By When choosing whether to buy an item or hire it there are several different considerations to look at. In terms of plant hire or plant sales you are talking about, quite often, expensive projects, expensive equipment, tight deadlines that must be met, and challenging terrains that can complicate matters without any warning. What should you do if you have upcoming contracts and projects where you will require the use of vehicles, heavy machinery and equipment that you will need to acquire from a plant company?
The first thing to do is to consider the overall costs that both plant hire and plant sales will incur to your company. If you have a set budget (which most companies will of course), you can quickly work out the relative costs to each. You will understand the amount of time that has been given for a project to be completed, the type of terrain that is to be worked on and the exact nature of the work. Make a list of all the equipment and machinery that you’ll need, from dumpers to telehandlers and everything in between, as well as the quantities, and the number of contractors required to operate the machinery.
The cost of purchasing machinery is higher than hiring it, this is obvious, and once purchased you own that equipment to use as many times as you wish, in whatever fashion you wish. Depending on the type of work you undertake, it might be a better option to own plant outright, as you know that it will be used significantly and regularly enough to warrant owning it.
What you must consider is that with ownership comes another level of responsibility. You will have to put in place a safety net that ensures that all machinery and equipment you own is in good working order at all times, has been maintained and is safe for all contractors and employees to use without impacting on health and safety procedures. On top of that, if you do suffer a breakdown of equipment during a job, you are guaranteed disruption because it will be down to you to repair and/or replace that machinery quickly, incurring further costs.
When taking on board plant hire services you can ensure that you have the very latest models of machinery and equipment, as well as knowing that everything delivered to you is in peak condition, safe, and ready to be used immediately. Always work with a plant hire company that you know has a track record of success and one that can deliver on your schedule.
Plant hire has a range of benefits, including higher levels of site safety and equipment and machinery use, the latest models, greater efficiency of products, and all round lower costs for those companies that are working on projects that are intensive and varied in style, substance, types of terrain, and difficult locations.
When deciding between plant sales and plant hire services you do have to go with your instinct, understand your company and projects and whether you are better served hiring plant to ensure you are fully covered for all eventualities.
