If you are someone who works in construction, you are surely quite familiar with the image of an assembly of cranes at a construction project. As one of the most noticeable pieces of equipment on any construction site, cranes are at the heart and soul of many building projects. They are necessary for transporting materials and moving things up and down, as well as a variety of other purposes.
Tower cranes are found on most building sites due to their incredible versatility and ability to lift an abundant amount of construction equipment and building supplies. Stationary when assembled, a tower crane’s versatility means that it is used in civil infrastructure, urban or rural building projects, and high-rise commercial and residential structures.
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With cranes being some of the most expensive pieces of equipment on a building site, many construction firms are unsure about whether they should hire one or purchase their own. Your available budget and the frequency with which you need a crane may point you in the direction of hiring a crane if it makes more business sense. On the other hand, if you are finding that it is a fundamental part of your business, then it may be time to seriously consider purchasing your own.
To help you with this decision, here are three reasons your business should invest in a used tower crane.
1. The incredible cost efficiency
Unquestionably, the main reason your business should look into buying a used tower crane is that of its price. Purchasing a used tower crane can save your firm a significant amount of money when comparing the cost of purchasing a new crane or even hiring repeatedly for several years; however, you will still benefit from the substantial economic advantage that comes from bolstering your fleet with another crane.
In fact, the savings on a single used crane can undoubtedly amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, when compared to new equipment purchase.
Frequently, cranes that are categorized as “used” may actually have only endured a minimal amount of wear and have just a couple of years in the service record. When buying a used tower crane, keep in mind that you can uncover excellent deals on cranes that are five to 10 years old.
Ideally, look for a used crane that has been completely refurbished after being stripped down to the base parts, such as the motors, and then entirely rebuilt to new.
Also, keep in mind that (if you want to) you may be able to sell the crane back at a later date as well-maintained cranes do not depreciate profoundly after the initial value drop. Generally, it is accepted that most cranes will only decrease in value after passing distinct age brackets (such as 10 or 15 years) or after the release of a brand-new model.
After purchasing your used tower crane, make sure to perform regular maintenance on it and keep a detailed record of services and repairs. This way, you can be assured that you will gain back a lot of your capital expenditure if you decide to sell.
2. The full control
For firms that opt to purchase their own tower cranes, one of the most important benefits is the full control they can have over their personal, high-quality, reliable lifting equipment.
For example, if you are depending on hiring cranes to do particular projects, then you may find that you are running into issues such as the cranes being hired by another company at the time you require them, or unfortunate delays in the delivery of the equipment to your construction site.
Unfortunately, these issues are out of your control and will create delays in your project’s timetable.
However, if you have your own collection of cranes (or even just one), these problems instantly become a concern of the past. You have full control over where your cranes go and when they are in use. This allows you to generate the most beneficial schedule for both your team and the cranes. And this, in turn, translates to more efficient projects.
3. Your operators’ newfound expertise with handling the machinery
In addition to having full control over the schedule of your machinery, you will also be able to sleep better at night knowing that your operators are becoming experts with the equipment they are continually working with. This won’t be the case if you are frequently renting machinery because you can never guarantee that your operators are handling the same pieces or types of equipment each time.
If your firm already hires crane operators, then you want to speak with them about their knowledge of particular equipment and try to find used tower cranes for sale that relate to their experience. Luckily, because you are buying a used tower crane (and therefore a style that has been on the market previously), you are likely to find a design which your operators have previous experience with. This isn’t the case when purchasing a new, fresh design.
Even if there needs to be some time and resources invested in educating operators on the new equipment, you can be assured that you would only need to do it once because then the tower crane is theirs to continue to use and learn from.
In the future, if you decide to hire more people, then these original operators will be able to teach the next generation how it is done.
The importance of reputable dealers
when looking to purchase a used tower crane, it is crucial that you work with an authorized, reputable dealer of equipment by top manufacturers that have been in this line of work for a long time. Also, you want to ensure that they pride themselves in offering quality parts and service, and have a wide array of inventory for you to consider.
If you do decide to purchase a used tower crane, you and the other members of your team need to commit to proper maintenance and service of the machinery as a well-maintained crane can last over 20 years.
Does your firm own your own cranes or do you continue to rent them for projects? Have you considered purchasing a used tower crane? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!
AUTHOR BIO
Hermann Buchberger is the Founder and CEO of Active Crane Hire (ACH). He’s taken the company from start-up to Industry Leader offering the largest fleet of construction cranes in Australia. ACH launched a new type of crane previously unheard of in the Australian market: electric tower cranes. The company’s infrastructure and associated services now comprise a fleet of trucks and trailers, a crane-rigging team, mobile crane technicians, a fleet of service vehicles, and an extensive range of crane spare parts.
