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Mini excavators are relatively easy to use and maneuver, making excavation equipment rental a viable option for small construction projects and larger ones that require working in confined spaces. But just because these small diggers feature simple controls and compact footprints does not mean that any mini will work for all applications or that operators can skip safety precautions. This handy guide will ensure you rent the correct excavation equipment and use it safely on your project.

What To Consider When Choosing a Mini Excavation Equipment Rental

Consider the scope of work to decide which excavation equipment rental will get the job done, including:

• Depth: Are you digging foot-deep post holes or 8-foot-deep holes? Select a mini excavator with digging depth sufficient for your needs.
• Arm length: Will you be loading excavated dirt into a truck? Or are you lifting rocks into an elevated crusher? Make sure the arm will extend high enough without encountering overhead.
• Tracks and Weight: Rubber tracked mini excavators may be preferable to steel-tracked versions if there are concerns about disturbing landscaping. Heavy-duty steel tracks perform best when digging or removing debris from rugged areas. Balance the bigger machines’ (7- to 10-ton) ruggedness with the nimbleness and maneuverability of smaller models (3 to 4 tons).
• Offset Digging: Offset digging allows the operator to swing the boom away from its base to dig “beside” the tracks rather than in front of them. This feature comes in handy when you need to dig next to a structure or extend a trench.
• Tail Swing: Tail swing refers to how much the excavator’s cab extends over the tracks when the cab is rotated. With zero tail swing, if you can drive the excavator into a space, you can rotate the cab 360 degrees without hitting anything.
• Bucket Size: While the bucket size is generally governed by the weight of the machine, there is room for slight increases and decreases. Smaller buckets can make digging in small spaces easier. Larger buckets can speed up the job. However follow the excavator’s manufacturer guidelines to never exceed recommended lift weight.
• Attachments: Thumbs, augers, breakers, compactors, and other rented attachments make excavation equipment rental even more economical by expanding the machines’ capabilities. Many models also come with dozer blades installed, allowing for easy trench backfilling. Only use manufacturer-approved attachments that are properly installed.

What To Keep in Mind To Safely Operate Your Mini Excavation Equipment Rentals

Improper operation of mini excavators can prove deadly for users and bystanders as well. Follow these individual safety measures:

• Several days before work is scheduled to begin, dial 811 and ask the national Call Before You Dig service to mark the locations of underground utility lines. Do not dig until the lines are identified.
• Thoroughly inspect the site to discover ground-level or overhead conditions that might make using your rented excavation equipment difficult: steep slopes, rain-softened turf, ingress/egress confinements.
• Incautiously raising the bucket arm can damage or hinder the arm’s extension, but power lines create the most critical overhead concern. The excavator operator must be aware of the potential hazard before the job commences.
• Wear a hardhat sturdy, non-skid shoes, and ear and eye protection.
• Use the seatbelt and read all mini excavation equipment rental manufacturer instructions.
• Rent only machines with protective roll-over canopies.
• Consider an enclosed cab if operating in extreme heat or cold.

Mini excavators are smaller than their full-size cousins, but they are not toys. Never allow passengers – either in the cab or in the bucket! Keep onlookers a safe distance away.

Mini but Mighty: Compact Excavators Get the Job Done

The Pro Group carries a full line of mini excavators for rent. Request a Quote or call 1-800-776-0007 to speak with our excavation equipment rental experts for more information on our rental terms and pickup and delivery options.

To work with excavators you must have a permanent Hoisting Engineers License or a Temporary Permit. Click here to learn how to get yours today.

Proper compaction of soil, asphalt, and concrete is perhaps the greatest determinant of a project’s lifespan. When performed properly, compaction adds to load-bearing ability and prevents expansion, contraction, and seepage. Improper compaction can cause potholes, poor drainage, cracked drywall, and worse problems. Selecting the proper compaction equipment is the first step toward making a project foundationally sound.

Several considerations bear on choosing the right kind of compaction equipment.

1. Vibratory compactors “shake” soil particles to reduce friction and allow them to fall into close proximity to one another.
2. Static compactors rely on the machine’s weight to compress soil particles closer together.

Rammers Achieve Compaction in Tight Spaces

Rammers use gasoline or diesel engines to drive the rammer foot down into the soil, delivering around 10 concentrated, high-velocity punches every second to compact the soil in construction footings or other tight spaces, such as backfilling trenches. Balanced slightly forward, to allow the rammer to bounce and advance slightly with each stroke, rammers are also known as Jumping Jacks.

Jumping Jacks have a smaller foot and are often used to compact backfill in narrow trenches for utility work and applications in clay, silt, and other cohesive soils because the rammer’s shearing action pushes out air and water pockets. They generally are ineffective on granular materials.

Plates Compact with Maneuverability

Commonly used to prepare the ground for paving stones, walkways, and other landscaping applications, vibratory plate compactors combine a compact design with the ability to handle sand, gravel, and other granular substrate. They create frequent vibrations – often up to 10 times faster than rammers – harnessing both pressure and vibration to break particles apart, allowing gravity to pull them into a stable position.

Common plate sizes range from 12 to 24 inches, allowing more surface contact than rollers, and their vibratory action propels the machine along, making it maneuverable. They usually are the best choice when the area to be compacted is small enough that it does not require a large walk-behind or ride-on roller. Larger models can work in reverse as well as forward, adding maneuverability, and allowing operation while stationary.

Rollers Quickly and Efficiently Compact Large Areas

When the project requires a large, flat, surface in granular soil, rollers may be the best option. Rollers come in various sizes and weights. Long stretches of roadway call for heavy hitters – ride-on rollers with single or double drums weighing from one to several tons to compact gravel and asphalt bases. Double-barreled walk-behind models can handle most jobs. They use smooth vibrating drums to quickly and efficiently compact and smooth the substrate for parking lots and concrete warehouse slabs. In rough conditions or when working with highly cohesive soil, rollers with padded feet help shear the soil for more thorough compaction.

When space confinements require smaller footprints and a plate compactor is not feasible, a remote-controlled trench roller could be the best choice. These come equipped with padded, or sheepsfoot. Rollers built to effectively compact the clay and other cohesive soils are often found in utility trenches.

Get the Right Compaction Equipment for Your Next Job

The Pro Group carries many of the most popular plate compactors, rammers, and rollers for every size job. Our experts can walk you through the selection process by helping you find the right compaction equipment fit for your job, whether you are looking to buy or rent.

Request a quote or call us today at 1-888-776-0007 to speak with a representative.

With all the snow, sleet, and rain New England gets throughout the year, one of the challenges construction crews must deal with is flooded or wet construction sites. As winter brings snow and ice, spring melts that snow and ice at rates that sometimes leave construction sites flooded. Add to that challenge, construction sites that are built on or near high groundwater tables and you’ve got a strong need for dewatering New England construction sites. Thankfully, site supervisors can rely on supply or rental construction equipment to handle the occasional build up of water on site surfaces.

How Do You Select The Right Pump?

There are a few criteria to use when choosing the right pump for your location.

• Pump size – removal capacities vary among brand lines, so it’s important to match the pump size with the anticipated load. Construction site pumps can run from 1-2kW up to over 10kW. If water extraction is expected to continue for an extended period over a wide surface area, we often recommend renting multiple pumps for distributed removal.
• Flow rate – you want to install a pump that will flush the site of water at the right flow volume. For light flow management, 50-200 gallons per minute is an adequate rate. During heavier extraction, you should select a pump that enables 1000 gallons or higher per minute.
• Location flexibility – when flood areas are located at various site points, having the ability to move a pump to different spots is critical to fast removal. Gas-powered units provide the greatest flexibility. However, electric water pumps with extended cord lengths can be effective as well.
• Waste/Sludge removal – in some cases, sludge, construction materials, and other components must be extracted along with the water. Contractors have options to handle any composition:
  • Drainage pumps – for pumping water with less abrasive solids
  • Sludge pumps – for non-abrasive sediment and sludge removal
  • Slurry pumps – for removing water with abrasive suspended solids like sand, gravel or concrete

Construction Equipment Rental Pumps Right To Your Jobsite

At The Pro Group, we offer a selection of construction equipment rentals including gas/diesel pump and electric submersible pump rentals from leading brands including Wacker, BJM, and Tsurumi. Request a quote today or call us at 1-888-776-0007 to speak with one of our knowledgeable equipment specialists on our stock of dewatering pumps and our on-site construction equipment rental delivery options. We also offer dewatering pumps for purchase.