Should you buy or rent a crane? It can be a challenge to determine which is right for your company, especially if you're trying to budget carefully. Here's our top reasons to consider crane rental for your next project.

1. Save Money

This is the primary reason companies evaluate whether to buy and rent a crane. For a company that anticipates taking on projects that require a crane for years, buying this piece of equipment might make sense.

For most companies, though, the need for a crane is sporadic at best. Even a company that needs a crane for one or two projects a year is going to save thousands of dollars by renting one on an as-needed basis.

How much does it cost to rent a crane? While it will cost more per day to rent a crane than buy it, you will save costs on maintenance, repairs, training and storage. Renting a crane also eliminates the need to produce a down payment. 

2. Minimize Costs for Crane Service and Insurance

Renting a crane places the burden of insurance costs on the crane services company instead. If you rent the crane, you won't need to pay an insurance premium. If a premium is required, it will only be for the term of the rental.

Using a loaner also means transporting the crane to and from the job site are the responsibility of the rental agency. 

3. "Rent" an Operator

Your business may not have a crane operator on staff.  A crane rental company also offers the opportunity for a business to rent a crane that is expertly operated by a fully-trained operator. You'll save money hiring and training a full-time staff member.

4. Use the Correct Equipment

Renting allows you to use the correct equipment for the particular job. Renting a crane also gives you the ability to rent different machines for different days and jobs, depending your needs. This improves efficiency and reduces extra costs.

5. Increase Job Site Safety

Another significant advantage of using the correct specialized equipment is reduced risk of injury to employees, as well as accidents that can lead to downtime. Also, when the cranes on every job site are enrolled in an automatic maintenance and repair program, there are fewer risks for serious malfunctions and safety violations. 

6. Streamline Repairs and Maintenance

While all heavy equipment requires routine maintenance, the complexity of a crane makes repairs and inspections even more essential. Training an employee to properly maintain and inspect a crane can take months, and creating a new position inflates labor costs. When opting for a rental crane instead of purchasing one outright, you can negotiate an affordable maintenance contract that eliminates an item on your to-do list.

7. Swap Equipment Faster 

The best construction crews offer a flexible approach to projects. If a job suddenly calls for a different type of crane to address a new and unseen challenge, how quickly can you get a new crane on route to the site? You can return and swap rental cranes for a different model as needed, allowing your team to get back to work faster without compromising safety. This is also essential when a crane needs to be removed for repairs. If you own the damaged crane, you'll still need to rent a replacement to fill in until your original equipment returns in duty-ready condition.

Contact us today for more information on any aspect of crane operation, sales, rentals or service. While the decision to loan or own is difficult to make, we can help you find the right crane for your needs and evaluate the cost to rent a crane. At Scott-Macon Equipment, when service matters, we're there.