There are many reasons for renting a crane over buying one, but the most obvious reason is simple: buying one is a huge expense. For most projects, you want to rent a crane instead of actually buying one. This eliminates the extra hassles of trying to move it and store a piece of lifting equipment of this size.
You’ll save money and ensure that you have professionals handling everything. The company is responsible for the maintenance and transport of the crane, as well, which saves a lot of trouble.
Why You Should Hire a Crane
Save Money
While you can certainly add a crane to your business equipment, it will cost a lot of money and it’s generally not something you can justify, when compared to the price of hiring a crane.
You should also consider what it will cost to add a professional crane operator to your team. This can be another huge expense and you may not always need them. With a crane hire, you get the equipment and the operator at the same time and only for the time you need them. The crane hire cost is considerably less than purchasing one, so you’re better off just renting when you really need a crane.
No Need for Storage
Keeping a crane on hand can be difficult. They can take up quite a bit of space and if you have other heavy equipment, you may find that you have no room for a large crane. You just need to hire the crane whenever you need it and someone else will manage the storage part.
Skip the Maintenance
If you purchase your own crane, you’ll find that the upkeep is tremendous. You’ll need to have regular services to ensure there are no accidents due to poor upkeep. This maintenance not only takes time and money, it’s also a lot of work that someone else will need to do. Unless you are already fairly well versed in crane maintenance, you’ll need to hire someone extra to help out with this.
The great thing about crane hire is that the company is responsible for all the tune-ups and maintenance. These are huge machines that can be very dangerous and need to be handled with caution.
Variety
As mentioned above, you may need different types of cranes, so make sure you choose a company that has a variety of options available. You can then use them for every project you have, knowing that they have exactly what you need. This variety is something that is very hard to achieve on your own, so you are best to take the time to find a company that has what you need. Better yet, they’ll handle the crane installation for you.
Save Time
You won’t need to learn how to use a new piece of equipment or figure out how to get it around. Instead, you will simply arrange the time and place and the mobile crane hire company will bring the crane to you. This makes it very easy to manage everything and you can focus on the rest of the project.
Easy to Reach Locations
If you work around the country, you may end up in a place that is quite far from where you normally work. If you had to transport your own crane there, it could be a very difficult time. Cranes are large and it can be difficult to transport them over a distance. It’s far simpler to hire a crane in the area you’ll be working in.
No Extra Insurance
The crane hire company will carry insurance for their operator and the crane, which means one less thing for you to worry about. You’ll be able to carry on with the job, without having to figure out additional insurance options.
There are so many benefits to hiring a crane that you will find it’s probably the best choice for your company. Only on rare occasions does it make sense to buy your own crane, so hiring one is the best thing you can do for your business.
Choosing a Crane Company
The first thing you should do when looking for a crane rental company is talk to other contractors. Most will have some experience with crane rentals and can tell you where to go (or who to avoid). This is a valuable source of information, since you are getting it first hand from someone who has already used the company.
If no one you know can give you a good idea as to which company to use, you may have to do your own research. Look online to find companies near you and you’ll then be able to check their reputation online. You should be able to find reviews and information on other people’s experiences. This will give you a better idea of which company you want to go with. Their reputation will precede them.
Finally, you’ll need to talk to the company and find out if they have the sort of crane you need. Obviously, if a company only has small cranes and you need a large one, you won’t be able to work with them. However, if you find a company that provides exactly what you need, ask for prices. Don’t forget to ask what is included in those prices. It will be a good way to tell if you want to work with them or not.
Hiring a crane can be a good way to test out a model before you buy, as well, if you decide to go that route. There are many different types of cranes and quite a few options available to you, so making sure you know which option is best before you make a massive investment is just smart business.
Crane Rental and Other Lifting Equipment
When renting a crane or any type of lifting equipment, you need to be sure you select the correct option. Often, the company can help you out with making this decision, if you let them know what the scope of the job is.
Each company is different, but you may have a few options when it comes to renting a crane. You may be able to rent a tower crane, rough terrain or a truck mounted crane. There are also telescopic boom trucks, which may be suitable to other types of worksites.
Certain factors play into the decision making process. For example:
How much will you be lifting?
The load amount will limit which crane type you can use. Very heavy items will require heavier duty cranes, which may mean you only have one or two choices when it comes to renting this type of equipment. Lighter, smaller items will allow you to use smaller cranes, in many cases.
How high will you lift?
The entire reason for hiring a crane is to reach higher spaces and to lift bigger objects more efficiently. The height will determine which type of crane you can use, as smaller ones simply won’t be able to reach several storeys up. You can discuss the height with the crane hire company to decide which crane will be your best option.
How much space do you have?
Larger cranes have a much larger footprint, thanks to outriggers, and that can cause issues if you have only a small lot to work with. The size of the crane needs to fit onto the available land so you can still work on the project without blocking traffic or running over the neighbour’s flower gardens.
Will you be lifting or transporting?
Cranes have two main purposes. One is to lift, such as lifting steel girders to the 10th floor of a building project. The other is to transport, which is when you may move a gazebo over a house and settle it in the back garden, for example. Since there are specific cranes for each function, you’ll need to determine which one will suit your needs best.
Each of these factors will help you decide which crane you need. If you still aren’t sure, you can relay your answers to these questions to the crane hire company and they can help you select the right model for the job. Then they’ll bring it to you and have an operator available to run it.
Are you in need of a crane hire? Contact Crane and Lifting today to book your work dates.
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