Friday, January 30th, 2009
In these days, being practical is a must. This is the reason why most of the independent contractors prefer to rent construction equipment instead of buying their own. Most of the contractors tend to believe that by following this practice they are already saving themselves a good amount of sum.
Apart from that reason, these contractors are also avoiding several risks, which are obtainable when they buy their own, by renting construction equipment. For independent contractors, purchasing their own brand new heavy equipment can be risky since they don’t have a sufficient amount to spend on the machine. In addition, purchasing brand new construction equipment may also require an ample time to regain the investment.
The good thing now is that small or independent contractors no longer need to involve into a great risk just to own construction equipment. This time, another alternative is offered; instead of buying a brand new crane equipment, grader equipment, compactor equipment, trailer equipment, loader equipment, lift equipment, scraper equipment, black hole loader equipment, or any other variety of heavy equipment—small or independent contractors may prefer buying used construction equipment.
This alternative is a good way to own construction equipment, especially for the contractors who do not have enough budgets to buy a brand new one. There is totally no harm in preferring to this alternative. If one will carefully think, opting to used construction equipment is a more practical choice than buying brand new machines because of their too expensive costs.
Sure, there are also risks in buying second-hand machines. However, by simply knowing the exact machines to purchase and by simply knowing what to inspect from used construction equipment; the possible risks can be completely avoided. To further ensure the reliability of the used construction equipment, the following inspection tips can be helpful:
1. Inspect for minor damages on the machine.
Check the error-indicators at the front panel. Also, do not forget to note if there are any missing rear-panel that interconnect cables. You may also see if the CRT displays are blurry. Minor damages are given when buying used machine; however, keep in mind that this damages will not risk the safety of the person who will maneuver the machine.
2. Test drive the machine before finally buying
If there is one mistake contractors can commit when buying used machines, that is the failure to test drive the equipment. Sure, a careful visual inspection of the machine is needed. But doing this alone can result to inaccurate findings. To acquire a reliable inspection, the machine needs to be tried out by the buyer himself.
3. Do not be deceived by a newly paint construction equipment
Remember, there are some sellers who will make the best ways to cover-up the flaws of the equipment they sell with a new paint. But if cleverness will be applied, this form of deception can be discovered by looking at bottom of the vehicle or by inspecting the internal parts of the machine.
When buying used construction equipment, it is better to order from an established dealer. There are several manufacturers fo heavy equipment like Bobcat equipment, Case equipment, Caterpillar equipment, Claas equipment, Fiat-Hitachi equipment, Fendt, Ford equipment, Hitachi equipment, Ingersoll Rand equipment, JCB equipment, John Deere equipment, Komatsu equipment, Leibherr equipment, Link-Belt equipment, Massey Ferguson equipment, Steyr equipment, Valtra equipment, and Volvo equipment etc. Unlike other sellers, dealers can give warranties to grant the buyer an ample time to test the usability of the machine.
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Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
What is a skid steer loader?
A skid steer loader is a stiff frame machine with mechanical arms that can be fitted with attachments for a wide variety of different tools, including a backhoe, hydraulic breaker, pallet forks, angle broom, sweeper, auger, mower, snow blower, stump grinder, tree spade, trencher, and a wheel saw.
Modern skid steer loaders come in two varieties, a four wheeled system and a rubber track version. Wheel loaders are typically are four-wheel drive and for additional maneuverability, the left and right wheels systems are independent. The track version also referred to as a track loader provides for better digging and pushes performance in higher end models due to less ground disturbance and better traction in un-ideal environments like mud and sand.
History of the skid loader machine
The first three-wheeled front-end loader was invented in 1957 by two brothers, Cyril and Louis Keller, in a small machinist shop in Rothsay Minnesota. The brothers conceived the idea to help a nearby farmer with the ignoble task of cleaning up manure for a pole barn. They wanted to help him, and out of this collaboration the first skidder was born.
This early machine was eventually purchased by Melrose Manufacturing Company and the Kellers brought on to continue development. Since then it has spread to become a highly valued piece of heavy equipment for sale at construction and engineering site around the globe.
What are these machines used for?
Due to the wide array of attachments available for these vehicles , they have many uses, but mostly are employed for scrape material from one place to another, carry materials in a bucket and proceed to load them into a truck or trailer.
Skid Steer loaders can also be used in tight digging situations where factors limit the practically of using a large excavator, like digging a basement under an existing house. In this situation a skid loader would make use of a ramp at the edge of the site. The loader would proceed to use the ramp to carry materials out of the hole. The skid loader would reshape the ramp by making it steeper and longer as the excavation deepened.
Differences between a front loader machine and a skid loader machine
The pivot arms on a skid loader lay behind the driver, alongside the side of the vehicle.
Major machine manufacturers
Major manufacturers for skid loaders include the Bobcat Company, Mustang Equipment, Case Equipment, New Holland Equipment, Komatsu Equipment, and Caterpillar Equipment etc.
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Thursday, November 20th, 2008
A bulldozer is a heavy piece of earthmoving equipment which uses a front-mounted ‘dozer’ blade to push soil forward and create a level surface for construction sites. A modern bulldozer consists of a tracked chassis, protective driver cage, rear-mounted ripper claw and a variety of front-mounted blades. Some militaries add armor plating to a standard bulldozer for even more protection and deconstruction power.
The earliest bulldozer models were little more than farming tractors equipped with straight front-mounted plates for rough landscaping and plowing. Earthmoving equipment manufacturers such as Case, Terex and International Harvester refined the basic design, curving the front blade for improved cutting power through hardened topsoil. Another modification was the addition of a rear-mounted ‘ripper claw’ for breaking up boulders and sections of roadway materials. Some bulldozer blades can also slice through trees or double as front-end loader buckets.
There are several theories concerning the origin of the word bulldozer. Technically, the word only applies to the front dozer blade, not the entire machine. Some sources suggest that the power and noise of the chassis suggested a restrained bull, while others point to the extreme medical practice of bull-dosing. What began as a term for a strong dosing of medicine became slang for intimidating tactic. Whatever the original etymology, there is no doubt that a bulldozer can be a very intimidating sight when placed outside a condemned structure.
The most common place to find a bulldozer is a new construction site. The operator may use the rear-mounted ripper claw to break up rocks, pavement or hardened ground. The next step is to set the front-mounted blade at a prescribed depth and literally push the loosened soil forward. Tracks similar to those used on military tanks allow the bulldozer to remain stable on sandy or muddy soil. Eventually the entire site should be level enough for construction to begin. A bulldozer is not usually involved in the more subtle aspects of site preparation, but occasionally it may be used for rough deconstruction or as an auxiliary front-end loader.
The world’s militaries also depend heavily on modified bulldozers for battlefield engineering projects and a form of local ‘gunship diplomacy.’ Perhaps the most famous military bulldozer for sale is the Case D9, used primarily by the Israeli army for decades. The driver’s compartment is protected by bullet-resistant glass, while the rest of the machine is heavily armor-plated. When the front blade is raised to the level of the driver’s compartment, the Case D9 can drive through most obstacles unscathed.
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Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
Heavy construction equipment requires a lot of capital investments. When the companies opt to buy these types of heavy construction equipments then they look out for the used equipments that may be on sale in the local market. This helps them in various manners. Companies sometime get used heavy construction equipment which are as good as new but the cost is much lesser than that offered in the showroom. Moreover, buying heavy construction equipment from the local market reduces the transportation cost as well. These overheads not look good in the balance sheet as they lead to increase in the project costs.
Financing is a major concern while buying heavy construction equipments. Most of the companies look out for times when the interest rates are low and they can strike a good bargain. In developing countries the rate of economic growth determines the external investments. A healthy growing economy attracts heavy foreign investments. Thus since the financial inflows are more the interest rates are much low. Thus buying heavy construction equipments or taking them as rentals is much more economical.
After the opening up to the markets and signing of the GATT agreement by most of the countries there has been increase in the competition and reduction in cost of equipments. Moreover, the heavy construction equipments have been manufactured at more locations than before. This trend has been on increase to serve the global market and cross-country support for infrastructure development. Moreover, there has also been increase in the duty-free import structure in the economies. But in case of the growing economies, increase in exports and development of local markets is still required to support the imports in the countries.
Demand for heavy construction equipment is more region-specific. In US markets and Western Europe, requirement for up-gradation of the locations is more required rather than developing new projects. These countries require maintenance and upgrading of the existing projects, which is more crucial for the existing infrastructure for long time sustenance.
In case of developing countries, building up of rail, roads, flyovers, high-rise, airports, and urban development is more crucial. All this requires lot of construction work, which requires use of heavy construction equipment. There are different manufacturers of heavy construction equipments like Caterpillar, Case, Hitachi, Komatsu, New Holland, John Deere etc. The largest manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are located in the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France, followed by Italy, South Korea, Canada, Sweden and Belgium. There are manufacturing units located at other locations also like China, Russia and Latin America. More manufacturing units for heavy construction equipments are expected to crop up at locations, which offer low material costs and cheap labor.
Heavy construction equipment is also available on rent. These can be leased out easily from the domestic market. It is much more beneficial to take the heavy construction equipment on rent or on least for a day or few days rather than purchase them and then sell them at lower cost or carry overheads like transportation, maintenance, etc. Buying heavy construction equipment is not much preferred option. Mostly in the US, long-term leasing is much more preferred over purchasing due to tax structure.
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Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
Sometimes it’s better to think twice before spending a lot of money on new heavy equipment or construction machinery. You can save an large amount of your investment funds by buying used machinery. But before you get to make such a decision you might want to think it through.
Used heavy construction equipment might be a solution for your business as long as you make sure the used machinery works as it should. Of course, it is used, but used machinery is typically refurbished and has technical reviews. But perhaps your personal experience is better than all that criteria. Even if the used machinery looks just fine, is a famous brand or the seller convinced you about the quality of his or her used machinery, you should get try to test it before you buy it. Always try to test the used machinery before you buy it or have someone to test the used machinery for you. Scrape, dig, lift, dump, push, whatever the vehicle has function for. Go through all the used machinery functions and they all work.
Visual inspection is another way of checking the used heavy equipment. Even if you have already made up your mind about buying used heavy machinery, you should be entitled to a good bargain. And a good bargain means you get good quality used heavy equipment for less. Take your time inspecting the used heavy equipment, and try to cover all the important areas. Used heavy equipment paint quality is not critical. However rust is an issue, so try to see if there are any rust patches or holes covered just for “cosmetic” reason. Grab a tool and try pushing or even hitting on suspected areas of the used heavy machinery to see if there is any rust falling on the ground. Slide under the used machinery and search for leaks. Test the possible leaking problem of the used machinery after you’ve been through the test drive. Also check valves and hoses before the test drive, and see after it if there are any leaks present in these places.
The testing shouldn’t stop here. Listen to the engine running for more than a minute or two. Also listen to the hydraulics when the used heavy equipment is performing its special duties. Try to detect any kind weird smells like burning oil or electrical short circuits. When you get behind the wheel or the levers, try to feel if the controls work as they should. However, you should keep in mind one thing: even the new heavy equipment might be Hitachi equipment, Case equipment, Caterpillar equipment, Komatsu equipment etc may be faulty at times, which is why you should be prepared to face all problems that may arise with your used machinery, and not just assume the problem was caused by the fact that the machinery was old.
As a final advice on your shopping adventure for used heavy equipment, try to avoid buying from individuals that have no knowledge of construction equipment. Construction equipment dealers can often provide maintenance service and warranty with your used heavy equipment that can stretch from 30 to 60 days, making sure that unexpected problems will be dealt with professionally.
And, of course, don’t forget to negotiate the price of used heavy equipment. You can find a dealer that is flexible with pricing and negotiation and give you a better deal that a private owner. Good luck shopping for used machinery.
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Friday, September 26th, 2008
The first skid steer loader, the Melroe M-400, was introduced more than 45 years ago and since its inception the compact equipment workhorse has evolved into a monster machine. Much more supreme than it’s 1960 self, the modern skid steer has evolved everything from its hand and foot controls to its overall brute strength.
Today’s skid steers are giving operators capabilities they have never before imagined, and they are doing it in style and comfort. While skid steers of the old ages caused aches and pains, modern loaders are smooth rides with easy-to-use joystick controls.
Keeping the customer in mind, skid steer manufacturers have developed a new pilot joystick control system. Before Caterpillar first introduced the new controls, operators had combination hand and foot controls. The hand levers would operate the movement while the foot pedals moved the bucket levers. With today’s system everything can be controlled with two joysticks.
There are two different control options available with the pilot joysticks, the ISO pattern and the H pattern. With the ISO pattern, the right joystick controls the attachments movement. Moving the joystick forward or backward will move the loader arms up or down, while tilting the joystick left or right will tilt the bucket up or down. With your other hand, the left joystick controls the movement of the machine. Pushing or pulling it will move the machine forward or put it in reverse, while tilting the controls left or right will rotate the machines direction.
With the H pattern, the loader arm and machine controls are split between the joysticks. To move the machine forward or put it in reverse you need to push or pull back on both of the joysticks at the same time. To rotate the direction of the machine push forward with one joystick and pull back with the other. To control the attachment, the right joystick moves the bucket (left or right to control the tilt) and the left joystick moves the loader arms (left or right to raise and lower them).
Some operators prefer the H and others the ISO, so to make it convenient some manufacturers such as Bobcat offer both, with their Selectable Joystick Controls you can change from the H to the ISO pattern with the flick of a switch.
A feature that was introduced in 1998 by skid steer manufacturer Case is Ride Control, which is often a popular feature to use with the joystick pilot controls because it minimizes material spills by stabilizing the loader arms on rough-terrain sites.
In today’s day and age luxuries are everywhere, and there is no reason to stop short with skid steers. Its understood by most skid steer operators that comfort goes together with productivity, because the more comfortable you are, the longer you are going to be able to operate the machine. Because of this many manufacturers today offer cab packages that can give you any luxury you want. With features such as cooled glove boxes for a drink or boxed lunch, enclosed cabs with air conditioning and heat for extreme temperatures, deluxe suspension seats for bumpy rides and power outlets for music players or fans you might not ever want to get out.
In addition to this, cabs today are also much quieter than before because of sound insulation around fans and other noise generators. Some companies such as Mustang monitor noise levels in the cab before the loader ever comes off the production line.
With efficiency the number one factor behind the design of the industry’s compact workhorse, it’s understood that comfort and ability are compliments to the goal. What was once strictly a get-the-job-done machine has evolved to a first class comfort ride, and everyone is benefiting.
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