Category Archives: heavy equipment

How to operate a track loader

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Operating any kind of heavy equipment is assumed to be a difficult task and construction companies believe none other than the experienced lot that they have when it comes to working a track loader. This means that the newer lot will get less exposure to it. Well this is not the case though as far as large construction companies are concerned. They prefer both experienced and inexperienced operators to work on track loaders. It is quite obvious that a company has to shell out more for an experienced guy than they have to pay for a newbie. Keeping that in mind, they prefer training the new guys under the older ones so that they get maximum exposure and learn to operate the tracker on their own. Other than that there are so many training videos that one can have access to that will help a trainee learn from it. All you need is an internet connection to make your life simple. The practical part can be achieved only at the jobsite.

Knowing the functions is crucial:-

A track loader comes with various functions that are meant for different purposes. An operator should be aware of all those functions and should also understand to use which function at what time. That is perhaps the most crucial part of his job. Every other switch or lever or a joystick that one can see inside the cabin is there for a specific purpose and it is important to know the different functions of those mechanisms. This is the first step forward to learn to operate a track loader.

Move the bucket well before you begin your day:-

One should primarily start his work by first checking if all the functions of the machine is in order. So start the engine and try to move the machine a bit. Check if it is moving smoothly. Other than that, try to move the bucket using the levers inside the cabin. You will ideally not find the levers in a rough state but the problem lies more on the execution part. You must have pressed the lever to move the bucket but it just does not move or it does move at a very slow pace. You should keep this into consideration before you begin your day’s work. Also check the brakes are in order. Try applying brakes after moving the loader at a medium speed. This will let you know the exact condition of the brakes.

Undercarriage and the tracks are an important component:-

The undercarriage and the tracks are perhaps the most expensive component in the machine and also that it gets deteriorated after having worked for just 800 hours. When you are working in rough conditions the chances of the tracks to get ruin increases tremendously. This is something that you got make note of while you are operating the machine. It is not a tough job to operate a loader. It is just that you got to keep few things into consideration while you are working on it.

Renting a water wagon

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Tired to inhaling dust in the construction site? You need to put them to rest by spraying water so that the dust settles down on the ground and you get some fresh air to breathe. It will also reduce the number of air-borne ailments and will thus keep your employees healthy. So if you have a big construction site and need to spray water in the entire place, you need a vehicle that is capable of carrying gallons of water and also simultaneously spray it along the site. This leads to the needs of a water wagon where you can store water for spraying on the site. All you need is attach a pipe to the hose and spray it along. A water wagon may not be an expensive item unlike other heavy equipment which costs a bomb but it still has a price attached to it and any construction company how big it is will not want to spend money in procuring an item that has limited utility.

So the best alternative is to take it on rent. There are companies who sell as well as rent water wagon to construction and mining companies. You can get the details of such companies on the internet. These companies are either directly involved in renting water wagons or act as third parties. It simply means that they will own the wagons and will let it out to people who are ready to take it on rent or will establish contacts with parties that are willing to let-out wagons and once they find a taker, they help in cracking the deal between the two and earn commission from both the parties. This is how they conduct their business.

Some rental companies deal with multiple orders. However, there are also companies which do not work that way. So before you approach any of them, first try to get some information about them and only once you have a fair idea and understand how convenient they are for you that you should proceed any further.

The second most important checkpoint will be the rental amount. Now there are several companies who may charge different amounts as rent. So you should be ready to negotiate with them. Just do not accept the quote they give you. Also do some research on the rental price of water wagons before you finally jump the gun? If the rental company is acting as an agent and, check in advance the amount they will charge.

You can spread the news in your business circle that you require a water wagon on rent. Someone for sure will get in touch with you and after checking the credentials if you find it worth taking you can go for it.

How to drive a bulldozer

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Driving heavy equipment is simple for operators who have loads of experience operating it but as far as the newbie are concerned who are in the process of gaining some bit of experience in it may find it difficult to maneuver the machine. Other than that, every other model of heavy equipment has different operating functions which one need to know and have their hands-on it. So you can master to drive heavy equipment only when you do it quite often and in this process you also tend to learn new things which in turn make you more comfortable. Many operators during their initial stage find extremely difficult to operator a bulldozer. They simply could not control the machine well and often end up in an accident. Even the experienced ones at times lose their control from the machine and when such things happen it can turn to be quite fatal. It is therefore very crucial for the operator to follow few steps that will help him have better control over the machine and turn him as a more competent operator.

Try to make yourself comfortable:-

Being comfortable while you are about to drive a bulldozer is quite crucial. You just can’t start operating it the moment you step inside the cab. You got to check few things first and once you are sure that all the important functions are good to go, you can give it a start. Also you need to be calm and steady mentally and physically. It is more of a mental situation and less physical. You may be tensed because of a previous day’s blunder that could have cost the company a lot of money or may be worried of something that is simply not related to your work. You got to explain yourself that if you remain worried then it will simply add up to your problem and will reflect on your work. You have to soothe your mind first and automatically your body will calm down. Once you are sure that you are absolutely comfortable you should get going.

Try to move the bulldozer a bit:-

Before you start your day’s work, you need to warm up your machine a bit. Now all that you need to do is start the engine and keep it on for some time. Once the engine has warmed up you should try moving the machine to and fro and check if it is moving without any issue. You can in this way also check if the brakes of the machine are functioning properly.

Make use of joystick:-

Today’s heavy equipment are far advanced than what it used to be a decade ago. However, you need to learn to use the technology given to you in a proper manner. In order to steer the machine the way you want to, you should make use of the joystick. You should be ultra-careful while handling the joystick as it is smooth and being harsh with it can take the machine to any direction thus losing the control on it.

Construction of manufacturing units and factories

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When we talk about construction, it need not necessarily be of huge buildings or condominiums. The word in itself is quite elaborative. When you are in the construction business you deal with building anything and everything. Although you take time to learn the industry and the different ways by which you can acquire projects. You also take time to understand how to complete a project within the stipulated timeframe. Well you learn these things from experience and as and when you get to deal with them. Construction companies make enormous profits when they get into a project that is pertaining to building manufacturing units and factories. When you are into construction of manufacturing units or factories, you are catering a particular genre of client and therefore you got to pay special attention to their demands. Their demands are quite specific and you got to channelize your resources based on their specifications.

Understand what kind of factory you have to construct:-

While constructing a factory, you need to understand that the requirements are quite different for every factory. So for instance, if you have loads of experience in constructing factories or manufacturing units, you can’t be sure that you know what your current client need from you. You may definitely have an edge over others if you are experienced in constructing manufacturing units but it is advisable that you sit along with your client and try to understand their needs. Check out the kind of set up they want and on that basis you can frame the designs.

Show the progress at regular intervals:-

It is imperative that you keep updating your client on the progress of work. Remember, while constructing manufacturing units, you have very less scope to alter things once they are been built. You should ask your client to visit the site on a monthly basis and check the progress of work on their own. You should try to stick to the design so that if there requires any alteration in the actual building you do not have to do it out from your pocket. Your client should ideally pay for it. However, it is not mandatory for the client to pay for any alterations. If it is a mild one where you know it will not affect the costing of the company massively, you can alter the stuff without charging extra. This will eventually make your customer happy.

Use top notch equipment:-

You always have an option when it comes to using equipment to work on a project. It is always preferred to use top notch equipment. It will ease the process of work and will also take comparatively lesser time. With top notch equipment, one should not imply using brand new machines and accessories. It simply implies using mechanisms that are scientifically proven to be an easy tool to work.

Construction of manufacturing units and factories gives enough scope to construction companies to earn good sum of money. However, the construction companies should be ready to take such projects and complete them in time.

Line boring heavy equipment

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Drilling a hole to lay a foundation is quite an intrinsic part in the construction sector and the holes dug for the foundation has to be precise as designed by the civil engineer. You can’t mess up with such an important stuff because if you do then it directly affects the quality of the construction. It is therefore crucial to select the right type of heavy equipment and also the right kind of cutting tool. The cutting tool needs to be attached to the heavy equipment and then begin the process to bore the ground. Now the cutting tool can be a single point or can have multiple heads. Each type of tool is used for different kind of boring. As no 2 boring is the same, you can’t use the same cutting tool for every type of boring. While fitting the boring bar one must ensure that both the ends are firmly supported and it works only in case of a through hole.

The challenge that people encounter while boring is that there are immense chances of the boring bar to get disconnected from the machine. Though both the ends of the heavy equipment has caught the bar firmly there are still lot of chances of it coming out during the process of boring. This is the reason why it is considered to be more challenging than turning. Other than this the clearance angle requirement has been increased which has made things more difficult for the operator. It actually limits the kind of support that should be given to the cutting edge and makes it more vulnerable. You can use a line boring tool in almost all kind of heavy equipment. Be it a dozer or an excavator or a backhoe loader, it goes with all kinds of heavy equipments.

Operators who are working with line boring need to be highly expertise in their respective domain. Since the holding capacity of the heavy equipment is not that great it can pose good deal of problems to inspect the work already done which includes understanding the size of the hole and the surface roughness. Therefore the need of expert operators arises. The operators need to know his matters well. Apart from laying foundation which is one of its core work area, line boring it extensively used for many other purposes and this is why the guy needs to be really sharp with his skills.

With the advent of portable boring, life has become a bit simpler for people who take boring contracts at far-fetched places. They do not have to load the boring bar in a truck or a big vehicle. All they can do is put it in back of their car and port it to the next destination. The reviews of portable line boring tool have been awesome. It is just that the hole need timely repairs. Line boring cutting tool can be bought directly from a dealer or online. Do some research on the pricing before you go to buy one.

How to choose the right Heavy Equipment for Storm Clean-up

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Climate is not in human control and natural calamities can strike in at any point, without any prior indication. However, nowadays, due to technological advancements, weather and climate changes can be predicted well in advance, and this gives us some scope for prevention or at least precaution. But, in front of huge natural calamities like tornado, hurricane and other storms, there is nothing that we could do.

Damages are also huge as caused by these storms. Not just these cyclones and tornadoes, but the snow storm can also cause great disaster. Even earthquakes can strike in anytime and the results are disastrous. What is a common consequence of any of any of these natural disasters is the huge amount of debris that needs to be cleared, after the calamity.

Heavy Equipment in Cleaning Up:

From uprooted trees to broken down buildings, roofs, damaged roads with concrete and mud, dust and dirt everywhere, it becomes absolutely difficult to get back to the daily lifestyle. Even after a snow storm, the amount of snow that is deposited on the roads, block the roads completely. Hence, to clean them up, the heavy equipment plays a huge role.

Types of Heavy Equipment Needed for Storm clean-up:

The damages that take place after a storm vary to a great extent. The houses, concrete buildings, might structures and even the huts collapse. In case of the roads, they are severely damaged by the amount of downpour that follows the storm. The pitch, bitumen and asphalt, come out of the road. The trees are uprooted and they block the roads and this makes it even more difficult to communicate. To clean the debris and to make everything just as usual, there are a few types of heavy equipment that must be needed. These would include –

  • Excavators
  • Track loaders
  • Dozers
  • Cranes
  • Wheel loaders
  • Backhoes
  • Dump trucks.

Each of these would serve a special purpose while performing the cleaning task after storm damage.

Choosing the right equipment:

Now that you have known about the different types of heavy equipment that you need to choose in order to clean-up the storm damages and debris, you must know the factors that you need to consider while buying or hiring them.

  • Type of damage:

This is the most important factor that you must consider. The type of damage that has been caused by the storm is the most important thing. You need to decide, whether you need to clean the snow or remove the tree logs or clean the debris.

  • Own or hire:

The next most important thing is whether you need to own the heavy equipment or hire them. If the storm attacks your area frequently, you can choose to own the equipment. Or else, you can even hire them as you require. Owning might charge you high initially, but it will reduce the hiring cost every time. You can even rent it out, when you are not in need of it. It will be an added income to you.

Since the use of the heavy equipment is diverse and versatile, they are always in demand.

Only the best salesman can sell heavy equipment

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We all are in some way or the other are into the profession of a salesman. Some try to sell their qualification to get a job, some try to sell their capabilities to get more business. In a way we all are into the selling mode and still many of us feel that selling is not our cup of tea. Well, selling a specific product may require some sort of skill and perhaps this is the reason why many get jittery when they know that their work demands them to sell stuffs. Frankly, selling a product can prove to be quite stressful for a person who does not have the knack to sell things. In the end he might get frustrated when he finds that he is failing to sell the stuff and that might lead him to quit the job. Therefore, before you end up in a profession where you need to sell products check how good you are in convincing people. If you are really good at it then perhaps you should pursue it or else simply do not take it up.

When it is about picking salesman to sell heavy equipment, the heavy equipment companies prefer to have the best men with them. They understand the level of stress a salesman will have to go through while selling expensive items. This is reason they want to employ salesman who has experience in selling heavy equipment and also enjoys his work. It is quite natural that a person who enjoys doing what he does will excel in his career. No matter how difficult the work is, as long as he is content with what he is doing there is nothing that can work as a barrier for him.

Selling heavy equipment is an art:-

We all know that selling products is an art and so is selling heavy equipment. As everything has an extent, it is believed that selling heavy equipment falls in the upper category when it is related to the art of selling. The reason is that it is an expensive product and people specific to an industry will want to buy it. This means that the salesman can’t sell his product to everybody. He has a specific market where he can move around and he will also find many other salesmen within that limited market who are also selling similar products like him. This is why if he is really excellent in the art of selling, then he may find his place in selling heavy equipment.

Know your products well:-

In order to become one of the best salesmen in the heavy equipment industry, it is crucial that you should know your products well. Do as much research as you can on the machine that you are selling. Knowing heavy equipment is not an easy thing. It requires tremendous effort on the part of the people who are involved with the machine. Right from an operator to the guy who gives signal to the salesman who sells the machine, they all need to know as much as they can. If you know your product well then perhaps you will not find much obstacle in your journey to become an accomplished heavy equipment salesman.

Steps taken to prevent early ageing of heavy equipment

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There is no denying the fact that the heavy construction equipment come for quite an expensive price. However, they are very vulnerable to damage and premature ageing, especially when they are mishandled and not taken care of properly. Hence, if you want to make sure that there is no early ageing of heavy equipment, you need to take some preventive steps.

  • Add and Test Lubricants Frequently:

Lubricants play a very important role in any machinery function. It reduces the friction. When you use the good quality lubricants, it will work as a maintenance for the equipment and increase its life-span and performance.

You must also be careful about checking the oil and grease deposition on the pistons of your heavy equipment machinery. Always follow the recommendations and guidelines regarding the choice of lubricant.

  • Keep the Heavy Equipment Clean:

One of the most important steps that you need to take in order to increase the life of the heavy equipment and prevent its ageing is to keep it clean. The heavy construction equipment almost always works in a dusty and dirty environment, being exposed to mud, concrete, cement etc. these need to be cleaned off properly. Otherwise, it can deposit on the equipment or the machinery and make it weary. The machinery might be jammed and stop working.

  • Check for Signs of Wear:

What makes it easy to maintain the health and condition of your heavy equipment is that it will give you signs of wear. You should be careful about –

  • Any sort of vibration that comes from belts and gears
  • Any sort of sudden and high temperature increase
  • Any sort of shock in the machinery.

These can be the result of poor alignment, poor operating technique and poor use of lubrication. As soon as you experience any of these, you need to take special care of the equipment and get rid of these problems as soon as possible. What most people make the mistake about is that they continue using the equipment in that condition, until it completely stops working. And that is too late for the equipment to be saved.

  • Take for Regular Servicing:

Just as the private vehicles and commercial vehicles need maintenance and service for better performance, it is also important for the heavy equipment and construction machinery to be taken for service. Servicing will make sure that the machinery is cleaned, lubrication is proper and every single part of the equipment is in perfect working condition.

When you take the heavy equipment for service, they will take care of the –

  • Power transmission
  • Pulleys and V-belts
  • Seals, bearings, gaskets and other friction materials
  • Do a torque check on the bolts?

These are just a few of the many maintenance services that they will run.

  • Always have Trained Professionals:

The last but not least important step that every heavy equipment owner must be careful about is that only trained operators run the equipment. It is because; trained operators would know how to run the equipment and when to report a problem. This is crucial for the life of the machine and for preventing it from early ageing.

Buy and sell heavy equipment online

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E-commerce has evolved majestically during the last 2 decades. Almost every company in today’s time is in some way or the other engaged in the online business. It means they either buy or sell their products online and this being their core business they tend to make good money from it. Probably a couple of decades ago, nobody must have thought that the E-commerce business will become such a big thing in the global market. However, now we are all in some way or the other are connected to it. We use all sorts of applications to buy and sell things online and this has been the trend of the day it seems. Taking this trend as the opportunity, the owners of heavy equipment have also plunged into the business and now want to sell heavy machines online. The buyers also prefer to buy it from an internet platform.

Connects you quickly to a lot of prospects:-

When you use an online platform to sell heavy equipment you are exposed to a lot of people who have similar needs for their business. They check your listing and if they find the machine valuable for their business they buy it online. The payment is also done through an internet gateway and once the seller receives the money, the item is shipped across. Unlike the conventional method where you do not get much exposure and hardly anybody get to know if you are selling a machine, the online platform just works the way you want it to. Remember that you are also exposed to international businesses and you should make it very clear on your listing if you are ready to ship the machine internationally. A seller needs to follow a lot of legal process to ship the item outside US. So before you take the call to go international, make sure that you are prepared to deal with the government procedures.

Buyers get multiple options:-

The buyers in turn have a lot to get by buying heavy equipment online. They get multiple options at their disposal and can make their choice from the given options. They can also review the ratings of the seller and accordingly can take a call if they would like to deal with that seller. Ideally, at the end of a transaction every seller is given a rating on the basis of how effective and transparent the transaction was. The buyer leaves a feedback mentioning his experience with the seller. So if the buyer had a good experience he can give him a good rating or else he can mark it as “Poor”. This will help others to know if the seller is at all worthy to be dealt with and the can accordingly decide on what they should do. So the buyer always has the option to check the listing of another seller and can also expect a better price as compared to the earlier guy.

It is not just heavy equipment but also ancillaries are sold on online platform. So if you want to buy an attachment or a part of the machine has gone faulty, you know where you can find them.

 

Renting an excavator

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Since the construction and heavy equipment industry has risen over the years so has many other industries that are associated with them have developed in these many years. Out of the many industries, one is renting heavy equipment. It is now never a problem to let out your machines as you will always find takers for it. Gone are the days where a person had to struggle giving ads in newspapers to find someone who wants to take the equipment on rent. Now people are educated about how to move ahead with renting equipment. There are number of ways by which you can rent your machine. You can get in touch with a rental company whose main focus is to find parties who have need to give the machine and rent as well as take it on rent. So primarily, they try and bring both the parties at a common place and strike a deal between them. The other option is going online and listing your machine there.

The heavy equipment that people take more than anything is an excavator. It seems that an excavator is quite a flexible machine which can be used for multiple purposes unlike other heavy equipment. You only need to change its attachments and it gets ready for work other than excavating. Due to its flexibility, it is probably the only machine that is high in demand and often gives the owner a good rental value. You can try and know the rental value of your machine from rental companies or from websites where people list their excavators on rent. That is really not a tough job and can help you to know the correct value of the excavator.

Ensure that the excavator is in good shape:-

Before you rent your excavator, it is very important to you ensure that the heavy equipment is in good working condition. If you see any issues with it, get it fixed before you rent it to someone. It creates unnecessary hassles if you hand over the stuff with some faults in it and without informing the user about it. They might even feel cheated and many not want to do any further business with you. This all puts you in a negative light which may turn uglier if he spreads it out to other people. You may find it hard to rent the excavator to anybody else. Also, paint the machine and make it look new every time before you rent it to a new person.

An agreement is mandatory:-

You are required to make an agreement where you explicitly state that you are giving the excavator on rental basis and the person will return it with no or minor wear and tear. Also mention the amount you will receive as rent on a monthly basis as well as the tenure of the contract. Any other details that you feel is important should be mentioned in the agreement. You can appoint an attorney for this purpose who can take care of this part.