When it comes to a need for having pile driving equipment on your Jobsite, the first question you need to consider is whether you should purchase the equipment or rent it.
There are several factors to consider that can help you make the decision:
- Frequency How often throughout any given year will you be using the equipment? If you’re going to be using it frequently and on several different jobs, it may be most cost-effective to buy.
If you only need a pile drive for a one-off job or you may only need to drive (or excavate) piles a couple of times in a year’s span, the best option may be to rent.
- Costs There are other costs to equipment other than the purchase or rental price. For example, you’ll need to store and maintain the equipment.
If you do not have an excavator or crane to operate the pile driver, you’ll need to purchase or rent that as well. And if that’s the case, you’ll probably need to hire a skilled rigger and equipment operator when the pile driver is in use.
- Piles Another consideration is the type of soils you’ll be driving piles into and if you’ll be driving straight steel, timber, or precast concrete piles or pipe versus sinking a caisson or driving steel sheets.
For driving piles into rock or you may need a diesel-powered impact driver. For sandy conditions or when sinking things other than straight piles, a vibratory hammer might be a better choice. Vibratory hammers are also a better choice in most cases if you’ll be working near other building foundations because the vibration pattern can be targeted to not disturb areas outside of your pile driving zone.
If you’re not sure what kind of soils you’ll be working with on various job sites, it might be a better option to rent, so you won’t need to purchase a variety of pile driver types.
- Connectors There are different kinds of connectors available for the various vehicles that can operate pile drivers, especially if you’ll be using a vibratory hammer with your excavator.
You’ll need to make sure that the connectors and the equipment all match and can work efficiently together.
- Vibratory Dampeners Vibrations from pile driving equipment can put a lot of wear and tear on the vehicle supporting it, as well as the operator within the vehicle.
Buying or renting, you want to make sure that the equipment you’re using comes with dampeners that provide exceptional protection for your equipment and people, while still doing a stellar job at driving your piles.
One other thing to think about in the buying or renting decision-making process is what will happen if your pile driver needs repair. Obviously, pile drivers are built to take a beating and will provide years of quality service when purchased new, assuming the equipment is well cared for and maintained.
But if something does happen that takes your pile driver out of service, do you have a qualified technician who can quickly fix the problem for you, or will you be dead in the water until a service professional is available?
If you need help in making the decision, or if you’re ready to move forward now, contact HPSI for all your pile driving equipment rental or sales needs in Kansas City.
We have a full portfolio of equipment for sale or rent and can provide our expert knowledge of pile driving equipment and hydraulic power systems to make sure you have exactly what you need.
We also offer custom lead systems to make your pile driving as efficient and precise as possible.
Hydraulic Powers Systems Inc. has been an American tradition since 1980. We’re headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri but our products are well-known all across the globe. If we don’t currently have what you need, we can custom design equipment based on your specifications.
Find out why we’re unrivaled when it comes to customer service.
Give us a call at 816-221-4774, or complete our General Inquiry and Support Request Form and one of our associates will contact you shortly to provide you with the best pile driving equipment sales or rentals in the business at very competitive pricing.
