The Most Common Plant Hire Mistakes You Should Avoid

No construction project is cheap. Materials and manpower can be costly, along with those unplanned extra charges that crop up along the way. Plant vehicles, on the other hand, do not have to be expensive. If you require machinery you don’t own, consider plant hire.

To help save you the most money when hiring, there are some costly mistakes you can avoid. Read on to learn more about the uses of plant hire. This article will continue to go in-depth into which common mistakes can be harmful and expensive, and how they can be avoided. Finally, we will cover how our plant hire services and expertise at P.R. Welden can help you.

When To Use Plant Hire

For any substantial construction projects, plant hire can be a great solution to any restrictive issues you might face when trying to obtain the right equipment. In this section, we have listed some reasons why you might consider hiring plant machinery.

Expensive Needs

When you know your team will need expensive specialist equipment, plant hire can be a great solution. Specialist equipment is more difficult to find second-hand and can be very costly, whereas plant hire is much more affordable. You can choose how long to rent the equipment for too, so if you only need heavy plant haulage for a small part of your project, hiring can save you some money there.

Tight Budget

New equipment, specialist or not, is inevitably costly. To help you keep within a tight budget, plant hire is a great alternative. It ensures you can obtain the tools you need while saving you from needlessly spending money. Plant hire companies will offer high-quality equipment which may not be affordable brand new, avoiding the need to opt for cheap tools that won’t get the job done.

Storage

If you do manage to buy the agricultural machinery needed, it’s difficult to find the storage for such large tools. Particularly in urban areas, the chances of finding a big enough space are few. If you do manage to find space, the transport to and from different sites is a new challenge in itself. With plant hire, the need for a building to keep your machines safe is no longer required. Most plant hire companies offer delivery of vehicles too, saving you the hassle of picking one up.

One-Off Uses

For ad-hoc projects, purchasing equipment can seem pointless, as it isn’t a long-term investment. Instead, hiring the tools you need is a more cost-effective decision. Expensive tools bought for one use still depreciate, so the resale value will be lower than the cost of buying. This difference is often greater than the cost of renting, so generally it is worth doing the latter instead.

The Mistakes

As mentioned, mistakes made when choosing plant hire can be damaging to your project. By learning what some issues are, you can prevent them from happening.

Read on to find out what some top mistakes might be, to help you avoid them.

Not Knowing What You Need

One easy pitfall when selecting your equipment can be not knowing what to buy. This can lead to tools that are too large or small. Too large machines might not be able to fit in your construction zone. Small tools, such as mini excavators, are not equipped to lift heavy agriculture, such as oak trees.

Hiring Under Qualified Employees

The equipment itself might not be the only plant hire mistake fallen into. Those you pick to operate the machines will need to be qualified to do so, as bulk haulage vehicles can be dangerous if not used properly. Hiring tools with no one certified to operate them will delay the completion of work, not to mention waste precious project money.

Luckily, many plant hire companies can hire out their equipment as operated. This will save you from the hassle of having employees trained and certified. The quality of work with an experienced operator should also be excellent, meaning you won’t have to worry about misuse and site damage.

Not Researching The Tools

While an excavator may seem like the perfect one-size-fits-all tool, there are limitations to its use. With the tools you buy, find out what they cannot do as well. This will save you from a lot of pain later on, as once the project starts it can be heartbreaking to find out you need more tools.

Underestimating the Amount of Equipment

If your construction project is running to a deadline, the right amount of equipment is essential. Often, you will require duplicates of certain vehicles when working with a large team to get the most out of your employees. 

The Hiring Process

If you decide hiring is right for your construction project, knowing how to go about hiring equipment can be helpful. This section includes some tips on how to find the right company to make sure you are receiving the best service.

Pick Your Products

Knowing that one of the mistakes you can make is the wrong equipment, picking the right product is very important. Once you have narrowed down what you need, read reviews for the best brand. The best brand for one vehicle may not be the same for another, so check individually for each item. By giving yourself an idea of vehicles, you know what to ask for before finding a company.

Read Reviews

Before finally settling on a plant hire provider, look at their reviews. Online reviews are fantastic indicators of how a business operates, regardless of how professional they present themselves. It helps to spot any common themes that reappear amongst reviews, as this will suggest the company is repeatedly making mistakes. This could be, for example, providing faulty equipment.

It’s not just bad reviews that are helpful, but good reviews too. Excellent reviews will often tell you the positives of a company, which can be great for aligning one to your needs. If you are specifically after very clean equipment, a review would be a great place to find this information.

Contact a Company

After selecting the equipment you will need, start researching plant hire companies. When selecting a provider, look into their level of experience. If a company has only been hiring their equipment for the past year, there may be a lack of knowledge that impacts its tools. This could be a lack of proper cleaning knowledge, resulting in equipment damaged by dirt. Opt for a company that demonstrates experience, as these companies will have successfully developed their vehicle knowledge.

A good indicator of an experienced and trustworthy company is their advice. Any excellent company should be able to advise its customers knowledgeably, even outside of the plant hire trade. This advice could also be helpful, showing you which vehicle will meet your requirements. If the company proves to be a good choice, feel free to hire their plant machinery.

Returning

After you have used the equipment to complete the task, you should be able to arrange to have the vehicles returned. The process will depend on the company you opt for, as each business will have its own set of rules. Read into any contracts to see what the rules are.

While some companies will ask that you return the equipment yourself, others will arrange a collection time. Other rules might apply, such as a charge for unfuelled equipment, which is why it’s very important to check the contract before any unwelcome charges crop up.



How We Can Help

At P.R. Weldhen, we know getting the right construction equipment need not be hard. That’s exactly why we use our over 40 years of experience to provide the best plant hire in Cornwall. We can offer you both long-term and short-term hire, meaning you can utilise the perfect tools for the duration you need. Our plant vehicles are regularly inspected and certified, to ensure our customers get the best while also remaining safe. Likewise, our operators attend training courses and complete tests, to hold the qualifications they need.

If construction equipment isn’t what you’re after, we also offer both agricultural machinery and haulage vehicles for hire. You can see a few of our vehicles in our gallery, or contact us directly to find out what equipment we are able to offer you.