Need to deliver excellent road surfaces, paving or other surfacing? For professional pavers or landscapers, a plate compactor is an essential tool for preparing paving surfaces. Plate compactors will help you level the ground in no time. Boels rents out several different types of plate compactors for professional, small-scale and large paving jobs. But what factors should you consider when hiring a plate compactor? Read these three tips on what to look out for.
Reversible and forward plate compactors
Standard forward plate compactors (also known as single-plate compactors) can only move forwards. For greater convenience, you can also hire reversible plate compactors. These allow you to move forwards and backwards. Although the reversible variant is more user-friendly, the standard plate compactor ensures better results. This is because the unbalanced weight of that kind of plate compactor is placed at the front of the machine.
Electric, diesel or petrol drive
Vibration machines have different types of drives. Some vibration machines run on electricity, while others use diesel or petrol. At Boels, you can hire all of these different variants.
We understand that emission-free construction and operation are becoming increasingly important. The emission-free plate compactor is in high demand. These battery-powered plate compactors offer the same level of performance and compaction as comparable petrol or diesel plate compactors, but have the major advantage of producing zero emissions and virtually no noise. They are ideal when working in urban environments, or near schools and healthcare facilities.
Power
The amount of power the plate compactor needs to have for your paving project depends very much on your operations. The greater the force of impact, the heavier the plate compactor, and the better the compaction of the soil. A properly compacted surface is an important foundation that prevents subsidence from occurring in the paving, asphalt or road surface.
For compacting a sand bed under a patio or walkway, a light plate compactor is all you need. When laying a car driveway, compaction of the soil requires a slightly heavier plate compactor to prevent the paving from sinking. If you want to lay a brick-paved surface, you will need an even heavier plate compactor. It is then important to compact the soil mixture very well so that the surface cannot sink and will last a long time.
