There are different types of construction that can be performed depending on what needs to be fixed or built in society. For instance one major type of construction is heavy construction. Heavy construction is the type of work that occurs when infrastructure is added to an already built up environment, such as building a highway. Those who own heavy construction projects are typically national or local level government agencies that deal with large contracts that last quite a length of time.
Heavy construction projects are usually done in the best interest of the public to service them better. Of course, it is hard to agree with this when you’re stuck in traffic while the roads or the sewers beneath them are being replaced, but indeed the end result has us in mind. That being said, not every heavy construction project is undertaken by the government. Some large, private corporations, such as power companies, harbors, railroads, mines and golf courses, are also involved. These private companies, among others, undertake heavy construction in order to create dams, railways, massive earthwork projects, etc.
Some developments that are considered heavy construction projects include:
- buildings
- parks - playgrounds - apartments - stadiums
- factories - malls
The most important part of heavy construction that makes it successful is the equipment that is used. Heavy construction equipment is essential to the project, because without it, even the basic construction work could never be completed. They are typically quite large, and are created specifically for one or two different uses. The primary equipment used for heavy construction includes but is not limited to: bulldozers, cranes, well drilling machinery, earthmoving equipment, loaders, draglines, cable plows, scrapers, generators, rollers, light towers, etc.
Each piece of heavy construction equipment plays an important role in the project. For instance, as far as groundwork is concerned, heavy rollers are used. Heavy rollers set up the project and find the base. They are then used to raise and drag tons of stones and iron from one place to the next.
The biggest problem that often occurs with heavy construction is the cost of building. Heavy equipment is quite expensive, and the people needed to work these machines and tools need to have the skill and experience in order to handle them. That being the case, many companies make the decision to rent or lease heavy equipment, sometimes even with or without the operators.
Unfortunately, because operators need to have both the skill and knowledge to work the equipment, they have become practically as indispensable as the heavy equipment. This can sometimes cause problems for companies who require heavy construction projects. To beat this problem, some companies hire people and then pay for their training, as opposed to trying to find someone who already has the training and is therefore going to request a much higher salary.
Despite certain problems, and expenses, most heavy construction projects are completed. The result of a heavy construction project is usually something that many people can benefit from and enjoy.
The backhoe equipment consists of three parts. The main one is the tractor. The loader is the second part of the backhoe equipment. The loader is a big rectangular shaped device which scoops the material.
The third part are the buckets at the rear of the tractor. Typically, if the bucket is being used, the flat front end of the loader is set down on the ground to stabilize the vehicle. Optional backhoe equipment includes street pads and rear stabilizers for increased performance and versatility (for some models only).
When bying used backhoe equipment, you must have it properly inspected to ensure that it is free of any mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical problems. Of course, used backhoe equipment is much cheaper than brand new, but you must take into account the maintainenance costs.
Finding the right used backhoe service solutions will increase your productivity and profitability while lengthening the life of your used backhoe. The people working at the service are responsible for supplying you with all the necessary new and used backhoe parts to keep your used backhoe in top shape. The best idea is to sign a contract with a service that has several different part departments withing your state. In that way, wherever you are with your used backhoe, the service will be close by with the parts you need.
When buying used backhoe equipment, don’t forget that there will surely be some maintenance costs associated with its use, so it’s not just about choosing the model, but also the dealer and service. Such construction equipment, especially second-hand, will wear and break at some point, so your relationship with the dealer is very important for preventative maintenance and repairs. Find about your dealer’s service policy, check how they handle breakdowns, who should transport it, can they provide you with a backhoe until yours is fixed? This is very important, because such serious construction projects have to go as planned in the schedule, so consider what can happen if you loose your backhoe for a week due to repairs. Also check their parts inventory, because you don’t want to wait for parts.
Caseused.com is one of the leading sites for used construction equipment, including backhoes and delivers to a world wide audience. The site features many listings for used backhoes, loader backhoes, excavators and other types of construction machinery. All brands are represented. The site supports different types of searches based on make, model, hours, price as well as language, currency, country, and equipment type.
Some calculations must be made before buying used backhoe equipment, because you don’t want to end up spending more money in the long run (like 10 years) compared to buying a brand new backhoe loader. Of course, prices drop significantly once the machine has a few thousand hours of use. The number of hours used is a main criteria when estimating the price. For example, a base-model 14′ digging depth backhoe is sold brand new for $55,000 to $75,000, while the same model but used for 2,000 hours can be found for around $30,000. If the hours of operation are even more, the price drops further.
With the rise in the growing economy there has been increase in the development of the infrastructure. For this construction work has been on rise, which have led to the demand of construction equipment. Construction equipments are of various types and serve different purposes.
Heavy construction equipment include bulldozers & track loaders, rubber tire loaders, cable cranes, hydraulic cranes, stationary cranes, graders scrapers & rollers, paving equipment, rock crushers, screeners & washers, trenching equipment, etc. There has been technical advancement also in the attachments and part required for the construction equipment. Three are various types of buckets, blades, couplers cutters, forks, grips, hammers and shovels.
There has been a growth in companies opting for rental construction equipment or leasing them. The main reason behind this is lower capital investment and lower maintenance. Moreover, good construction equipment is available at great bargain prices. This construction equipment give good productivity paralleled to new equipment. Also the smaller fleet ar able to squeeze out construction equipment.
Apart from purchase, leasing and rental of the construction equipment, there are also security issues attached to them. These days companies and constructors are much worried about securing their construction equipment. Since construction equipment do not have any tracking number on them thus recovery of any stolen construction equipment is very difficult. Most of the time the construction equipment is recovered several kilometers away from the construction site. But recovery of equipment is very difficult. Thus a new system of putting the tracking number has been put into effect. Earlier, for security purposes companies used to tie up the construction equipment with chains and padlocks but of late these have been proved to be inefficient.
Now-a-days construction companies are asking the manufacturers to instill laser-cut identification labels with key identification numbers. These key numbers would prove to be the tracking number just like engine number and chassis numbers in automobiles. A proposition of seventeen-digit global numbering system has been put forward in the construction industry to prevent stealing of construction equipment. This would ensure recapturing of stolen construction as well prevention of shipment of stolen construction equipment to other neighboring countries.
Advancement in the construction industry has led to development of operator comfort–air-conditioned cabs, steering wheels that can be tilted and devices to prevent noise pollution. Producers are featuring global positioning satellite technology for improved surveying and for use in driver-less trucks operating on a fixed route.
Increase or decrease in the construction sector directly affects the sale or purchase of the construction equipment. If the economy of the country is growing at a healthy pace, it leads to development of new projects as well as upgrading the older ones. All this requires construction equipment either to be purchased or leased by the construction companies. Further, an association for the inspection and certification of used construction equipment has been formed. This has been done to promote online sales of used heavy construction equipment. This is required by the companies taking up projects at various locations in the foreign land.
The heavy construction industry is a business where a great deal of money can be made. However, it is also a business that requires a large amount of capital investment in equipment.
When you are ready to make a business with heavy construction equipment, you should also be aware of the expense that is incurred in regards to heavy construction equipment. Although the profits are great, you will want to insure that the profit justifies the enormous expense of buying this heavy equipment.
One needs to do a lot of research to study the market before plunging into it. Through some research, you will find that there are several methods of getting heavy equipment:
Buy new equipment.
Rent or lease equipment.
Buy used equipment by visiting local dealers.
Buy used equipment by visiting local auctions, where you can often buy good quality heavy machinery at low prices.
Buy used equipment on the internet, where the best deals can be found, and get the machinery delivered to your doorstep.
Buying new construction equipment is an option only for those businesses that can come up with a lot of cash. Many construction businesses that lack considerable capital, rent, lease or purchase used construction equipment. While leasing or renting the equipment seems like a viable alternative arrangement, the total costs may not be exactly satisfactory and the total costs have to be covered by the price that your client will eventually pay in order for you to make a profit. If you consider the fact that you are very likely to use this construction equipment for many years, renting can be excluded from the option list, if you want your business to be really profitable.
Buying used construction equipment may be the best option. It is definitely more cost-effective than the other options. There also are options in finding good used heavy construction equipment. One option offering many benefits is the online auction. The popularity of the internet has made online shopping extremely popular today, with all manner of items being available for purchase online, including heavy construction equipment.
Shopping online for heavy equipment has several advantages. First and foremost, it allows the buyer the ability to shop the entire country without leaving home or the office. This provides the opportunity to find the best deal available. It is possible to find exceptional savings on the online auctions.
You will want to make sure that your equipment meets all of the requirements for safety that your particular area recommends. You will need to check with your state’s heavy equipment laws. This is important because it will cut deep into your profits if you fail to meet requirements. Also you will need to know what the book value of the products are in relationship to your purchase price to see if you can make enough money on the products in order to make a profit.
With the steady increase in construction projects nationwide year after year, it’s no wonder the average price of the typical piece of heavy equipment is over $135,000. Let’s face it; we wouldn’t be able to get our jobs done if we didn’t have these behemoths available. But there are some hidden costs within their benefits.
Technology –
The technology used in heavy equipment is far beyond anything we have seen in the past and the costs to hire someone to operate a particular piece of equipment is skyrocketing. The national average for a heavy equipment operator is in the $60,000 range.
Maintenance –
Powerful heavy equipment is useless if there is no around to fix it. Working with heavy equipment is no easy task. If your company has purchased some type of machinery that has no maintenance agreement included, one major repair jobsite can wipe out the profit you had built into the project.
Theft –
Every year, millions of dollars worth of heavy equipment is stolen from the job site. Heavy equipment is tempting for thieves. The stolen heavy equipment is either parted out or taken to another area where it is sold or used by another business.
Underutilization –
When heavy equipment is underutilized your costs of acquisition skyrocket and your loss in value is occurring unnecessarily. Heavy equipment is not a cheap undertaking and you should find ways to maximize the value of your machinery. One thing to consider is renting or leasing your equipment when it is idle.
Worker injury –
Construction equipment is inherently dangerous to work around, especially for employees on foot. While heavy equipment is being operated, potentially dangerous materials may be present, electric circuits may be live, flammable or noxious liquids or gases and other potential dangers will exist. How are you prepared for these events should one occur? Remember: The best policy around heavy equipment is to take no chances.
As you see there are other things you need to consider as your fleet of heavy construction equipment grows and there are no easy answers. Talk to others in your area about how they manage their inventory and how they maintain, operate, move, and utilize their equipment.
With the weak United States economy, the heavy equipment industry is adapting and overcoming by going global. For this and all of the construction industry, a weak economy is a frightening thought. For the larger contractors, a lack of federal and state funds for large projects like roads, bridges and infrastructure mean that they won’t be working as much and need to start liking at medium and small jobs. For the medium and small contractors, a weak or slow economy means that contract work from large contractors will dwindle or at least there will be more competition. For small specialized businesses like landscapers, loggers and tree service companies a slow economy means that businesses and homeowners won’t be spending the money that year. If you’re in the equipment retail or rental business, all of these people are your customers and if any one of those demographics are have a bad year, then so are you.
For every region in the country, their seasons break at different times. Basically no one likes working when it’s too hot or cold, that included equipment. You get the picture. The heavy equipment industry is basically at the mercy of the economy both directly and indirectly. Cost saving measures are implemented every day to make sure that their machinery maintains its equity, customers receive the service and maintenance they need and the company can be in business for another year. From the big dealerships to small equipment houses, they all do extremely well at watching their day to day costs and making sure that equipment deals pass the fairness test. A real aspect of the industry that is not given as much attention as it may should pertains to their banking and funds acceptance. As with many service industries, many dealers have card not present accounts so that they can take credit cards over the phone or on a jobsite; while they’re also set up at the store with a terminal for parts and other over the counter sales.
While it may seem like a credit card driven industry, most dealers use their own credit lines established through an internal credit department that invoices customers and sets, increases and puts stops on all lines of credit within the company. What if this internal cost could be outsourced by using the customer’s credit cards to complete transactions? Many domestic banks probably won’t jump at the chance to have out low rate credit lines to the equipment and construction industry, but there are many banks and processors offshore and international banks that look outside the box and may be willing to take a risk on credit lines for equipment, sales and rentals of heavy equipment. Merchant service providers are the best direct link to banks that are interested in that type of business. Just like contractors specialize in various skills and disciplines, doing the same thing day in, day out; merchant service providers are highly skilled in linking the right customers with the right banks. If you’re interested in a merchant account for your construction equipment sales, rental and parts business, contact a merchant service provider or find one on the internet.
Interested in saving money on a backhoe or skid steer loader? Sometimes, buying used construction equipment is a smart way to go. Other times, you’d be better off not buying anything at all. Here are a few ways you can make sure you get a good deal on used construction equipment.
Try used construction equipment yourself
We shouldn’t have to say it, but some buyers still make this mistake: don’t buy a piece of used equipment without trying it yourself. Don’t let your interest in a good deal get the better of your common sense. Even if the seller seems trustworthy, even if it’s a brand or model that has a stellar reliability record, even if you take a look at the vehicle and it looks good, there is no substitute for a thorough test drive.
A five minute jaunt around the parking lot isn’t going to cut it, either. Dig, dump, lift, scrape, push – whatever the equipment is supposed to do, put it through its paces.
Look carefully…
Go over the used equipment you’re investigating slowly and carefully. New paint jobs are relatively cheap and can cover up a lot of problems. Look for evidence of rust patching or cover-up – poke suspect areas with a tool to be sure. Check underneath the vehicle for evidence of leaks. Inspect hoses and valves before and after the test drive, so you easily spot fresh leaks.
… but use all your senses
When you’re testing out used construction equipment, don’t go by your eyes alone. Listen to the engine and the hydraulics as you’re testing it out – is the machine straining more than it should? After it’s been running for a while, are there any smells of burning oil or electrical problems? Do the controls feel as responsive as they should?
If possible, buy from established dealers
You’re much more likely to have problems if you buy used construction equipment from individuals or from businesses that don’t focus on construction. Construction equipment dealers have several advantages when it comes to used equipment:
- They have a reputation in the industry, whether selling new or used
- They know that if you’re buying used vehicles now, you’re likely to need new equipment in the future
- They’re better able to inspect and repair any potential problems with the equipment
- They can provide limited warranties – 30 or 60 days – to insure you against any unforeseen problems.