No matter the industry in which you work, you’re always trying to boost productivity, reduce downtime and discover reliable options that will advance your company. But when it comes to your fleet of heavy equipment, is renting or buying the better solution?
In most cases, it depends on your situation and what outcomes you’re searching for. Buying new involves a high upfront cost along with continual maintenance, storage and other obligations. When investing in new equipment isn’t the right choice, renting is a viable possibility for any business.
At MacAllister Rentals, our solutions will help cut costs as we give you access to top-quality and modern machines that won’t break the bank. Our equipment will assist you in running at a more financially stable rate, and we provide serviced and maintained machines that are up to par with optimum operating standards. Our trained technicians ensure safe equipment whether you’re looking to fill gaps in your fleet, replace broken machines or try different technology.
Jump to Sections:
- Specific Problems Solved by Rental Equipment
- Pros of Renting Heavy Equipment From MacAllister
- Common Types of Rental Equipment
- What to Consider Before Renting
Specific Problems Solved by Rental Equipment
The benefits of renting heavy equipment reach far beyond cost-effectiveness. Although renting has always been a possibility, it’s now taking a leap into more popularity as companies are learning the various advantages it lends. From 2013-2014, rentals in heavy equipment increased by 75 percent, as people continued to understand the benefits and potential of boosting company bottom lines.
Here’s what you need to know about common fleet complications and how renting can solve your problems.
1. Avoid the High Initial Cost of Purchasing New Machinery
Similar to many large investments, buying new equipment is expensive and requires a high upfront investment. It can impact your company’s budget, and as a long-term investment, it can tie you down to a specific piece of equipment.
However, when you choose to rent, you avoid the upfront costs, which gives you the opportunity to allocate your finances to other products and services. For example, you can spend money on hiring employees or supplementing other vital operations, such as buying more material.
Renting is also perfect for expanding businesses that haven’t built a sturdy foundation yet. It’s a solution that offers a low fixed cost where you can budget and manage your rental prices depending on what your finances look like each month. If you’re trying to get on your feet as a new and upcoming company, renting heavy equipment can help you lay the groundwork you need to advance in the future.
2. Incur Fewer Repair Costs and Less Maintenance
Owning a machine means you have to keep up with repair costs and regularly scheduled maintenance. It not only takes more money from your pocket but also requires time out of your day. While maintenance and repairs are still vital for rentals, they’re at a lower cost because MacAllister technicians are responsible instead of your technicians. It boils down to more manageable costs regarding time and labor associated with the rental equipment.
You don’t need to worry about ordering spare parts or having them in stock, employing mechanics or obtaining maintenance records either because it’s up to the professionals at MacAllister. Our solutions require upkeep and maintenance to run safe operations at premium levels, but you’re not the one who has to worry about maintaining equipment throughout its entire lifecycle. Renting also eliminates registration, inspection and license costs.
We have a stock of repair parts for when a machine breaks down, so you don’t have to stress about ordering standard parts or waiting on a supplier. Our repair solutions create rapid turnaround and reduce overhead compared to owning equipment.
3. Sidestep Market Fluctuation
Different industry markets continuously fluctuate, making them dynamic and often challenging to keep up with. For instance, the rising or falling costs of machinery and the number of jobs available are never in your control, nor can you predict what will happen. While you can conduct research and refer to professional statistics, it’s difficult to govern when the right moment is to invest in new equipment.
But when you put your money into renting, it gives you a reliable cushion for the unpredictable occurrences such as financial downturns. You don’t have to commit to new equipment because renting gives you flexible options, which makes it easier for your business to handle the rise and fall of the market.
4. Eliminate Depreciation Costs
Over time, your assets lose value because of wear and tear, meaning that when you own equipment, you experience depreciation costs. When you combine the upfront purchase along with the process of reselling and maintaining your machinery as long as possible, it becomes a massive investment. And as the value depreciates, it’s more difficult for you to recover the costs of financing.
With renting, you can eliminate the entire possibility of depreciation. You won’t have to worry about marketing and advertising when trying to sell a machine, and you won’t have to refurbish and dispose of the equipment. MacAllister Rentals maintains the equipment so that it’s up to par with premium operating conditions, and we deal with the rest of the logistics too.
5. Enjoy One-Time Project Rentals
Industries of all types balance several projects at once and sometimes have specific jobs that require a particular piece of machinery not found in their existing fleet. In such a case, equipment rentals for one-time tasks are ideal. This route serves as a better solution compared to forcing other equipment you own to complete the task if that’s not what it’s made for.
If you pressure equipment to perform tasks that the machine can’t handle, it can not only lead to damaged equipment but also cause safety issues for your employees and operators.
Matching equipment to particular jobs helps you complete them quicker, safer and with better results. There’s less collateral damage when you invest in appropriate machines, and it eliminates any delays you may experience if you’re waiting to buy new. You don’t incur costs of transporting machinery to each site to share equipment because each will have the necessary resources. Our rental machines are perfect for specific landscaping projects or larger construction jobs because the right equipment will minimize downtime and increase speed of production.
6. Resolve Storage Issues
If you own a fleet of heavy equipment machines, you know storing each piece can become a significant expense. You must keep your equipment in a safe area when they’re not in use and implement security measures to deter thieves. Ensuring that your assets are not exposed to harsh conditions takes even more resources because your machines will depreciate faster and lessen your return on investment if damaged by sun, rain or other elements.
While warehouse solutions can become expensive, renting doesn’t require you to store your equipment, which saves you time and money. Either you can leave the machines on-site, or your rental partner will pick up your equipment when necessary.
7. Get Away From Transportation Logistics
Renting saves you the effort of transporting machines to each worksite, which can often take up a significant amount of time. The need for transportation can reduce company uptime and hurt the efficiency of your project. If your crew is waiting for resources, it can cause delays and impede progress on specific projects.
Relying on rentals from MacAllister allows you to keep your pieces on-site, so you don’t have to own additional vehicles, equipment or trailers to transport your assets. We will also deliver equipment to your site as opposed to you picking them up at one of our locations. It’s a streamlined process where you don’t have to invest in massive trailers or trucks.
8. Employ for Occasional Use
If you know you’re not going to use your machines every day, it may not be a wise decision to purchase new equipment. However, if you will run your equipment on a daily basis, you will receive a high return on investment and get the most out of your equipment.
Assuming you’re not in need of production or continual use equipment, support equipment is your best alternative. Renting prevents you from having to stock a massive fleet that you don’t require on a steady basis. It’s a waste of money to buy new if you use a machine only several times a month or a few times throughout the year. Rental solutions from MacAllister allow you to buy what you need for the specified amount of time. You won’t be paying for power you don’t require.
9. Find Your Go-To When a Machine Breaks Down
When a machine breaks down on-site, the last thing you want to do is sit around for maintenance and experience downtime by relying on your crew to make fixes. Repairs could take several hours or a few days, and you can’t risk a decrease in uptime and productivity.
A quick rental can get you back to work so that you can remain efficient and replace your damaged equipment. MacAllister Rentals will be on-site within several hours to help you swap out or repair already rented equipment to get you back to work.
10. Experience Flexibility Before Buying New
Are you thinking of buying new equipment but aren’t sure which asset will work best for your jobs? Renting is a viable solution that gives you the freedom to try different makes and models before investing in new machines. You’ll be able to see how it handles on the job site as well as assess operator controls, fuel efficiency and hydraulics. You can often choose to rent-to-own, where some of your renting fees go toward a down payment.
Renting also helps you keep up with market trends, and you can change machines as often as you want, depending on your task specifications. If you’re trying to decide between two pieces, reading information online doesn’t always give you the best idea of what to expect. Renting gives you hands-on experience before making a final heavy equipment decision.
11. Control Your Inventory
Compared to purchasing new machinery, renting different assets doesn’t appear as a liability on your balance sheet. Having rental bills establishes credibility and can help reduce your taxes because rental costs are often expensed. You can minimize finance and insurance costs and also reduce the risk of theft by having control over your rental equipment.
Contractors often rent equipment to demonstrate increased levels of profit as opposed to invested capital, which allows for capital release. You can decrease the size of your permanent fleet too. With less immobilized money, your company can improve cost control, reduce transportation investments and minimize maintenance costs.
12. Supplement Your Existing Fleet During Busy Season
Your “busy season” — whether it be during the summer, winter, fall or spring — can benefit from seasonal equipment rentals from MacAllister. For any industries from agricultural and landscaping businesses to roadwork and construction, we’re here when you need extra support. If you use only specific pieces of equipment for a few weeks or several months during the year, you’ll be happy to know that we offer daily, weekly and monthly plans to suit your business.
Renting the machines you require during prime business boosts productivity and helps you take on more projects at a time. Having different assets on-site enables you to keep up with the demands of your busy season.
13. Complete Projects Far From Your Location
More often than not, companies have an extensive clientele that isn’t always in the same vicinity. Some may cluster together around the same area, but then they have a few projects that take them far from their main site.
Renting is an excellent solution to reduce transportation costs. MacAllister is your local rental agency, and our experts will deliver your equipment to the exact location. Therefore, it leaves you more time to focus on what’s at hand compared to worrying about transportation logistics. Renting allows your crew to arrive at the job site on time and get started without delay.
14. Succeed Even When Other Machines Are Down for Scheduled Maintenance
Rental equipment for scheduled maintenance can turn an otherwise nonproductive workday into an efficient one. Every machine must go through scheduled maintenance, but when you have an appointment on a busy day, renting equipment as a quick backup can solve all your problems.
Our fast solutions can reduce downtime and keep your workers operating at full capacity. Instead of waiting around to receive clearance, you can rent a piece of equipment for several hours or a day to make up for lost work.
15. Take Advantage of Fleet Versatility
Instead of being tied down to the same machines you have in your existing fleet, you can rely on renting to supplement more diversity. You’re never stuck with a single engine, and you can switch between different makes and models based on what your tasks require. Having fleet adaptability allows for more uptime, boosted productivity and a higher level of efficiency.
Pros of Renting Heavy Equipment From MacAllister
Renting may be the best option for your business if you’re just getting off your feet or are a well-established company looking to pour your investments into various operations and assets. While renting is ideal for industries across the board, many also see a benefit in purchasing several new equipment pieces and renting others at the same time. Doing so creates a varied fleet and helps you manage different projects at a time, depending on how often you use each machine.
Renting used to have a bad rap because it was known as the easy way out when you couldn’t afford new. But that’s no longer the case, as rental solutions uphold numerous advantages, whether you need a skid steer loader for a week or a backhoe for several months. Benefits of renting from us include:
- Access to a range of equipment
- Compliance with government regulations and standards
- Connection with the latest equipment that offers improved productivity and more reliability
- A lower initial investment
- Use of modern technology
- Rental solutions with maintenance, insurance and repair costs handled
When you invest in a rental company that has a vast range of equipment available, you know you’ll be receiving comprehensive solutions. At MacAllister Rentals, we offer more than 50 heavy equipment options — even more than what’s listed on our site.
Being compliant with regulations also means we bear the responsibility of making sure each piece of equipment conforms to laws and safety checks before delivery. Routine maintenance is a part of renting from the professionals where we help save you the expense of employing a maintenance and repair staff. We make sure to supply modern technology to support your business in becoming more productive.
Relying on MacAllister also lowers your initial investment compared to dumping your money into new machines. We work with you to finalize the right solution and allotted time to reap you the most benefits. We take care of all the dirty work as well so that you can focus on supporting your customers.
Common Types of Rental Equipment
MacAllister Rentals solutions range from compact to large machines and can support industries covering landscaping, construction and mining to government and demolition. Our extensive inventory includes, but is not limited to, equipment such as aerial lifts, air compressors, cranes, excavators, forklifts, motor graders, trenchers and telehandlers. Track loaders, skid steer loaders and backhoe loaders are also among the most common pieces of equipment to rent.
- Track loaders: Track loaders are versatile to fit into almost any industry, including agriculture, construction, road work and landscaping. They’re excellent for carrying, digging or pushing material and can maneuver in tight spaces. Between 2013 and 2014, track loader rentals increased 925 percent industry-wide.
- Skid steer loaders: Skid steers are one of the most adaptable machines and often have shovel or lift attachments. You can use other specialized attachments for specific jobs and use the loader for wood chipping, tilling, excavating, stump and concrete grinding, pallet moving and grading.
- Backhoe loaders: Backhoes are ideal for rugged terrain and used for excavation, loading, lifting and trenching.
What to Consider Before Renting
If renting sounds like the best option for your business, it’s vital to make a few considerations beforehand, such as:
- Amount of necessary lead time
- Financial stability
- Expected frequency of use of equipment
- Length of time you will need equipment
MacAllister Rentals Can Resolve Any Problem You Face
As you read through the list of common job-site problems and how renting equipment can fix them, you’ll probably find that you’re familiar with a few of them. MacAllister Rentals is an Indiana-based company that rents, sells and services Cat® equipment along with machinery from more than 50 other manufacturers, such as JLG, Pro-Tec and Sullair. We’re a family-owned business with in-depth technical knowledge. We provide first-class service and high-quality equipment, and we strive to surpass the standard vendor relationship.
As such, we create a partnership with each of our clients to ensure we support you before, during and after your rental. Our modern, efficient and reliable fleet of equipment is also affordable and powerful. We verify and maintain each piece to ensure superior levels of operation. Our professionals understand that there are no two identical situations, so we cater to your needs. You have the freedom to choose the make, model, size and power of an engine so that it will fit into your situation.
We also upgrade our fleet of heavy equipment by adding new pieces of machinery that you may need down the line. No matter the situation, renting can sustain your bottom line and keep your clients satisfied.
Reach Out to Us
MacAllister Rentals has many locations throughout Indiana and Michigan for convenient rental solutions. We support businesses in rural and urban areas to accommodate everyone’s needs. Our experts will assist you in making the right decision when it comes to size, power and other features of our heavy-duty equipment. You can also receive a free quote when you speak with a MacAllister representative.
Browse our rental equipment or reach out to us for more information.
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