Concrete Reasons to Rent

Concrete machines are some of the hardest working equipment on a construction site. That’s the nature of concrete work — physically demanding on equipment and reliant on timing. An unreliable power trowel or vibrator can compromise an entire project and chip away at its profit margin. Productivity, maintenance and profitability are just three of the reasons why contractors often prefer to rent the equipment used on concrete work.

Some of the most popular pieces of rental equipment fall into the categories of mini excavators and skid steer loaders with hydraulic breakers. Rental demand for mini excavators has spiked sharply in recent years, due to their maneuverability in small spaces. These machines can drive between houses to access backyards and traverse driveways and lawns with minimal damage.

The hydraulic breakers themselves return a lot of value for the rental dollar because they’re interchangeable between machines. For example, certain breakers can be taken off an excavator and transferred to a skid steer simply by attaching a back plate. These versatile units are relatively easy to interchange.

It’s not unusual for a contractor to rent both a breaker-equipped mini excavator and a skid seer with bucket or another attachment. That’s a popular rental combination, particularly when a project is on a tight deadline. The mini excavator is used to break up the materials while the skid steer clears the debris.

Mini excavators and skid steers are relatively inexpensive to rent compared to the cost of owning these machines outright. Power trowels, on the other hand, are an example of a rental item that is trending toward a purchased item. Prices have come down on both the walk-behind and ride-on models, making them relatively affordable to own. The nature of trowelling work also tips the scale toward ownership, since it can be hard to judge when the concrete will be ready for finishing. For this reason, trowels are usually rented on a daily basis rather than hourly.

Concrete saws are a rental category in which demand is expanding for both handheld and walk-behind models. These machines might appear affordable to own on the surface, but the cost of upkeep can be prohibitively high. Concrete saws typically require maintenance every hour or every other hour. They take a beating on the job and often need parts replaced. This is a case where it is almost always wiser to rent than purchase the equipment.

Specifications Equal Success

Two of the most common mistakes that contractors make when renting concrete equipment are poor planning and selecting the wrong machine for the job. If you need to break concrete, and without knowing how thick it is, you may rent a machine that’s unqualified for the application. In that case, production will suffer or fail completely.

There are broader considerations as well. If you haven’t done a site analysis, the equipment you rent may be too large to gain access to the work area or the noise it creates may be in violation of local ordinances. These avoidable mistakes happen more often than you might think.

With concrete saws, the concrete itself is the key to a successful rental. If you don’t know how deep it is, it’s easy to mismatch the saw to the job. It may seem a safe bet to rent a larger saw, but that’s not the case. Undercutting (where the blade is too long and extends through the concrete) can cause as many problems as a blade that’s too short. When you undercut, the dirt beneath the concrete wears out the blade quicker.

Many contractors also make the mistake of associating noise or activity with production when it comes to concrete equipment. In reality, there is no correlation. Just because a demolition hammer or breaker is hitting faster, doesn’t mean it’s hitting harder.

In fact, the only way to know if a hammer or breaker is working at full production is to attach a flow meter. The meter measures the flow of hydraulic fluid to the machine. All United Rentals shop operations have flow meters available as standard diagnostic equipment.

Safety and Maintenance Considerations

Concrete equipment, like any construction equipment, requires the operator to wear tough protective gear. Safety gloves, clothing that covers arms and legs, a face shield and steel-toed boots are essential. Hearing protection may also be recommended, depending on the application. If it’s a hand-held or walk-behind unit, make sure you know how to operate the equipment safely or ask for instruction at the time of rental.

Skid steer loaders and mini excavators may look user-friendly, but they’re no place to cut corners when it comes to operator safety. Always wear a seat belt and engage all the safety features of the machine. Become familiar with the controls before you start. Properly engage and disengage the hydraulics. Wear the necessary protective gear and know the limitations of the equipment before you ask it to do a job.

It’s also a good idea to take advantage of operator training classes. There are a lot of options available from dealers and rental companies. United Rentals branches offer professional operator training on an as-needed basis and factory training on request; this is useful for customers who decide to purchase the machines outright.

One of the major advantages of renting equipment is that the rental company assumes responsibility for inspections, maintenance and parts. However, the renter shares responsibility for protecting the condition of the equipment while it’s entrusted to his or her care. This usually comes down to common sense and a basic understanding of the equipment itself.

For example, if you’re operating a rented power trowel or cut-off saw in a harsh environment eight hours a day, stop and check its condition every two to four hours. Inspect the fluids, filters and other indicators. Proper lubrication is especially important and should be monitored carefully.

Hydraulic hammers are another example of equipment that can require on-site maintenance. These units need to be properly charged according to manufacturer specifications.

Come Prepared to Share

Before you request a rental, prepare yourself for the questions you’ll be asked by the rental salesperson. These questions usually include a description of what you want to achieve and a summary of site conditions. Such as, are there any constraints to consider, like noise restrictions or environmental impact concerns? Are there experienced operators on site? Do you need to schedule your concrete work around other contractors on the project? If you don’t get asked many questions, a flag should go up — reputable rental companies do not rent equipment without first assessing the customer’s needs.

In addition to project characteristics, you should be ready to provide specific information about the application. Here are just a few examples: What material will you be cutting and how extensive is the work (saws)? How confined is the work area and can you extend the value of your rental by adding attachments that help you with other parts of the project (mini excavators and skid steers)? How thick is the concrete and how large is the demolition area (breakers)? What type of material do you need to compact? Will you need both forward and reverse operation (plate compactors)?

You should also feel free to ask questions to make sure you’re comfortable with the age and condition of the machine. If the equipment you rent needs to meet local or state requirements, like registration with the California Air Resources Board for example, verify that before initiating the contract.

The main thing to remember is that there is no substitution for communication when it comes to concrete work. The safety, productivity and economics of renting all depend on matching the right equipment to the job. Know what you want to achieve before you start, and rely on your rental company to get you there.

Jeff Crouse is a district manager with United Rentals, based in Dublin, Calif.