1. Get your machines immediately
When buying new equipment, lead times vary but can be significant, especially for larger machines. rental companies offer much faster delivery of stock, which is useful when you’re starting a project or need extra machines for a peak period. With a rental machine, you only pay for hours worked.

2. Don’t worry about manpower
With rental companies able to supply skilled operators, this can be a big advantage if you’re not looking to use a machine long-term and don’t want to go to the trouble of recruiting a skilled operator. Renting can also be a solution for companies which aren’t yet in a position to hire large numbers of new operators while complying with labour localisation laws.

3. No maintenance requirements
Since rental companies pay for breakdowns, machines normally arrive at your site well-maintained and ready to work the required hours. This takes the pressure off your maintenance team, allowing them to keep on top of servicing your existing fleet, or work on time-intensive jobs such as machine overhauls or rehabilitation.

4. Equipment doesn’t age between jobs
Once a job is completed, your machines may sit idle in your yard until your next project starts, either taking up warehousing space or weathering. Over time, this can lead to reduced value, through dust or sand entering into the hydraulic fluids, or wear and tear of other components.

5. Peak shaving
Peak shaving is one of the best-known and smartest uses of rental equipment. Extra machines are rented during peak project periods, allowing contractors to complete jobs well within time without having to invest in permanently maintaining a larger fleet. If you’re not short of machines during the peak periods of your projects, before drawing on rentals or other short-term options, then your fleet is probably too big.

6. Preserve cashflow
If you’re looking to preserve cashflow, renting machines costs far less upfront and can be paid for as the job progresses. If you’re worried there may be a gap between completion of your current project and the start of the next project, during which a machine you bought would have to work to pay for itself, then renting allows you to plan your fleet and your payments around the availability of work.

7. Try before you buy
If you have your eye on a certain new machine model, your local dealer may be able to rent it to you. This gives you an idea of how the machine would perform in your fleet. You may also be able to negotiate a rent-to-own contract, or buy the equipment as used once the job or rental contract is over.

8. Get newer equipment
Rental companies can supply brand-new equipment for improved performance on your job-site. Newer machines may have specific capabilities lacking in your fleet, such as an operator cab equipped with air conditioning and a rear-view camera, or on-board measuring devices on machines such as rollers.

9. Equipment to suit the terrain
If you’re undertaking a job that’s outside your ordinary working zone, or in unique terrain that you’re not likely to encounter frequently, renting equipment allows you to overcome ground issues without having to invest heavily in new equipment. If you’re building a road through tough terrain and blasting, articulated haulers can be rented to help clear the spoil. Wheeled excavators can also come in handy for job-sites on hilly terrain or infrastructure projects entailing long travel distances.

10. Watch your machine productivity
While some contractors may have equipment standing idle, this is far less likely with rental equipment, when you can calculate the day cost of a machine. Using a rental machine will make you more conscientious about what a machine is really costing you, and ensure that you’re maximising its production hours while it’s on your site.