The U.S. is home to almost 200,000 miles worth of liquid petroleum pipelines. There are also lots of other types of pipelines running throughout the country.
And this only accounts for the pipelines in America. Most countries throughout the world have at least some pipelines scattered throughout them.
With this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to hear that there is a big demand for pipelayers. Pipelayers are heavy-duty machines that are designed to help pipeline contractors do their jobs.
Are you a pipeline contractor who is in the market for a pipelayer? If you are, it’ll be important for you to purchase the right pipelayer. It’ll make it possible for you to make the most of your machine once you begin using it on your job sites.
Here are 12 tips on buying pipelayers that will enable you to pick out the right one.
1. Purchasing Pipelayers
Are you a full-time pipeline contractor who spends all your days working on pipelines? Or does your company occasionally work on pipelines every so often?
Either way, you can get your hands on the pipelayer that you need. But if you fall into the first category, it might make more sense to buy a pipelayer. If you fall into the second one, renting a pipelayer might be more your speed.
Spend some time thinking about which side of the fence you fall on. It should help you inch your way closer to deciding whether you will ultimately want to buy or rent a pipelayer.
2. New or Used?
If you put some thought into it and decide that you would like to buy a pipelayer, that’s great. But the decisions won’t stop there. You’ll also need to figure out if you want to purchase a new or used pipelayer.
If you know that you’re going to use a pipelayer for many years to come, buying a new one might be your best option. You’ll be able to get your money’s worth when utilizing a new pipelayer early and often.
But buying a new pipelayer is going to be more expensive than investing in a used one. So you might also want to consider purchasing a used pipelayer if you’re on a tight budget.
Whatever the case, you should weigh all the pros and cons associated with buying a new pipelayer versus a used one. It’ll put you in a better position to choose one option over the other.
3. Find the Best Pipelayer Manufacturers
Regardless of whether you’re going to buy a new or used pipelayer, you should do your homework on the different pipelayer manufacturers and go with one that you know you can trust.
Superior Manufacturing is a wonderful example of a pipelayer manufacturer that you can count on to provide you with high-quality equipment. They’ve earned a reputation for supplying pipeline contractors with some of the best pipelayers in the business.
You’ll know that your pipelayer can handle whatever you might throw at it when you own one of the Superior pipelayers. You’ll have complete confidence in its ability to check all the boxes for you.
4. Look For A Trusted Pipeline Equipment Provider
The heavy equipment industry is projected to be worth upwards of $200 billion soon. Because of this, there is no shortage of dealers that specialize in selling heavy equipment. You can find them in every state and every country throughout the world.
When you need to buy a pipelayer, you might be tempted to Google “heavy equipment dealer near me” and pick out the first company you can find. But it would be well worth spending some more time researching different dealers so that you can make sure you land on the right one.
The heavy equipment dealer that you choose should have a ton of experience within the industry. They should also have a large selection of different types of heavy equipment made by the most reputable manufacturers around.
5. Consider Job Intensity & Pipelayer Strength
Once you find the right dealer to provide you with a pipelayer, you should spend some time sifting through the different options that they sell. One thing you’ll notice right away is that each of their options will vary when it comes to lifting capacity.
You will, therefore, need to put some thought into what size pipe, length, and wall thickness you are working with. . There are some pipelayers that will be perfect for large-scale jobs and others that will only be cut out for smaller pipeline projects.
Generally speaking, the more capacity a pipelayer has, the more it’s likely going to cost you. So you should be adamant about only getting your hands on a pipelayer that’s going to meet your specific needs and not one that will do more than you need it to.
6. Comparing The Cost Of Different Pipelayers
Another thing that you’re going to notice as you shop for pipelayers is that they’ll be available at a variety of different price points. Some used pipelayers will cost less than $100,000, while others may cost more than $500,000.
This should motivate you to shop around for a pipelayer that you can afford. You should go into the process of purchasing a pipelayer with a budget in mind, and you should use your budget to keep you on the right track as you prepare to buy a pipelayer.
You might want to go as far as to let your dealer know what kind of a budget you’re working with. It’ll help them to narrow down the different options that you’ll have so that you can focus on buying a pipelayer you can afford.
7. Pick The Right Attachments and Accessories
There will be a bunch of different pipelayer attachments that you can buy to go along with the pipelayer that you’ll be purchasing. It would be a good idea to shop around so that you can see which attachments might be available to you.
Some of the best examples of pipelayer attachments include:
- Dozer blades
- Booms
- Cabs
- Winches
- Bending Shoes
- Rolli-Cradles
You don’t have to buy any pipelayer attachments if you don’t want to. But you will be able to use a pipelayer to its full potential by purchasing as many attachments as you can for it. Having the right attachments and accessories for your pipelayer will make your machine more productive.
8. Avoid Overpaying
Although most dealers will offer it from the start, It’s always a good idea to ask your dealer about possible leasing or RPO options. After all, purchasing any piece of heavy equipment is a huge investment. Knowing what acquisition options are available to you can help you make a better decision. RPO options can be great for paying down the cost of your pipelayer by applying rent to the purchase price.
Additionally, don’t be shy about asking dealers about warranties on their pipelayers. Reputable heavy equipment dealers should stand behind their new equipment by including some kind of a warranty on them.
Warranties prevent you from having to shell out a lot of money if something goes wrong with it within the first year or two.
9. Ask About Preventative Maintenance & Repairs
As long as you’ve purchased equipment from a trusted dealer, new pipelayers shouldn’t need any significant maintenance right off the delivery truck. However, it’s important to note that your equipment will require some level of servicing or repair over time.
Infact, scheduling preventive maintenance is one of the most important aspects of maintaining an effective and safe piece of equipment. Although this can seem like an inconvenience (i.e planning around jobs) doing so could save your company a fortune in the long run.
Equipment failure is often a consequence of failing to schedule preventive maintenance. This leads to unexpected downtime that can cost companies anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars every day they’re out of service.
It’s also a good idea to learn about some of the basics of pipelayer maintenance so that you’re prepared to spring into action as soon as you buy a pipelayer.
You should speak with your dealer to see what kinds of repairs have to be made to certain types of pipelayers most often. You’ll be ready to tackle these repairs when you’re ready for them and know that they’re coming down the pipeline.
10. See to It That You’re Properly Certified to Use Pipelayers
Some job sites and companies you work for can require you and your operators to have a certification. This goes for pipelayers as well as all the other types of heavy equipment that we sell and offer up for rent.
If you already own at least one pipelayer that you use on a regular basis, you may have your pipelayer certification. But if you don’t have this certification, it’s going to be something you’ll want to secure prior to purchasing a pipelayer.
The good news is that you can take pipelayer certification courses online nowadays in no time at all. But you will need to keep your certification current and renew it from time to time.
The last thing that you want to do is go through the trouble of investing in a great pipelayer only to find that you can’t start using it until your operators are certified. You should work on getting your pipelayer certification ASAP so that you have it ready to go when the time comes.
11. Ask How Long It’ll Take to Have a Pipelayer Sent to You
If you just so happen to buy a pipelayer from a dealer located in your own community, you should be able to have it sent your way in a hurry. But if you purchase a pipelayer from a company situated in another part of your state or even another part of the country, it might be a different story.
In this case, you’ll want to ask a dealer how long it would theoretically take them to ship a pipelayer to you. You should also inquire as to what the costs will be when it comes to shipping a pipelayer to you, depending on where your company is located.
Most of the best dealers won’t have any issues working out a shipping arrangement that will work with your schedule. The very best ones will even ship pipelayers internationally if you would like.
But you shouldn’t ever just assume that a dealer is going to be able to get a pipelayer to you without a problem. Not all dealers are going to be able to handle the logistical aspect of transporting a pipelayer from point A to point B.
Interested in Buying a Pipelayer? Contact Worldwide Machinery Today!
If you’ve decided to buy a pipelayer, you should use all the tips listed here to land on the right one. You’ll want to begin by looking for a great dealer that can make the process of buying a pipelayer easy.
Pipeline contractors all over the world rely on Worldwide Machinery for top quality equipment, service, and parts. We can provide you with the perfect pipelayer for a fantastic price and help you get your hands on it fast. We invite you to take a look at the pipelayers in our inventory to see which ones you like the best!
Touch base with us today if you need help choosing the right pipelayer for your company.
