Renting earth moving equipment for construction and other industries is a great solution. Earth moving equipment usually refers to machinery which can move and grade soil or rocks. To accomplish specific earth moving tasks, there is a wide range of machines with specialized designs including backhoe loaders, excavators, skid steer loaders and many more machines. Each type of earth mover is offered in varying sizes. Renting earth moving equipment allows businesses to use the machine designed for specific tasks and suited to the job site.
National Dispatching offers expert advice on all rental equipment for large and small contractors in a broad range of marketplaces. Understanding what is considered earth moving equipment is the first step in helping our clients. Demonstrating some of the unique advantages to a few types of earth moving rental equipment demonstrates how renting with National Dispatching helps contractors work smarter, faster and safer.
Types of Earth Moving Equipment to Rent
Some earth moving is designed to be versatile while other types are highly specialized. The are 7 common types of earth moving equipment:
Wheel loaders appear similar to the design of farm tractors with hydraulic boom arms at the front of the machine. Buckets help lift, transport and spread soil, rocks and other materials.
Backhoe loaders typically feature a front bucket with the addition of a digging attachment at the rear of the tractor. A backhoe loader is very versatile because it is capable of digging earth and moving materials with the front loader.
Trenchers excavate dirt and rocks quickly and precisely.
Motor graders use a moldboard, or blade, for rough or fine grading of earth, rocks and other materials.
Excavators consist of a boom, dipper, bucket and cab on a rotating platform.
Skid steer loaders feature hydraulic lift arms that can attach to material buckets and a wide variety of attachments including earth moving attachments.
Dozer crawlers consist of tracks to move across surfaces with an upright front blade to push materials.
National Dispatching offers equipment rentals on each type of earth moving machine. To determine what type of rental equipment you need, you should consider the scope of your work and the environment of your worksite. In exploring the specific qualities of skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders and excavators, we explain why determining the right equipment rental improves performance, efficiency and safety.
Skid Steer Loaders
The name is derived from how the drivetrain operates. Wheels do not turn on skid steer loaders. The loader turns when speed is increased to the wheels on one side, making the opposite side skid as the machine rotates. This design means a skid steer loader is nimble and compact. The option of four wheels or two tracks adds to the versatility of skid steers. Capable of transporting materials across most terrains, renting skid steer loaders is extremely popular for small contractors and large businesses.
Often skid steer loaders move earth and other materials with a front bucket for digging, grading, transporting and dumping earth and other loose materials. Various attachments can be used on skid steer loaders including:
Augers
Backhoes
Brush Cutters
Buckets
Concrete breakers
Graders
Grapple
Pallet Forks
Rakes
Sweeper
Tillers
Trenchers
And more
Renting skid steers offers versatility to any construction site. The dozens of attachments available to rent means skid steer loaders can perform multiple tasks throughout earth moving projects. Although skid steer loaders come in many sizes and offer multiple attachments, there are earth moving projects that benefit from specialized loaders.
Backhoe Loaders
Renting a backhoe loader is ideal when digging, loading, trenching and backfilling jobs are required. Backhoe loaders include a tractor, front end bucket and rear backhoe. The backhoe consists of a boom arm and bucket-controlled hydraulics. These machines can traverse rough terrain, aid in light demolition and dig with great precision. Backhoes have the added feature of stabilizers to keep the machine stable and provide leverage when excavating materials.
Backhoe rentals are sought after for digging jobs on construction sites, landscaping and other jobs where digging and loading material is required. The versatility of backhoe loaders does limit the range of the boom. For some digging jobs, an excavator is better suited.
Excavators
Excavators do not have a front-end loader. This allows the operating cab and boom to rotate 360 degrees so material can efficiently be moved from one location to another without moving the machine. The weight of excavators is distributed evenly across two tracks. This weight distribution provides stability across many surfaces from hard asphalt to sand. Excavators are often used for projects focusing on demolition and digging.
What Earth Moving Equipment Rental Is Right for Your Job Site?
There are three main factors to consider when choosing earth moving equipment to rent:
The size of the work site determines what machine will fit
Scope of the job informs what type of earth moving equipment is suited to perform efficiently and safely
Mobility considerations include how often equipment needs to move throughout the work site.
National Dispatching is committed to finding the best solutions for every contractor from the smallest project to large-scale construction sites. We can help you determine the ideal earth moving equipment to rent and we will facilitate your needs every step of the way.
