should also be trained in how to save one’s life by giving mouth to mouth resuscitation, providing first aid to a fellow worker, emergency numbers to call etc. Once all the workers are trained in this, the number of casualties may decline.

Prevention is better than cure:-

There are workers who unknowingly risk their life to complete a given task. They skip to follow the basic rules of safety and in this process hurt themselves. We all know the saying “Prevention is better than cure”. However, we hardly walk on what we know. This is something that should be stopped. When a worker is given a dangerous task, he should be equipped with all the safety amenities so that in case he falls off the machine, he has something to save his life.

Very cautious while working in the snow:-

While you are working in the snow, there are high chances that you can get deceived by seeing everything white around you. You may fail to see a danger and if you are in a hurry, you may invite trouble. Therefore, you should always work in ease on the snow and take utmost care of your as well as your colleague’s safety.

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Heavy equipment rental prices

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Heavy equipment can always fetch you good price irrespective of them being new or old. If you wish to sell it or let it out they always have a value attached and can prove to be a good source of income. Moreover, you will always find takers for your machine. Renting heavy equipment has been a viable option for people who do not want to completely do away with their equipment. They may need the machine later but may not see any temporary use of it and therefore they decide to rent the machine and earn some money in this process. For people who want to rent their machine should be aware of the existing rental price and can’t ask for an amount that sounds to be extravagant. They have to first do a proper research on what others are charging for similar equipment and accordingly he/she can quote his rate.

Knowing the correct rental price has often been a challenge for the giver. Your machine may not be that old and is quite efficient on the jobsite. You are quite unsure of the rental amount that you should put on the machine as you fear that you might either over price the item or may leave it underpriced. In order to know the correct rental price, you can approach few rental houses that work exclusively in this department and gather information to know what price you should be renting the equipment/machinery.

In case you do not wish to take help of any external 3rd party company and want to work it out on your own then the most viable choice would be to check out few websites that deals with renting heavy equipment. However, this process can be quite time consuming and you should do this only if you believe that you can devote your time and energy in gathering all the information required to know the correct rental price. Once you have started browsing the websites of companies that deals with renting heavy equipment, check out the listings of people who have posted their item on the website. Go through the description as that will suggest the quality of their machine and the price they are quoting on it. You will be able to identify if your machine is better than theirs and if you should be quoting a higher price.

It is also important to understand if the takers are ready to take the item at the quoted rental price. There could be many people who must have listed their item without even trying to know the correct rental price. Therefore, check the profile of those members who have successfully rented their equipment. It is only through them that you will get to know the correct rental prices or different sorts of heavy equipment. Once you are sure about the price, you can simultaneously register yourself on that website and post your machine. If you have more than one machine to rent, you can state that on the description so that people who are looking for multiple machines can find you appropriate enough and will go ahead with the deal.

Selling construction equipment is tougher than selling any consumer durable item

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Many people consider the profession of a salesman to be one of the most difficult profession and they have valid reasons to counter it. The important question is why anyone would buy anything from a person that they have not seen or have not known before in their lives. It is very difficult for anybody to trust a person they are not familiar with and it becomes all the more difficult if the salesman is trying to sell things whose brand is not a known one.

There is still scope to sell a consumer durable product to a person but if you are dealing with selling heavy equipment your customer horizon gets further contracted. It is not everybody who will require buying heavy equipment. As long as the person is associated with the construction or mining industry, it makes sense for him to give his time listening to the talks of a salesman trying to sell heavy equipment but other than that, it would be a complete waste of time to pitch the product to people who have nothing to do with these industries.

Product knowledge should be up to the mark:-

Remember when you are dealing with heavy equipment, your product knowledge should be real good. People selling consumer durable products need not be that thorough with their product knowledge because just by creating the need for the customer, he can make the sale. Using the same tactic in case you are selling heavy equipment will definitely backfire at you and will never work for you. So, it is prudent that you do your own research about the product that you are trying to sell and gather as much information as you can that can be pervaded to the end user.

Selling is an art and by practice you’ll master it:-

It has never been easy to sell anything to anyone. Selling is an art and it takes time for one to master it. You got to meet as many people as you can and try to sell them your product. As far as selling construction equipment are concerned, your customer market gets contracted to people belonging to the construction segment. You got to reach them and try to make sure that you fix an appointment with them. Meeting them in person can make a lot good to you in learning how to sell stuffs to people. You can also take your senior along with you. Someone who is good in selling heavy equipment. Check his style, his posture and the way he speaks. You may not adopt everything he does but should pay attention on the way he speaks to the customer.

Do not lose heart if you fail to sell:-

You got to be strong mentally especially when you are failing to sell machines to people. Not everybody will need what you are selling at that point in time. They may keep your number with them and may call you when they feel the need. It is important that you always move to the next person and try to pitch the product in a better way.

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The Proper Ways of Preparations for Bad Ground

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The construction industry frequently suffers from various problems that result due to the poor conditions of the grounds that are often overlooked. It goes without mention that the affectivity of all construction equipment will rely heavily on how the condition of the construction grounds are. If you need to drive a heavy machine in the construction ground, it is very important that you make sure that the ground is strong enough to withstand the force and the weight of the machine. At the same time it is very important to put pads or cribbing under your feet so that the load could be spread out while deploying stabilizers or outriggers. This is a very important step as far as the reduction of the bearing pressure of the ground is concerned.

It is to be noted that a lot of problems regarding bad grounds could be avoided with proper planning. Therefore, it would be quite important to have a thorough knowledge of geology as well as soil mechanics. It is important that all the essential information regarding the construction ground are gathered and analyzed. Identification of the exact conditions of the ground is going to play a very important role in this regard. However, there are various other aspects such as the source of the information, verification and legal liabilities that have to be considered as well. It is also very important that the amount of money and time that is to be invested for the investigation of the site so that the ground conditions can be explored. Ill prepared grounds can be very dangerous for construction.

It is highly detrimental to take decisions based on assumptions in the construction industry. It is true that a lot of experience can bring the ability to judge certain situations. However, two situations are hardly the same and so it is important to run the tests on the ground conditions on a more applied level in order to ensure safety. Misinterpretations of assumptions can be simply asking for accidents in construction sites. It is not very unusual for operators with ample experience to be inexperienced or not so familiar with outrigger mats and the science of it. a good guide would know when to pick wood over plastic or why it is better to go with pads that are 100mm thick as compared to 50 mm ones.

It is important to stick to the guidelines so that you can construct with ease and safety. However, it would be not be wise to rely on any source that you find on the internet. Among a few important documents on the subject the following is a trustworthy source: Ground Conditions for Constructing Plant is a practice guide that has been developed by the UK Strategic Forum for Construction. Although it is at a developing stage at the moment, you can get the final version by the end of the current year. Although some of the issues pertaining to legalities are quite specific to the readership of the UK but the guidelines on engineering and physics are universal.

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Equipment Safety Tips

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Heavy equipment being such an important part of the construction industry, it can be said with no doubt that one needs to take good care of the machines he possess. He can’t just play around with things because if machines fail to function when it is supposed to, he will be into some real serious trouble. Therefore it is important to say that before the start of any project, check the health of your heavy equipment and if you find something not so correct, you better get that fixed first and then put them to use. Concurrently, one also needs to follow quite religiously the safety procedures when it comes to their heavy equipment. When safety procedures are followed it only lengthens the life of the machines making things more comfortable for you.

There are innumerable incidents that get highlighted on a regular basis that happens due to not following all the safety tips leading to heavy losses to property and at times even to life.

We will be discussing few heavy equipment tips that we all can follow to keep our machines healthy and simultaneously incur less cost on the repairs and fixtures.

Get good trained men on your machine:-

You should realize that you are dealing with big heavy machines that can turn dangerous if not operated by trained men. Give it to a newbie and he will make a big mess out of it. Therefore, it is of immense importance that you let your construction equipment to be operated by trained men who have sizeable experience in dealing with such huge stuffs.

Communicate with people around you:-

When you are working on the machine, it is imperative that you keep on communicating with people who are around you. It would be foolish to assume that they will understand your next move and will move away from your path. They may be engrossed with their work and if you fail to talk to them and ask them to move away you might find them exactly on your way and that might lead to some serious eventualities. Get your walkie-talkie out or 2-way radio so that you can ask people to get out of the way. Do not make a situation where things will become difficult for you to take care of.

Check your machine at the end of the day:-

You might be working very hard all day along and do not get the time to check if everything is ok with the equipment even though you get a slightest of hint of some problem. In a situation like this, you should check the machine at the end of the day and see what could be the problem and if it is a serious one try to report it to the people in charge. The repair team will take it from there and will fix whatever issues it had.

Regular maintenance is the key:-

This is perhaps the most critical and also the most ignored thing. Due to enough load of work, regular maintenance of machines can be easily forgotten. However, that will make matter worse and therefore try to get some time out of your busy schedule and ensure that you service the machine on a regular basis.

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