When hiring excavators, you should be ready to conduct thorough assessments to ensure you hire the right excavator for your site. This can be challenging if you have not rented the equipment previously. This extract proposes some questions to ask your excavator hire company. Hopefully, it will help ease the excavator rental process.
Do You Have An Excavator That Suits The Project?
The rule of thumb when renting excavators is that the equipment you rent should not be too small or large for your site operations. Rental companies can assess the work plans to determine which type and model of excavator suits your site. For instance, a mini excavator would be ideal when digging in tight spaces or inside buildings. On the other hand, a crawler excavator will withstand rugged conditions at the site. The company will also examine the height you intend to dig or lift loads to determine the length of the boom. Besides, the company needs to know what you intend to dig to establish which excavator bucket fits your needs.
Who Caters To The Excavator's Maintenance Costs?
You would want to know whether the rental charges include excavator maintenance fees. In some cases, the rental company will offer a comprehensive package where they fuel the excavator and conduct routine maintenance. However, this significantly increases the rental charges. An alternative would be to fuel the excavator and negotiate for free routine maintenance. If you opt to fuel the equipment, insist on hiring modern excavators with fuel efficiency technologies.
Does The Company Provide Operators?
You can either hire your operator or opt for one employed by the rental company. Each option has its advantages and drawbacks. For instance, if you opt to hire an operator, you can ask them to perform other duties when the excavator is idle. Besides, they can put in extra hours to create a good working relationship. However, you might be liable for repairs if the company argues that the operator's negligence caused a breakdown. Using the company's operator frees you from liability when the excavator breaks down. However, it might be difficult to redeploy the operator since you are not their employer.
How Does Your Pricing Differ From That Of Competitors?
The best way to negotiate the rental charges is to be aware of the competition. Check out quotes from different companies and be aware of any extra charges that could come up. Ensure the rental company adjusts the rental charge when the equipment is idle.
When interviewing an excavator rental company, inquire about the available excavators, maintenance costs, availability of operators and the rental charges.