Starting your own construction company can be a great way to make a career for yourself. However, you’ll constantly be met with various decisions to make like who are you going to hire and what projects to take on. One of the most crucial decisions you are going to have to make early on is what construction equipment are you going to purchase. Take these factors into consideration to ensure that you purchase the right construction equipment.
Used or New
If you’re a first-time business owner, you might be thinking that it would be best to purchase all of your equipment new. However, purchasing used equipment can ensure that you save a lot of money that can be used to hire employees. To purchase used equipment, you’ll want to first look at the fluid levels of the equipment you’re considering buying. Fluids that are dirty or low can often be a sign that the original owner didn’t take care of the equipment very well, meaning that you might have to deal with repairing that equipment in the near future. You’ll also want to check the accuracy of the equipment you are buying like if the equipment has scales attached. This is most crucial as inaccurate scales can cause issues that wreck a project and your future reputation. Looking out for these factors and comparing prices will be the best way in choosing if you should purchase used or new equipment.
Usage
Having a whole fleet of equipment you can use at any time can seem very convenient when you’re working on a bunch of projects at once. However, it can also be very costly to purchase that equipment first and have to deal with regular maintenance. To consider if you should purchase the equipment at all first, think if that equipment will be necessary for the type of projects you are doing. In the case that you’ll need equipment but not that often, you could look into simply renting equipment from companies like Sunbelt or United as you won’t have to deal with maintenance costs once you are done using that equipment. Just make sure that you always consider how much you are going to use your construction equipment before you purchase it.
Quality
Since construction equipment should end up lasting you a long time, you should know if the equipment you are purchasing is high-quality or not. To find high-quality equipment, talk to others who use that equipment regularly. This could mean talking to a family member who works in construction or another construction company. If you can’t find anything out from them, look into online reviews from many different sources like YouTube videos and retailer websites. It’s always crucial that you ensure the quality of your equipment when you want to save money and protect your employees.
Safety
Speaking of protecting your employees, you’re going to want to make sure the equipment you’re using is safe. This means finding equipment that has traditional safety measures like seatbelts combined with more specific measures like sensors. Without going for the safest equipment possible, you could end up injuring or killing an employee which can cause you legal trouble. To ensure that you purchase safe equipment, look online and see if any reputable safety organizations have endorsed the equipment you are thinking of purchasing. You’ll also want to search around if you can find any lawsuits having to do with that equipment and if the cases were ruled against the equipment manufacturer or those that purchased that equipment. Always make sure that your employees are safe with the equipment you end up purchasing.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you should be able to make the right decision when purchasing your construction equipment. Make sure that you follow each step correctly and don’t feel afraid to return any equipment that has you second-guessing later. In the end, you should make a great leader of a construction company by getting the right equipment.
