Crane Buyers & Hirers Guide – Important Things to Look for
Hiring or buying a crane is not a task to be taken lightly. A crane is a large machine that brings with it increased efficiency, reduced manual labour and greater results for your business. Unfortunately, it also comes with a level of danger and risk if not operated and understood properly.
This guide highlights some important things you need to look for when hiring or buying a crane for your business, project, or worksite. By using this guide, you can maximise the benefits, minimise the pitfalls and enjoy the advantages of heavy machinery.
The Crane Company
Not all cranes are created equally and neither are all crane companies. A crane is a significant investment that will most likely act as the ‘Boxer’, backbone, or workhorse on which an entire project rests.
As such, choosing the right company is of vital importance.
Experience and Reputation
Hiring a crane is not a deal to take risks on. You want a company with a proven track record across a broad spectrum of projects. Knowing that a company can guide you to the right machine for your task is highly useful. Check out company reviews as an easy way to begin researching the right company for you.
An experienced crane company will have a reputation. It may require some footwork, but learning the reputation of a crane company will tell you a lot about their adherence to safety and equipment. These two factors are paramount.
Safety
Find out a wide range of safety information, including:
- When the crane was constructed
- Records of ownership
- Records of maintenance
- What safety features and assurances it has
- What safety equipment you need to use with the crane
Equipment
It is important to choose a crane hire company that has a large and diverse fleet. When a company has a wide range of equipment, you’re more likely to find what you need. Using the wrong crane for your job can be disastrous to your safety, your efficiency and your budget.
Knowing What You Will Use the Crane for
As suggested in the point above, you don’t want to take a crane out of its comfort zone. To ensure this doesn’t happen, it is essential that understand exactly what you need a crane for. This may require some foresight, but having a knee-jerk reaction and hiring a crane for one thing and then realising it isn’t suitable for the next thing is a costly and dangerous mistake.
Knowing the Space the Crane will Operate in
If you don’t know the work site intricately before hiring a crane, you may find that the space is not suitable, too tight or has too many blind spots.
Having the ground tested is another important detail. Heavy machinery like a crane requires knowledge of what it is resting on or what its stabilising agents are resting on. Consider things like the strength and slope of the ground.
For the biggest crane hire fleet in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, contact Surf City Cranes.
