![5 Heavy Equipment Options to Hire for Your Logging Company [PLUS the Benefits!]](https://techtranche.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-Heavy-Equipment-Options-to-Hire-for-Your-Logging-Company-PLUS-the-Benefits-760x445.jpg)
Running a logging company includes having all the right tools and equipment to do the job properly. If you’re starting a new business as a licensed logger, capital outlay in the initial stages can be challenging. Funding your own heavy equipment can be expensive but you can’t offer professional services without the right gear.
Another option is to consider crane hire whenever your project calls for heavy-duty lifting on site. What other heavy equipment can you hire to provide efficient and safe logging services? Read on to find out!
5 Heavy Equipment You Can Hire for Your Logging Company
1. Cranes
Logging is heavy work and you need the right machinery to lift, haul and transport bulky logs. Cranes are extremely useful here but buying and maintaining this type of heavy machinery is expensive. You’ll need to add a skilled crane operator to your payroll which could stretch your budget when setting up a new business.
Crane hiring companies make it easier for you to pick the right heavy-duty machinery for your forestry project and could include any of the following types:
- Mobile cranes: Excellent for lifting heavy loads
- Franna cranes: For versatility and added performance
- Mini cranes: For urban or compact settings
Crane operators, repairs and maintenance often come with the crane hire contract, letting you focus on providing quality service to your clients.
2. Excavators
Managing a large-scale logging project often requires using an excavator and, similar to cranes, they’re expensive to own and maintain. However, you can hire the right type of excavator for the job if and when you need to without using hard-earned capital to purchase it.
Excavators are versatile and can come with different attachments to perform various forestry tasks efficiently and safely. They can be used to move heavy objects such as tree stumps and rocks, dig holes and level the ground once the trees have been removed.
3. Heavy Motor Graders
A heavy motor grader is a large piece of equipment used to level the ground after an area has been cleared. Often, a logging project requires flattening the surface once trees have been chopped down and the stumps and other debris have been removed.
The heavy motor grader moves along the ground, filling in holes, levelling uneven surfaces and slopes and establishing safe roads for further forestry activity. This piece of equipment is often used to fill in potholes caused by heavy traffic such as logging trucks. Having a motor grader on your fleet isn’t always necessary but hiring it means you can do the job when required.
4. Skidders
Skidders are machines every logger or forester finds useful and hiring them saves you the hassles of repairs and maintenance.
The skidder is used to transport large trees from one site to another for loading onto a logging truck. Skidders come with a heavy-duty grapple for grasping a pile of trees before pulling them to another site.
The name “skidder” refers to its main action which is to grab the trees on one side. As it moves the plant to another location, either end of the tree “skids” along the ground. A forestry skidder is similar to a bulldozer and can have rubber tyres or tracks.
5. Forest Machines
Forest machines are specifically designed for logging companies handling tree-processing tasks. They’re similar to excavators in that they look alike and operate in the same way. However, they have specific attachments designed to make forestry work more efficient, particularly when harvesting trees.:
- Felling heads: These grab trees and cut them down low before turning to stack them for sawing.
- Grapples: Used to grab bundles of fallen trees before moving them to another site.
- Harvest heads: Specialised attachments for trimming branches and stems from fallen trees. The trees are fed through a piece of equipment that rolls them through while delimbing them in the process.
Benefits of Hiring Equipment
The benefits of hiring heavy equipment for your logging business include:
- Reduced repairs and maintenance costs: Hiring companies normally cover this aspect.
- No need to employ a permanent heavy machinery operator: Trained and licensed operators are often provided as part of the hire contract. This reduces your payroll costs as well.
- Prevents buying unnecessary heavy equipment: Some equipment is only used occasionally, so rather hire when the project requires it.
- Customer support and advice: Reputable hiring companies have experts who can support and advise you when determining the right heavy machinery for your logging project.
- Access to the latest technology: A wide range of heavy machinery that’s equipped with the latest technology means you get access to top-quality equipment.
- Traffic management: A hiring company can take on traffic management responsibilities when moving large heavy-duty machinery from one site to another.
If you don’t want to own a fleet of forestry heavy-duty vehicles, hiring is your best option.
Final Thoughts
Hiring heavy equipment for your logging company is simpler and more efficient especially when you partner with a reputable company. Whether it’s franna crane hire or any other heavy machinery you need, rest assured it’s often the best move for your logging company!
