When the ancient Egyptians looked at an empty patch of desert and thought, ‘this place needs a few more pyramids’, all they had available to make it happen were log rollers, ropes and a whole lot of manpower. Things really didn’t change that much until somewhere in the medieval period when someone stuck a wheel on a bucket and invented the wheelbarrow. These days though, it is a different story; the technology of building and construction has developed massively in the last few decades and now no one in the building trade would dream of approaching a project without the aid of a few modern tools to take the weight. Diggers, cement mixers, cranes, dump trucks, pneumatic drills, power saws and crushers are all essential tools on almost any building site. Unfortunately, though, these items are not cheap; from insurance, to fuel, to up to date training, the outlay on heavy plant items can be crippling, especially for small trades or specialists. Because of this, the genius notion of ‘plant hire’ was invented.
Without a doubt, plant hire is a key part of the British building trade today. Plant hire simply means a service where a tradesperson or builder can hire tools, machinery or other site equipment from a provider. Plant hire is a common way of getting access to important tools and machinery that it would not otherwise be cost effective to own. Every tradesperson has tools they use day in and day out, a carpenter has his spirit level, and a brickie has his trowel, but every worker also has a few tools in their bag that they only use on rare occasions; but when they need it, they really need it! That is all very well and good when it comes to a screwdriver or left-handed saw, but it’s a little different if that special tool is a ten-foot tall, tracked excavator with breaker arm. When it comes to considering whether to buy an item of equipment or use plant hire, it’s important to run the numbers for your business. The general rule is, if you don’t need an item for more that 65% of your work, plant hire is going to be more cost effective.
The West of Scotland, Galloway and Central Scotland are stunning areas of natural beauty with many miles of rugged countryside that bring unique challenges to plant hire. Small roads, unexpected weather and difficult terrain will almost certainly add to the complexity of plant hire for projects, especially those off the beaten track. Only local plant hire specialists will have the skill and knowledge to provide plant hire suitable to the specific needs of the area and task at hand. The best local plant hire specialists for demolition and site clearance are J B Black Ltd, who are based in Ayrshire. They have been providing plant hire across the region since 1958 and are able to provide a range of top quality plant hire services to fill your site needs.
