No matter what industry sector you work in, selecting the correct tools for the job is vital to ensuring that you can efficiently complete various tasks. If you work within construction, events, warehouses or any other industry that involves plant machinery, you know exactly how important it is when it comes to the selection of the correct tools. However, with such a wide range of plant machinery available, it can sometimes be difficult to digest it all and ensure that you get the right machinery for the job.
In this article, we are going to explore everything that you need to consider when it comes to either purchasing or hiring plant machinery.
What Kind of Project Is It?
Although there are not many broad categories within construction, it is important to understand what category you are operating under to choose the correct plant machinery for the job. Find below a brief list of categories within the construction industry to help you narrow down what types of plant machinery you might need.
General Construction
Work that falls into this category of construction includes the likes of landscaping, residential and small commercial projects. As these projects are usually conducted in smaller spaces in comparison to other projects, you are somewhat limited to what machines are a wise choice. Excavators are commonly used due to their compactness options and versatility, allowing one piece of machinery to carry out a variety of tasks. Loaders, rollers and dumpers are also popular for general construction, thanks to their power, size and efficiency.
Industrial Construction
Industrial construction projects cover larger areas and commercial projects that may need a wider range of plant machinery at disposal to maintain a high level of efficiency. Whilst you may use mini or midi sized plant machinery on general construction sites, it is likely that you will need to deploy heavier, larger and more rugged machinery for any industrial work.
Infrastructure & Civil Construction
This is the most complex type of construction. It is also the heaviest, consisting of building and upgrading railways, pipework, roads, tunnels, bridges, drainage systems and more. This construction type is usually conducted due to public interest and requires large scale investments. Due to the scale and nature of these projects, it is common for specialist machinery to be needed, including road pavers or cold planers.
Consider Versatility
Understanding what type of project you’re undertaking is key. Once this is understood, you can then start considering the finer details of the plant machinery you will need to hire or purchase. Versatility is an important factor to consider as it can save on costs and efficiency.
For example, small scale projects may opt for a more versatile piece of plant machinery that can carry out a variety of tasks, whereas large commercial projects may rely on a wider variety of plant machinery that is larger and heavier, but incredibly efficient at carrying out its job.
Is the Size of The Project Area Important?
In short, yes. The size of the project area can impact the choice of machinery immensely. For example, if you’re doing an extension on an individual house, then it is likely that you will be restricted to mini excavators that can utilise a variety of attachments to complete various tasks. Whereas if the project is a new shopping centre or tunnel, the space is a lot larger, providing the opportunity for more task-specific and heavy-duty machinery.
Fully Flexible Plant Hire
Having spent such a long time in the industry, we understand how important flexibility is within construction. Sometimes you need machinery at a moment’s notice, or timings change and you need your hired plant machinery for longer than expected. Here at Ace Plant, we have the facilities and expertise to facilitate all of these needs. All of our plant machinery for hire (excluding salt spreaders) are available to hire for a minimum charge of one week, all the way up to however long you can imagine. We also offer discounted prices on longer time periods.
If you are interested in any of our hire equipment, then please do visit our dedicated pages or contact us here to find out more information regarding the plant hire process and how Ace Plant can help you!