Tag Archives: heavy equipment

Heavy equipment with latest technology is an asset

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Just buying heavy equipment for the sake of possessing one does not make any sense. The equipment that you buy should have the latest gadgets that can ease the work for the operator and will also fasten things up. Today everybody expect us to complete the work in stringent deadline and this is only possible with the help of machines fitted with advanced technology gadgets. This also helps you to make an impression in the overall construction segment and allows you to establish a brand value of your company. Heavy equipment manufacturing companies are in the process of selling 2 types of products. The first one is machines that are competent in doing all the work but may relatively take more time and the second one is equipment that is quick, easy to maneuver and can manage to get the work done with a lot of precision.

The first type of heavy equipment is not so expensive and is mostly bought by small construction companies or contractors but the second one is usually bought by mighty construction companies who work on strict deadlines. They are specifically designed to bring precision to the operator job and therefore they cost dearly in the market. It also depends upon the company that you buy these machines from. Not all heavy equipment companies charge you the same amount for the type 2 machines. The companies which have its brand value charge more and the one which is competing to make its place in the industry may out the price a bit lower than its competitors.

If you are using the type one class of machines and if you aim to get bigger projects, you have to switch into the type 2 class of machines. You also need to ensure that you have the staff who knows to operate those advanced piece of metal. This means that you have to hire some experienced people and also need to ensure that you use those experienced men to train the men who have worked with you for years. They also need to know how the technologically advanced machines work. The reason to train your old staff on the latest machines is that they are with you for years and there is less chance that they will leave you. So it is better that you train your old men with new tricks and utilize their experience. You also do not have to pay more to them for working on advanced class machines. They on the contrary will be grateful to you to allow them a simplified version.

Now comes the cost of the machine. These heavy equipment are quite expensive and you may have to apply for a loan to possess them. It will be very unlikely to get these machines on rent. You would be lucky if you manage to get them on rent. Before you make any headway towards buying these heavy equipment, ensure that you have good financial standing. Do not shell off all your heard earned bucks behind possessing the metal.

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Have the other two talk about renting different pieces of equipment

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Giving heavy equipment on rent is a very lucrative option when you are out of business or do not have many projects in hand. You will keep getting some money at the end of every month. Simultaneously, it is very important for the two parties to talk in clear terms about the terms of agreement. The owner of the equipment should make all his terms clear to the taker like how frequently he should be servicing the machine, how many hours he can make the machine work in a day and if by chance any accident happens then the cost of repairing the machine has to be billed to the taker. He cannot give the machine back to the owner in a damaged condition. It is advisable that they should make an agreement once they have finalized their talks so that their communication does not remain verbal and have some evidence to back.

At times, there are people who are particularly looking for a piece of equipment and not the entire machine. They may have the entire machine with them but just want to put an add-on which is perhaps missing in their machine. They just want to rent that piece of equipment to complete his work and then return it after using it for a couple of months. He may not have the need to use that piece for a year or so but the need may be very temporary in nature. Their needs may be unique and he may not always get what he wants. It is ideally that the guy who rents his machine would like to rent the entire equipment and not just the part. However, things are changing now and more and more heavy equipment owners are ready to rent pieces of their equipment to others.

The best way to know who is renting what is to search for it on the net. There the seeker may get plenty of options and can come down to the best suitable option. The online sites also offer the option to make the payment online and then the giver can ship the item to your doorstep. Nevertheless, before you make the payment it is important that you get in touch with the party and if possible inspect the item you’re willing to take on rent. It is only when you find the item good enough to take it on rent that you should go ahead with it.

It won’t be wise enough to make the payment before you even inspect the item or have a talk with the owner. Remember, having a clear communication is far more important or else it may lead you to bigger problems. Once you have talked about all the important aspects and are willing to make a written agreement on it, you can then go ahead and pay him/her online. Always make the payment of the item through the website as that will leave nothing at risk for you.

Caterpillar is strategizing to consolidate its future

It was a good year for most of the construction companies and so was for the heavy equipment companies but not all were doing well in the year 2015. Some heavy equipment companies were incurring losses for the last few years and they were thinking of downsizing their labor force. But they were not able to take the call as the overall industry was doing well. Perhaps they were looking at the global picture which seemed to be pleasant but with reference to the situation in the United States, it was a bit worrisome. Not all heavy equipment companies in the US were making profits and especially the giant ones were certainly not seeing any profits in their book of accounts. They made some profit in a couple of quarters but when it was time to check the fiscal growth, the situation looked dim.

One such giant company that is experiencing a hard time showing profits is Caterpillar. It seems that the primary reason for them incurring losses is having started lot of units in every part of the country. Now they have to employ people to run the unit and also port machines from one place to other which involve huge costs. Other than that, they have pledged to manufacture excellent quality machines for which they require to invest chunk of money on research and development work. As a result of this, the final product produced by them is a bit higher than the machines of other heavy equipment companies. Not every construction company can afford to buy CAT machines and they majorly sell them to big construction and mining houses. Therefore it is utterly futile to have so many units across the country and hence the first step that they will take to consolidate their position is to crack down the units that are not performing up to the mark.

Cat is planning to reduce its salaried workforce of around 4000 to 5000 employees till the end of 2016. This also includes the guys who are operating in the agency. It has also planned to shut down most of its units and manufacturing facilities by the end of this year and the process may even extend till 2018. It also planned to offer voluntary retirement scheme to most of its qualifying employees. “It will be sad to part ways with the employees but that is the want of the situation and in order to sustain in this market, strong steps are required to be taken” were the words of one of the CAT’s spokesperson.

Primarily, the major part of cost reduction is to be done from curbing Administrative costs. It seems the company spends a whopping amount on Administrative costs which will be cut down across states once the non-profitable units and the manufacturing facilities are closed down permanently. The company has to take the tough call in the year 2016 so that it can expect good returns in the following years to come.

Heavy equipment predicted to make good sale in 2016

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It is expected to be a great year for the construction, mining and heavy equipment industry as it is assumed that the sales figure of heavy equipment for the year 2016 will be simply splendid and the total credit goes to the way the construction and the mining industry has performed in the last year and the way it will perform in this year. Market pundits have come down with various revelations but it ultimately boils down to the fact that the construction and mining companies are all set to make solid purchase of earth moving machines. There is a huge requirement of these machines as regions like the Middle East have made heavy investments in construction and oil business. It is because of these investments that the heavy equipment manufacturing companies will have a big time opportunity to sell their machines in this market.

Barring the Middle East and other Gulf nations, if we divert our attention to the European markets, we see great prospect there. It had been a great year for the construction industry in Europe and they are only expecting it to grow from here. There seem to be absolutely no sign of any trouble in these segments and therefore it makes more sense for the heavy equipment companies to strengthen their operation there. Many companies are opening up new sites in various European countries and they all are very hopeful about their future prospects. They want to make the most out of this and they do not see a better timing than this.

A good year for the heavy equipment company also means a great year for the buyers of the machine. They buyers can expect a lot of goodies from the company or from its dealer. The most important part of a transaction for a buyer is the quality of the machine and if he gets good quality stuff at a reasonable price, he will be automatically drawn towards the product. Other than that, some buyers are choosier about their brands and they will not easily go for a brand that they have not bought something before. They prefer to be loyal to their brand and this gives an opportunity to that particular brand to sell more of its products in the market. A survey can be done by the brand to check if the consumers who have purchased its machine in the last 5 years prefer to stick to them or go to some other brand. This will give them a clear picture of the mood of the buyers.

In order to increase the sale, they can offer discounts to the buyer or can collaborate with some lending institution which will offer loans to consumers at a very lower interest rate. Consumers are always on the look of such offers and if they get one, they are for sure going to grab it. This will only help to increase the sales figure. They can bring in such innovative offers to up their sales and make this year a great one too.

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Buying excavators that save on fuel can be a good investment

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While setting up a construction company, the owner has to go through a lot of financial hurdles and often finds it difficult to sustain with the given resources. On top of that, when he sees that the heavy equipment he is using are consuming more fuel than he has anticipated that becomes more of a financial burden on him and he then seeks for ways and means to combat the issue. Well, once you already have equipment that consumes more fuel, there is hardly anything you can do to set that off. You either have to continue with the same equipment till it completely wears off or you can sell that machine and buy a new one that is reasonable and economical as far as fuel consumption is concerned. There are many branded companies who are producing equipment that match the overall needs of the client but they may be quite expensive. The next available option would be to go for brands who are not that expensive and yet reliable. If you have this specific requirement, then the best brand would be Komatsu. Komatsu is known for producing reliable machines that are not expensive and ideally fits the budget of every person in the construction arena.

Excavator is one such machine that is required for whatever big or small project you have on hand. Other than this, it is known for consuming more fuel as it has to exert more pressure on the engine to get the work done. However, Komatsu has recently launched PC290LC-11 long arm hydraulic excavator which is designed in such a way that it consumes less fuel at work. The cabin of the operator has also been modified to make things comfortable inside. This new model is a substitute of the older version which is PC290LC-10. The operating weight of the machine is anywhere between 66,359 to 68,122 pounds and in order to provide greater stability and power it is built on a large PC360 undercarriage. Something that is quite imperative in the machine is its long arm and the boom which is powered by Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 engine. The horsepower the engine can give is 196hp which suffice the power it needs to complete the task.

The engine is specially built to reduce emissions by integrating “Selective Catalyst Reduction” and by using “Diesel Exhaust Fluid”. An electronic control system has been included in the engine that has the potential to deal with the airflow rate, supervise the fuel injection, combustion parameters and after treatment functions. Komatsu has also installed a Variable Geometry Turbocharger and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve that checks and administers the temperature and air control.

Thick isolation dampers are installed under the excavator’s cabin to control vibration inside the cabin. The engineers have also redesigned the seat with high back and completely adaptable armrests. They have also installed a 7 inch monitor inside the cabin that will permit the operator to change the 6 working modes available in the machine.

Overall, this excavator has been produced keeping in mind many factors benefitting the customers.

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Regular greasing of heavy equipment can increase its longevity

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For a heavy equipment operator or for a construction company owner, heavy equipment has been an integral part of their daily life. An operator just can’t think his life without heavy equipment and probably spends more time with the machine than with his family. In a way, the machine becomes his family for the larger duration of the day and at times he finds the lifeless thing as his best pal. Heavy equipment play a very crucial role in determining the future of a construction company. If the owner keeps the machines in order, then he simply increases the longevity of the machines. However, if he does not keep them in order, he is only messing up his own business.

One of the most important parts in keeping the machine healthy is timely applying grease to it. Heavy equipment work in tough terrain and are often prone to dust particles entering inside the interiors of the machine causing friction. If the friction is too frequent, then it can cause irreparable damage to the machine. According to Stede Granger, OEM technical manager of Shell Lubricants, we cannot just limit grease as a lubricant but it works much more than that. It works as a hurdle to contamination. However, he is also of the view to check what kind of greasing your machine requires.

All the heavy equipment has own set of requirements and may not match with the other equipment. Same goes with the greasing of the equipment. One type of grease may not be suitable for all the equipment and therefore there are different types of greases available in the market. At the same time, there are also different qualities of greases available. It depends upon how much you can afford for your machine. Ideally, it is not necessary to apply the most expensive grease as it may not suit your machine. You need to know what kind of grease goes well with your equipment.

Just in case, you do not know what kind of grease you need to apply on your machine, it is better that you consult this with some expert in your place and get to know about it. You can also join a forum and get people’s opinion. You will never find yourself short of opinions as people will always come with information to help you out.  You can also find some help in the user manual that you get from the heavy equipment manufacturing company. Those manuals can be helpful to you as well. Nevertheless, it has been found that people find the descriptions given in the user manual to be kind of vague and it ultimately does not go well with the machine. It is not that they did not follow the instructions properly, but it simply does not work on their machine. The equipment’s working environment plays a pivotal role in determining what kind of grease will the machine need. You just can’t depend on one type of grease. Your machine may need different types of greases to keep working.

Learning heavy equipment doesn’t end for an experienced salesperson

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There is probably very little profession that is simple to do or as a matter of fact there is virtually no profession that one can find to be simple. It always gives you the scope to learn something new every day. You may come to a point where you will feel that you have probably known everything about the business you are involved in but the reality can be starker especially when it comes to the profession of being a salesperson and that too of heavy equipment. An experienced person may not find it difficult to sell heavy equipment but he may also experience a tough time during his visit with a client who knows about machines better than him. It will then be difficult for him to tackle the situation with just his ability to persuade one to buy machines. He then has to make use of the knowledge he has garnered over the years to bail him out or else the meeting will turn out to be a disaster.

The ground rule for every salesperson who is dealing with heavy equipment irrespective of him being a newbie or an experienced guy is to keep learning about machines. You have to keep yourself updated with the latest technology that comes up in the market. The upgrading of knowledge is also taken care of by the heavy equipment companies as they conduct training sessions for everyone whenever there has been a new product that is being launched in the market. So the sales guy does not have to do too much of hard work from their end. They only need to ensure that they keep on updating themselves with what is going on in the heavy equipment industry.

The heavy equipment company also expects more from a tenured guy for which they pay him dearly. They believe that the veteran will make the most sales for them as he has been in this line of business for the last many years. The high hopes that the company has from the veteran also displays the kind of confidence that the company has on the person. They will definitely want him to perform and be the best salesman in the company.

In order to come true to the hopes, he got to constantly work on learning more about the equipment. He probably had experience in selling one particular type of machine but now he is being asked to sell something else that he has not much heard of or read about. That comes as a big challenge to the veteran and this is where he has to sit with books pertaining to that machine and do his research. Browsing training videos will also help him big time. This is how he can prepare himself for the next challenge in life and prove his metal. Learning is a never ending process and when it is about a vast subject like heavy equipment, learning becomes an ocean for you. More you dive deeper, the more you will get to learn.

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Heavy equipment with modern technology will be rolled out in 2016

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Consumers are always on the look of something new, something that can simplify their task without compromising the quality of the work. This has often given companies the chance to innovate and bring something new to the world. It is exactly the same thing when it comes to heavy equipment. People are always on look of machines that are technologically advanced, simple to operate and have the potential to do things in a much simplified manner. Taking this into consideration, the companies that manufacture heavy equipment have jumped into the race of producing machines that are fitted with more gadgets and also easy to understand to put them to work.

Market analysts are of the opinion that the companies are trying to bring in those equipment that can change the very face of the construction industry. This also means that the construction companies who will own these machines will definitely have to pay lot more than what they used to for the ones that is being used now. In a nutshell, bringing in new technology will by all means be a very healthy situation for the construction industry. However, it also raises a doubt of how many guys will actually be able to afford it.

The fact that inducing modern technology in heavy equipment can go a long way and for that matter, there have been a lot of trials that were made in the last many years by different heavy equipment manufacturing companies to incorporate those technologies. This has only made the construction industry a successful business and has also led many people to join in and become a part of this business. Market experts believe that the year 2016 will be a year of integrating modern technologies while manufacturing heavy equipment and give the best to the consumers. This is why many such heavy equipment companies are hiring experienced and qualified engineers who can give the end user innovative machines.

Heavy equipment companies strongly believe that if they want to survive in this market then they have to produce things that are new and that nobody else has made it before. You just can’t steal away other’s ideas. They are not going to work long if you do so and therefore the only way to remain in a consolidated position is to make a master piece that will define your company. Companies like CAT already have their imprint in this industry but not everybody has been so successful and hence it is time that other companies also bring in machines that is built by keeping creativity into consideration.

The new mantra is producing innovative machines that have the ability to ease work for the operator, allow him to complete his work keeping safety in the forefront and also ensuring that the machine consumes less fuel. Consumption of fuel is directly related to the profits of the company and this is why it should be given lot of importance. Overall, 2016 is the year when we will see heavy equipment with the latest technology and expect it to be a great year for the entire industry.

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Boost your learning skills on heavy equipment with the help of training videos

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Learning is a continuous process and when it comes to learning heavy equipment you will find your entire life is too short to learn everything about this subject. There are so many types of heavy equipment available in the market and though every other equipment has some or the other similarities but the their mode of function and utilities are way different and which is why one needs to learn how to use them, how to keep them safe and what can be done to lengthen the life of the machine. Now there are several books available that talks in length about these subjects but if you go to read them all, you may find it too boring especially if you are the kind of guy who does not like to read much.

Well there are lots of people who like to learn things but somehow are not into the process of reading. They can’t spend their entire day reading a book trying to learn a thing about an equipment as they may have a business to take care of. So people who are indeed busy throughout the day and if they want to just learn a particular thing, going through the entire book searching for the stuff they need to know can become quite problematic. In such a situation, they can always refer to training videos on heavy equipment on the internet. In this way, they do not have to spend a lot of their time going through the book. All they need to do is just latch to the net and enter the put some keywords to search the video.

Training videos are one of the most phenomenal ways to learn things quickly. Simultaneously, one does not have to spend a good deal of time searching for what he wants to know in a book as that can be more time consuming. Though reading books can exponentially increase your knowledge pertaining to a particular subject. However, learning about heavy equipment needs a lot of practical approach to it and one may find it difficult to analyze what the diagrams are saying. On the contrary if he takes help of a training video, he may not take long to understand the stuff, how complex it may be.

Number of heavy equipment training videos is available on internet. YouTube may only have thousands of videos. The only challenge that you may encounter is to search the relevant topic. Since there are so many videos available, you may have a hard time pulling out the right one for you. Therefore, entering the correct keywords is very important. Once you key in the keywords, it will throw across all the videos in several pages. You may check the first few pages and should find the topic of your interest.

Students who are learning about heavy equipment in institutes can also make good use of these training videos. They can’t always go for a site visit to check how the machines work but they can easily do it on their laptop with just a click of a button.

2016 will be the year of heavy equipment

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Since heavy equipment industry and the construction industry are so closely interconnected with each other that they have an ever lasting impact on each other. For instance, if the construction industry is not doing well, the impact will definitely reflect on the heavy equipment industry as well. Heavy equipment companies will find it hard to sell their machines in the market as there will be no buyers for them. If the buyers are also having a hard time to deal with any crisis that comes up in the construction sector, they are most evidently not going for any more purchases of machines and will wait for the market to resurrect. Till that time, heavy equipment companies will be out of business.

However, things are better off and the year 2015 was indeed a good one for both the industries. The construction sector was at its peak and so was the heavy equipment industry. It was believed that no other sector was able to generate employment as much as the construction sector and they had given big orders to produce earth moving machines. Moreover, with the advent of Paris summit that was held last year, it was urged to many such heavy equipment producing companies to concentrate of manufacturing machines that emit less carbon. The goal is to reduce carbon footprint so that we can all make this world a livable place and are not tormented by natural calamities.

After this summit, government of various countries have asked these companies to focus on producing green machines and are simultaneously also trying to prepare a market for it. Governments are ready to waive some taxes if the construction companies are willing to go green and reduce carbon footprint. This will be a big step towards having a clean environment and may also garner support from people within the industry. Once the government of all countries issues law that will state companies using green heavy equipment will save on tax for the next few years there will be an increase in the sale of eco-friendly machines. Big construction houses will no longer want to work on the traditional machines and will demand for green machines.

This will give the opportunity for the heavy equipment manufacturing companies to design machines that emit less carbon. It is therefore believed that the year 2016 is an instrumental year for both the construction and the heavy equipment industry. This year will possibly see a change in the nature of machines and the earth moving companies will have to work hard to keep up to the demand of the construction industry. Since this will be the beginning, the heavy equipment companies have to ensure that the machines they produce should be of ace quality as there are high chances that due to shift in technology they might end up messing the overall product. They have to make sure that the goodwill that they have created and maintained should not be tarnished by the change in technology.