If you are an amateur house builder like me, sometimes you need to call in the big guns to help you with your construction project. If you need to excavate a large hole, dig a trench or to drill boreholes on your property, you will probably need to hire some heavy equipment. I will be posting lots of useful tips on this blog which I hope will help you to get the best deal when it comes to hiring heavy construction gear. I will review the best types of kit for different jobs, transporting the gear to your site, and providing you with information which will help you to keep your workforce safe.
Access equipment helps you to access high ground or work at heights easily and safely. You might require such equipment for commercial work like construction projects, painting high walls, cleaning high walls and windows, etc. You can also require such pieces of equipment for residential DIY work like yard maintenance and picking cherries on a farm. Here is what you need to know about access equipment hires.
What Kind of Access Equipment Can You Hire?
You can come across boom lifts, scissor lifts, cherry pickers, personnel lifts and trailer mounted booms. These are chosen depending on your requirements. If you need to reach high angular areas, around bends and areas with obstructions, you need a flexible boom lift known as an articulating/knuckle boom lift. If you just need to access straight areas that aren't obstructed or that are not angular, a telescopic boom lift is what you need.
If you need a simple lift for small jobs that only fit one person, a personnel/man lift is enough. Small tasks include installing and maintaining elevated commercial and shopping fixtures.
Scissor lifts are used to access high storage areas in warehouses and material handling industries.
Stability Factors You Should Consider
Consider the terrain of the site where you need to use the access equipment so that you ensure the access equipment remains stable during use. This is achieved by choosing the right wheels and, if needed, the presence of an outrigger.
Is It Expensive to Hire Access Equipment?
If you compare the price of buying and maintaining access equipment, hiring is quite cheap. The hiring price depends on the particular equipment you want, its size and the number of days you require it.
You might also come across a wet and dry hire. A wet hire means you hire both the access equipment and an operator. This might be more expensive than dry hire, where you only hire the particular access equipment. If you choose the latter, ensure you have an experienced and competent operator because you do not want the hired equipment getting damaged.
Access Equipment Hire Agreement
Read and understand this document if you do not want problems. It stipulates how you should handle the access equipment and what you shouldn't do. Breach of the agreement can lead to equipment malfunctions and legal suits that might cost you. Such situations stall your project and you end up not meeting your deadlines.