Author Archives: Kevin

To Buy or Not Buy Construction Equipment

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It is very important that you have the right kind of equipment to make sure that your construction business is going well. It is not always the availability of capital that would determine if you should rent an equipment of buy one. It is one of the most challenging decisions that have to be taken in this business. There are a few factors that play quite an important role when it comes to the decision of either buying or renting the construction equipment. These factors are discussed as follows.

One of the factors that are to be considered is the capital. The current situation of the capital of the company is a condition that may affect the decision. If conserving the capital is felt important by the company, it should probably go for renting. There are many companies that go out of business because they fail to make payments. Therefore, if a company is going through a cash crunch it is probably a good idea to go for renting the equipment instead of making a permanent purchase and digging a hole in the company capital. Therefore, it can be said that, although, the capital is not the sole reason but is quite an important factor that may influence the decision.

The regulations imposed by the government also play a very important role when it comes to making these decisions. The rules and regulation keep changing regarding the possession of heavy equipment. Some states make the regulations much more liberal. Therefore, it depends on how the conditions are in your state that will influence the decision whether to buy or rent heavy construction equipment.

Another important factor that plays a very important role in this regard is the management of fleet. Some companies may have a high level of competency when it comes to fleet management. If the company has excellent skills when it comes to logistics, transportation, service of equipment and maintenance it is a good idea to have hundred percent ownership of the fleet. However, if the company lacks the desired amount of expertise in fleet managing, it is probably not a good idea to buy your own fleet.

Buying or renting equipment will depend a lot on the amount of risk that you are willing to take. You may not want to take risk or you may be a risk taker. However, it is always the prerogative of the businessman to take calculated risks. There are many factors that are to be considered when it comes to taking risks. If you think that the current year is going to be a good one as far as fiscal matters are in concern, you can go ahead and take risk of buying equipment. However, for those who want to check their grounds safely and take no unnecessary steps, renting the equipment is always a good idea. The production value will depend on the quality of the equipment and not on whether you have the ownership of the equipment. Therefore, when you acquire the machine make sure that you are paying money for a worthy machine no matter you buy or rent.

 

 

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Simple steps to repair your excavator

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Excavators are important heavy equipment that are used to remove large amount of soil from the surface of the ground for construction purposes. Without it, many of the constructional works would stop. Therefore, its routine maintenance is very essential. You should do it to detect the problems. If you find some serious problem, go immediately for repairing it. Any kind of negligence in this case will lead to major damages. Many a times we have to kick on emergency repairs due to the sudden slip of the rubber/steel track or tearing of the wheel of the excavator. Don’t worry, you only have to follow some simple steps for its repairing and your excavator will be ready to go again.  Just have a look at the following article.

Steps to repair the excavator

  • First of all, it is very important to detect the device of track tension. After that, access your excavator’s plate. Every excavator has their own system of chassis which is situated in different time and place. This system depends completely on the type and model of the excavator.
  • The gap between the excavator and the ground surface should be 6 inches minimum. To lift the excavator, you have to use the hydraulic jacks. Don’t forget to keep the bucket and the crane against the ground. It will help the machine to be steady. Now, stabilize the whole excavator on the repairs and jacks before you start repairing.
  • The cover plate of the tension should be removed from the frame of the track. Against the zerk of the grease, the socket wrench should be placed. Try to remove it slowly. Allen wrench should be inserted in to the whole. Push inside the check ball. To lose the tension, press your feet against the rubber track retracting the idler wheel.
  • Using the metal links put the new track over the wheel sprocket of the drive. Now, skate the rubber track on the tension wheel with the help of the pry bar. To get on the metal links over the wheel, push the track’s bottom with your foot.
  • Put the grease zerk into the frame of track tension. With grease gun, push some grease into the zerk. If the frame of the track sag upto 3 inches, stop smearing grease.
  • Placing the engine on the idle, kick on the excavator. Try to rotate the track in all directions using the control lever. Check out the sag by turning off the engine. Go on rotating the track until the sag becomes at least 3 inches.
  • Don’t forget to secure the cover plate of the tension by stabilizing the track sags at 3 inches.
  • Detach the blocks by lowering the hydraulic jacks so that the excavator touches the surface of the ground.

Carefully go through all the following steps. It is not at all difficult. But, it requires little bit concentration and labor. So, go ahead and repair the excavator yourself and make it a new one.

Stagnancy in construction business – It’s time to review your strategy

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Forming strategy is a part of every industry and all kinds of businesses. You have to plan few things in advance by assuming how the situation could be in the next few days, months or years. A person who has been running a business for years and has seen many ups and downs of the business can make little mistake in assuming the market trends and on the basis of his assumption, he can form a strategy. However, what can one do if he finds that his strategy is not working and the business is still stagnant and waiting for the push.

Well, it means that it is time to review your strategy and probably re-plan things. It is not at all necessary that what you have assumed will turn out to be correct. Many a times, the most experienced guy in the industry does mistakes in estimating how the market will react in the next few months. Future is unrealistic and it may be utmost difficult for anybody to predict things precisely. We can follow the past trends but based on those trends deciding the future trend is not possible. Playing a bigger bet just by predicting the future is just not advisable and definitely not advisable when you are running a construction business. But that does not mean that you will stop estimating things and will desist from laying strategies.

When you are in the construction industry, you take into consideration advices from all corners. Right from market experts to your fellow workers, any suggestions coming from whatever side can be sheer effective. Therefore, you should keep your ears open to their advices but take rational decision and should not just go just by their words. Give your thoughts to the entire version as it is important to know what others think about the construction market.

Just in case, if you were doing well in your business and all of a sudden you experience stagnancy, then it is a matter of worry. You should act immediately or else the stagnancy has the potency to eat away your business and you might end up losing everything that you have. What becomes important for you do is review your plans and check what is not going as per the plan and if at all you need to bring any kind of changes, be flexible enough to adopt and adapt to the changes.

Stagnancy in the construction business can be due to several reasons. Rise in fuel price can also affect your business in a larger way. You also got to keep a close watch on the client relationship. Many a times, it has been seen that you stop getting business from clients as they have got hooked with some new construction company. A fall in the quality of work can be one of the reasons behind the change of business. It is very crucial that you do a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and check all the possible reasons that could have led to the stagnancy in your business and once you have found the problem, waste no time in uprooting the issue once and for all.

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Caterpillar Boots

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When you are working on heavy equipment, you have to make sure that you have all the necessary accessories that you will be require to complete your day’s work without getting drained completely. The work of an operator can be very tiresome as they have to move the machine by remaining extremely cautious and this work can really take a toll out of anybody. You can be an expert in operating heavy equipment but an expert knows the importance of accessories when he is operating the equipment. It will be indeed very difficult for him to complete his entire day’s task without the use of his accessories and to the construction industry can’t afford to pile up work. It may cost the construction company dearly. Therefore, the owner also gives detailed attention to the fact that all his employees wear adequate accessories and complete the day’s task.

One of the most important stuff is wearing tough sturdy boots. The utility of wearing of boots is just not limited to the operators but can be used by other workers as well. The construction workers also have to go through a great deal and may find it extremely vulnerable if they are not provided the right sort of boots to wear and work especially during the summer. The most recommended boots are of Caterpillar as they have everything that a person working in a construction site can think about.

Caterpillar boots use the license of Wolverine Worldwide to produce boots and they are particularly known for manufacturing quality boots. They understand the needs of their customers and produce the boots taking into consideration their needs. It is not that Caterpillar is the only company that is into production of safety footwear. There are many companies who are involved in this business. However, it is Cat boots that gets the preference above all of the others.

The intrinsic features of CAT boots are that they have good grips at the bottom that will prevent slips and avoid accidents. High traction materials are used that checks the risk from slipping. It is also installed with a ladder grip technology that provides good hold to the ground especially when the user is climbing up or getting down a ladder. It has been witnessed that majority of the accidents happen when people slips off the ladder while climbing up or while they were getting down.

Caterpillar is also known for producing boots that are oil resistant. It means that those boots will not slip even if they come in direct contact with oil. Not only that, they are also not heavy weighted item. The user will not feel the weight at all and will always feel comfortable wearing the boots. In order to buy the boots, one can directly place an order with Caterpillar by calling up their office or making an internet booking. He can pay for it online and expect the boots to be delivered at his place in the next few days. In case if there is any issue with the order, they can call up the customer service of Cat and can get the issue sorted.

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Service Manuals of different heavy equipment

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When we buy a new gadget, we ideally depend on the instruction book that comes along with it. It is quite obvious that we may not understand much about the new product as long as we do not go through the user manual and if we try to do anything funny with the stuff, we may completely lose it. It then becomes a pain to connect to the mechanic and get it fixed. People who have gone through the ordeal of calling a mechanic to fix things may know what sort of pain that is. Therefore it is highly recommended that one should go through the service manual and read all the instructions very carefully so that they do not make a blunder while using the product.

Now envisage that you have bought expensive heavy equipment for the completion of a project and you are quite alien when it comes to using these big machines. In this case, you are not left with many options. You can either surf the net to know how the machine works but that is not going to be very helpful or you can check it out with someone who has been using this kind of heavy equipment and knows how to get it to work. Just in case, if you are not so fortunate and you do not know any person who knows to operate the equipment then you have only one alternative left and that is to read the service manual and try to get things working.

Service manual of different equipment producing companies will be different:-

Every other machine has its own unique way of working and though a model of a company will have some similarities with the other models, yet it is not completely the same. Therefore there are different service manuals available with every model. For instance, buyers who possess a couple of excavators with different models will have a bit of dissimilarities between them. This is why the company provides different service manuals for both the machines. The user is expected to read the service manual before it starts working with it. Just because he has a previous model and he knows how to work on that machine does not prove that the new model will not have anything new. If he fails to go through the service manual, he may do something untoward and things may go for a toss.

Read the manual before you perform an action:-

It is prudent to go through the manual once before you carry out any action on the machine. Right from cleaning the machine to starting it, it will not take hours for you to read something useful but you may save yourself from committing a bigger mistake. The service manual comes with pictures as well as instructions on how one should be using the product. You may refer the index to check the page where you will get the information you are looking for and once you find it you are on your way to learning things on your own.

 

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What are Tub Grinders? What use can we make of it?

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Tub Grinders are ideally heavy equipment that are used to ferry woods from the forest and also debris from one place to another. They are mainly used in forest areas to carry huge piles of wood and transport them. This was the main use of Tub Grinder a decade ago. However, now things have changed a lot and the Tub Grinder is not only used to ferry waste wood or debris from the landsite. These days Tub Grinder has become multifaceted equipment which is not only expected to remove the waste wood and debris from the landsite but also undertake wood recycling operations. These days many construction companies see this equipment as a necessity. They want something that can quickly remove the debris from the site and simultaneously recycle logging slash from the construction location. They found Tub Grinder to be the most apt equipment.

Variety of Tub Grinders:-

When there is a demand in the market for something of this potential, heavy equipment manufacturing companies have all started producing machines that is user friendly, consumes less fuel and more efficient and also that offers enough safety for the operator.  Heavy equipment companies have come up with several Tub Grinders that offer almost everything to the user. They are of different sizes and horse power and are devised to do things like clearing the debris in comparatively less time than their predecessors, bark and brush and contain innovative methods and green waste applications. The price of the Tub Grinder also varies depending upon the size of the equipment, the horsepower and the features involved in it.

From where can one buy it?:-

Tub Grinders can be bought from a number of places. For people who have been using this equipment can look for online stores from where they can get a good deal. They can even buy used equipment for a cheaper price. However, for people who would be using this equipment for the first time, it is recommended that they first try to know more about this machine from people who have been using it for long and then approach an online store.

They also have the option of dealing directly with the manufacturing company. These companies have their outlets in almost every state and buying from them will not do any harm. They will understand your need and then suggest the equipment. Most companies are manufacturing easy to use Tub Grinders which means that a person with absolutely no knowledge about operating the machine can still operate it after taking few initial lessons. Other than this, they can also expect good deals coming out from them.

Hiring an operator:-

Construction companies should hire competent Tub Grinder operators who have descent number of experience under their belt. Having experienced people in a company is always prolific to the organization. They will know well how to operate the machine under various conditions. Alternatively, they can also give tips to keep the machine in order.

How to motivate your people to make a successful heavy equipment rental house

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Selling small range to large scale heavy equipment is a big business and also a rewarding one and many are able to make a good career out of it but in order to make it big in this industry, it requires lot of motivation. It is not so simple to stick to this industry especially when you have cut throat competition all over the place. Here you need to know all about the machine in order to sell it. People who would be buying it will know something or the other about the equipment and may ask you numerous questions and if you are unable to answer them, you may lose the deal. If you feel that selling is not your cup of tea but you still like to stick to a business that revolves around heavy equipment then you should look to open a heavy equipment rental house. Here you do not need top notch selling skill. Anything short of top notch will do but you can’t be a complete novice as far as your subject that you would be dealing with is concerned.

It has been witnessed that people begin a heavy equipment rental house but they lack the zeal to grow. They are short of motivation that can keep them going in odd times. So the thing that is utter importance is to keep the guys motivated and keep their hopes alive that they also will be able to make it big in this domain.

Success stories and live examples can really motivate people:-

We require motivation from our peers and our closed ones to carry on with something that at times is not too interesting or due to odd market conditions, things may go against you. In situation like these, things that can really inspire us are some real success stories of people who against all odds were able to make it. So live examples of people who have bravely dealt with the problem rather than running away from it or just being sitting ducks and waiting for things to go their way. Stories about people who have turned the tide and made things go where they wanted it to. Such kinds of stories are really inspirational and heartwarming. Stories like these can have a huge impact in the minds of people who are looking to become successful in heavy equipment rental business.

Walk the talk:-

One should always walk the talk. It is no point in giving big talks to a crowd of audience when you do not have the capacity to do it. People may feel cheated by hearing to those big talks and may take whatever nice you said to them in a negative way. This can be discouraging factor and hence in order to set things right, you first have to practice what you have preached. When they see you taking the right moves towards a successful career in the heavy equipment rental business, they will automatically feel inspired by you and may take on their journey with courage and dignity

Hiring unskilled operators can cost your business dearly

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It takes a long time for a person to establish a business and when it is a construction business, it may even take his entire life to take his business where he wanted to. One can’t afford to lose all that he has created over the span of years in just few days by hiring incompetent heavy equipment operators. It will really cost him a big deal if he ever intends to employ operators who are not skilled because they will end up doing so many mistakes that you will find it difficult to continue with them.

You may get unskilled operators at a very nominal price but you also got to check how good they will be to your company and if at all they can’t be any good to you then what is the point in hiring them. When you are running a construction business, saving money should not be the only thing that should run in your mind. You definitely do not get quality at a cheaper price. You got to pay good to get able and competent employees who knows how to complete a given task and overcome difficult situations.

This does not mean that you will not hire any inexperienced operator. However, you got to play cleverly out there. You should always make it a point that no matter what, you have a bunch of experienced and very experienced people working with you. Even if you have to pay them more, you should not mind keeping them with you. Simultaneously, you start hiring guys who want to become operators but have little or no experience at all.

You can go to institutions that teach students on becoming heavy equipment operators. There you will get ample of such young guys who may not have any practical knowledge. Since they lack experience, you can hire them for a meager salary and get them trained under the experienced ones. In  this way, you are countering the threat of the experienced guys leaving your company as you will have the young guns working for you and also save a good deal of money by paying them a lower package.

It is equally important that you increase their salary on a timely basis or else once they learn the work, they might leave your company and join somewhere else with a higher package. You just do not want to leave those resources. So you ensure that you keep them happy by increasing their salary at a descent level.

Hiring of inexperienced operators only comes into picture if you have a big business with multiple projects running at the same time and you are in dire need of operators. However, if you do not have that big business then it is advisable that you stick to the ones you already have rather than getting more from outside. You will unnecessarily shoot up your business expenses and that will really not be a healthy decision. Take your moves slowly and after having given enough thoughts on the subject or else things may backfire pretty soon.

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Heavy Equipment summer maintenance

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After having a chilled winter season, summer is probably the best season one can get to cherish. It is ideally during this season that people plan out their vacations, go out to meet their dear ones living in some other state and enjoy their lives in the warm sunny weather. However, this very same summer season which is so pleasant to many of the folks can be real bad for guys belonging to the construction industry. They may have a hard time keeping their heavy equipment cool. Just because the machines are getting hotter, they can’t pull off from work. They have to continue with their businesses and still ensure that the machine does not get blown off due to excessive heat and do everything possible to keep it cool. Heavy equipment go through number of complications during this season and they suffer chronic breakdowns. We have seen numerous instances where the machines give up when the weather is pleasant, it can become worse when the weather is actually hot.

The workers working in the construction site also finds it difficult to work in a hot climatic condition. However, they still have the leverage to cool themselves by moving in an air-conditioned room but the same logic can’t be applied in case of heavy equipment. If the operator feels the machine has got too hot, he can only stop working so that he can give some time to the engine to cool down. Due to hot weather, it will take more time than usual to cool and the operator will be losing productive time. This will lead to unwanted delay in the completion of the project resulting in many unnecessary repercussions.

Taking the heat into consideration, heavy equipment manufacturing companies are producing machines that can bear the excessive heat and can work without having to wait to let the machine cool down. However, this kind of technology has not been completely successful. Machines possessing this technology also break down causing more trouble to the construction company.

Check your equipment at the end of the day:-

Once you are done for the day, make sure that you spend some time giving a good look to your equipment. If required do some cleaning. Cleaning the machine with water can really help in cooling down its system and also remove the dirt that sticks to the inner portions of the machine. You do not have to spend a lot of time for this activity. You can devote at least half an hour of your time or may be less than that in checking if everything is in order and in case if it needs any action to be taken, you can take a call yourself or contact the immediate supervisor and get the issue fixed.

Monthly maintenance is a must:-

Other than doing a daily check-up, a monthly maintenance is equally important. Get hold of an expert mechanic who can do a monthly check-up of your machines. Changing the engine oil, applying lubricants and other necessary stuffs needs to be done during this time. Give your machine a new life and it will work for many years to come.

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Surviving the competition is the key in the construction industry

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When you are dealing with a business that has cut throat competition at all levels then survival becomes the key. It is quite evident that you may not get things quickly and with ease and probably have to struggle for everything that you desire to achieve. Well, construction industry is one such industry that demands a lot from people. Undoubtedly, it also pays back with good dividends but in order to get the reward, a person has to go through a lot and if he is able to survive the tide he becomes the winner.

Construction sector is a highly competitive industry. People are always eying from projects irrespective of how big or small it turns out to be. The size of the projects does not matter much to companies who have just set up their businesses. What is rather more important for them is that they keep getting something or the other and do not stay out of work for long. Staying out of work for long can have negative impact in getting prospects in the future. People will shy away from giving projects to such companies. Therefore, it is very crucial to be in business and do whatever big or small one can get.

We will talk about with few pointers on what one can do to survive in an industry that is so competitive and demanding.

Generate contacts and stay in touch with them:-

You can’t expect to get projects if you stay isolated from your brethren in the industry. No doubt that this industry is full of competition but staying close to your peers will do no harm to you. On the contrary, it may get something good for you. Remember, not everyone can do everything and it may often happen that someone has got a project which they find is not their cup of tea. Since they have good terms with you, they will turn on to you and may ask to take the project rather than asking the vendor to search for someone who can do it. So your good term with your competitor has got a deal for you.

Ensure you have the right set of construction equipment:-

Construction equipment are so very important if you want to stay for long in this industry. You may not require all forms of heavy equipment but you definitely need the one that will prove essential to complete your project. Therefore, it is vital that you do not spend your money in buying all sorts of equipment that you probably may not even need but you make sure that you have the ones that is required to get your work done.

Take good care of your heavy equipment:-

Maintenance of heavy equipment is the key. Since they are expensive piece of metal, you may not want to ruin them by not taking due care. Hence, it is imperative that you do proper maintenance of all your equipment. They too need some rest. So give them what they need and they will return you with rich dividends.

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