Do You Really Need a Bigger Machine?
Claiming you need a bigger machine is one of those easy arguments to make.
It took forever to get the job done last time.
The machine just can’t handle the job.
Bigger is better.
More horsepower, more lifting capability, a bigger bucket so you can do more with each pass.
But it also brings problems of its own. I also think more about what it can do for me that I couldn’t do before with the machine I have.
Start With the Work
I start by thinking about the work.
What work does my machine need to do that a bigger machine would help me with?
Not just in general, but specifically.
Maybe my machine’s lifting abilities or reach are too short, or maybe I have to take multiple passes with a smaller bucket than I would like.
These are all issues where getting a bigger machine makes sense. But not necessarily as a default option.
Let’s say for example, that a skid steer is moving some gravel for you, and your current machine can handle it. You have to make multiple passes with a smaller bucket than you’d like.
Getting a bigger skid steer would reduce the number of passes you have to make. But how often do you find yourself doing the job?
If it’s a weekly thing, it makes more sense to invest in a bigger machine than if it were a one-time thing you did last year.
Ask Yourself How Much Bigger You May Need to Go
Another thing I would ask myself is if there is a big difference between one size and the next. I’m talking about lifting capabilities and reach, working weight, size of the bucket, width, and attachments.
Think about how big a machine you need to do the job, rather than how much the big machine can do if the smaller one can handle your needs just fine.
What About an Attachment?
This leads me into my next point, which is thinking about attachments.
This mostly pertains to skid steers, but the same could be said for any machine.
A bigger bucket isn’t always the answer.
Depending on the task at hand, a grapple may be needed to gather up brush and other materials, or maybe pallet forks are needed to lift certain things.
An auger or a broom or a breaker may be needed to break up pavement or other materials, or clean up the work site. Sometimes the machine you have may be able to handle the job. You just aren’t getting the right attachment for the job or the amount of work it has to do.
Attachments can also vary greatly in their requirements for the host machine.
The weight, hydraulic requirements, type of mounting, and other things may vary between attachments and require different things from the machine.
Will You Actually Use the Extra Capacity?
I like to look at the last year or so and gauge my needs over the next five years if I’m looking to buy a new machine or upgrade, or just looking at needs.
If there is a pattern, it can help, just don’t get too caught up in the ideas that only happened once or twice.
You may also have seasonal equipment, like snow removal. While you may use it a lot over the course of a few months, you have it sitting for the other nine.
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It’s all about the amount of use, and if it’s worth it to you.
Think About Jobs That a Larger Machine Would Get in the Way Of
Bigger machines can do bigger jobs, but they can also get in the way of smaller jobs.
Larger machines also take up more room, both where they can work and where they can be stored. They may not be able to work in as many places a smaller machine could.
They may have to work around buildings or things like fences.
It may be harder to get them around in smaller worksites. It may take more time to get into position for a job that a smaller machine could get into much faster.
Bigger isn’t always better.
What Will the Bigger Machine Cost You?
The cost of the bigger machine may not be as simple as just the purchase price, either.
The bigger machine may cost more in fuel, or have more expensive tires and maintenance and repairs, and/or may cost more to insure.
I much prefer knowing how much it costs to own a machine rather than things on paper at the dealership.
Can You Move and Store It?
I also have to think about being able to move and store the bigger machine before I even think about getting it.
Gates, shop doors, or trailers may not handle the increase in size.
The bigger machine may also add weight that may mean a bigger trailer or a beefier hitch, and the time to load and unload it can add up.
Then there’s storage space.
The machine itself takes up one amount of space, but with attachments, including things like buckets, pallet forks, and grapples, you need much more room.
You may have room on the floor, but with other machines you have stored, you may not be able to get the bigger machine in or out.
Are You Buying for Today’s Work or Tomorrow’s?
Thinking about expansion and bigger jobs in the future is always a good idea, and sometimes you just aren’t ready for the next step, in terms of machines.
Larger jobs may be coming your way, or maybe customers you work for are asking for things you can’t do with the machine you have.
The reality is that I want to think about jobs that I actually know are coming, rather than just hope that they come.
I’m not against buying for the future. I also don’t want to buy a bigger machine that only does a few jobs a year because it’s sitting there waiting to earn its keep.
The jobs I do can change, too.
Run the Numbers
Once you’ve decided what you need the machine to do, it’s time to think about the cost.
Think about the purchase price, then the cost of fuel, maintenance, and repairs, and the cost of keeping it. Think about the amount of use you’ll get out of it, and the time it saves you, and what the machine would be worth when you sell it.
When the bigger machine is going to cost you $60,000, it’s good to think about how much you’re spending on rentals for the jobs your current machine can’t do, or the time it’s costing you because of the smaller machine.
Now you have something to work with.
Think about that in addition to whatever else you have to spend on the bigger equipment. You’ll see the numbers more clearly than just the $60,000 machine versus the cost for a day’s rental.
Maybe it’s a good deal, or maybe most of what you need it for can be replaced with an attachment, or maybe it makes more sense to rent a bigger machine when you need it.
I start my thought process on bigger machines with the work.
I think about what my current machine struggles with, and how often I’ll need to use it. Then I think about the amount of machines I need to get the job done.
