Guide to Using Your Backhoe Loader Rental

A backhoe is one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll ever own if you work in the construction field. Backhoe loaders, also known as a dump truck in layman’s terms, are huge piece of equipment used to excavate large areas of dirt or earth. The excavating process can take place in any type of environment – such as a home basement, an open field, or even a busy construction site.

If you’ve been working in one of these environments long enough, you probably know just how valuable backhoe loaders are to your everyday operations. But what exactly are backhoe loaders?

Bucket or Tractor-Style

Basically, backhoe loaders are modern-day heavy construction equipment vehicles that are used to perform various tasks. A backhoe loader consists of a bucket or tractor-style unit attached to the back with a bucket-like attachment on the front. This bucket can be used to scoop earth and rocks, or it can be used to pump water or even to clear land for cultivation. A backhoe loader has a hydraulic system that drives the bucket forward and has a gearbox that allows the loader to either lower the bucket by hand or rotate the bucket 90 degrees. The operating mechanism of the backhoe loader is very simple; aside from a couple of buckets, the backhoe also has a hoist, a clutch, and a drive shaft. Additionally, this construction equipment has several other parts and attachments, which you may see listed below.

Demolition Tasks

One of the most common uses of backhoes is to move large, heavy loads. For instance, construction companies often use backhoes to perform various demolition tasks, such as tearing down buildings, flattening landscapes, and grading the ground. Construction projects often require large amounts of cement, soil, rocks, gravel, and sand to be moved from one location to another. Backhoes are perfect for performing these tasks because they have a relatively large capacity for moving loads (they can carry up to 600 pounds [more than double the weight of most truck cars]). By using a hydraulic system, the backhoe bucket can move over rough terrain and can also dig into the earth to install pipes, wiring, and other underground constructions.

Drilling Operations

Another job for which backhoes are often used is to perform drilling operations. Drilling holes for pipelines, electrical cables, and other underground constructions are made with heavy equipment because it poses many risks to the worker. Therefore, backhoes are perfect for digging these types of holes because they can make turns at high speeds, allowing the backhoe operator to quickly turn the bucket around to reach areas that need more digging.

Renting Backhoe Loaders

Because backhoes are so popular with construction companies, it is not surprising that a large number of them are available for rent. The cost of renting a backhoe loader may be cheaper than purchasing one since you do not have to spend too much money on buying supplies for it. However, the cost of renting backhoe loaders is still relatively expensive compared to purchasing. Before you decide to hire a backhoe loader or to buy one, you need to consider the pros and cons of the construction equipment you are going to purchase or the equipment you are going to rent.

In the case that you think that backhoe loader are perfect for the jobs you have at hand, you should ask your contractor whether you can loan them to you. Most contractors will allow you to borrow backhoe loaders for a certain period of time. If you find that you still need to purchase heavy equipment in the future, you can always ask your contractor to allow you to keep your present backhoe loader until you are ready to purchase it again. In any case, if you do not want to spend too much money on heavy equipment and would like to save time, you should consider renting backhoe loaders.