By Joe Haynes, President of Little Beaver
Providing quality services while maintaining a healthy bottom line will forever be high on a contractor’s priority list.
Renting drilling equipment is one way to maximize productivity and potential while minimizing expenses. For specialty projects and testing the waters on new services, equipment rental can be a cost-efficient option for contractors looking to provide more without over-investing.
There are endless opportunities that rental centres can help a fencing crew tackle. For example, rental centres offer a range of machines and attachments for safe one-person operation. Availability will vary from centre to centre, but contractors can usually find mechanical and hydraulic earth drills as well as mini trenchers in a variety of sizes — perfectly scalable for construction and landscape projects.
Soft soil
Looking for a post-hole auger that is lightweight, high-speed and digs quickly and cleanly? See what the local rental centre has for mechanical earth augers. These compact machines power through sand, silt and loam, creating clean 15-cm to 20-cm diameter holes for applications such as fencing, deck building, landscaping and more.
Digging a post hole takes less than a minute, meaning a crew can accomplish a lot with just a two-day rental. Need to bore under something? With optional horizontal boring attachments, contractors can easily rent the equipment to bore under sidewalks and driveways to install landscape lighting, water systems and much more.
Tough soil
For tougher soils — like clay, rock or frozen ground — a hydraulic earth drill may be the best choice. These machines offer more power than mechanical drills, and some models still allow one-person drilling. With their extra torque, hydraulic earth drills can handle augers up to 40-cm in diameter and can drill depths of up to 9 metres with the right auger. Some also include a reversible feature for quick removal from the ground.
With even more power and potential, towable hydraulic augers have a balanced torque-free design to enhance operator safety when drilling through uneven terrain. These earth augers are ideal for fencing, landscaping, decks, sign installation and recreational applications.
Effortless trenching
Mini trencher machines at your local rental centre are a great solution for digging trenches. With some versions capable of digging a 30-cm-deep trench at speeds of up to 9-metres per minute, they make installing lawn sprinklers, electric dog fencing, low voltage wiring, plumbing and drainage lines and wire cable the work of an afternoon. Silt fencing, landscape edging, root pruning and bed preparation also become faster and less backbreaking.
When rental works
When it comes to one-time projects — those special requests that pop up in conjunction with a current project but aren’t something you’re looking to offer regularly — renting lets crews get the job done without a costly, long-term commitment. Depending on the length of the rental, the team can even knock out several small projects with the same machine, optimizing efficiency. Planning will help ensure a contractor gets the most out of the rental.
Repeatedly renting the same equipment can also be cost-efficient, to a point. It’s a great way for small businesses looking to expand their services to test out different machines and attachments before committing. For equipment contractors that don’t plan on using the machine daily, renting rather than buying saves money since the rental centre takes on the initial cost of the machine and any maintenance needs. However, it’s important to keep in mind there’s a limit to the cost benefits of renting if a crew is frequently using a specific machine.
When used wisely, renting can be a valuable tool for contractors looking to provide more while spending less. The fastest way to assess rental potential is by taking a trip to your local rental centre or talking to the manufacturers who supply their equipment.
