Plant Machinery Hire Guide for Agriculture

Construction sites are a common thought when you picture plant machinery, but agriculture is an industry that relies just as heavily on plant equipment to operate. 

A great majority of UK land is devoted to farming, and interestingly, a lot of our plant machinery is used across it. In this guide, we have listed some of the most commonly used plant machinery for agricultural work, and why these machines are so useful to the industry.

Backhoe loader:

Backhoe loaders are machines that are not absolutely necessary for running your farm, but once you have used one, you’ll wonder how you ever got on without it! 

These are versatile machines, useful for many chores on the farm and result in quicker, easier and more efficient completion times. They can be used for tasks on a farm such as digging holes for barn or anchor posts, tree transplanting, digging out old stumps, and even moving large objects such as rocks or boulders. 

A backhoe loader is a valuable piece of machinery as it can be used for multiple purposes, making it more cost effective, as you won’t need to hire as many machines.

Excavators and mini diggers:

These are used for heavy tasks such as clearing ditches, drainage work, pond maintenance and land levelling. They are versatile machines that can use many attachments to put them to multiple uses. 

Mini excavators and larger sizes serve completely different roles in agriculture. Mini diggers (under 6 tonnes) are best for tighter spaces or places where the ground is delicate, whereas the heavier options are best for clearing large areas and digging deep. 

Diesel and water bowsers:

While working in the agricultural industry, you may often find yourself in the middle of a large field, with all the necessary resources being located on the other side of the land. Having resources such as fuel located within walking distance can save valuable time. Having a handy storage container, such as a diesel bowser, on hand is a must. Storing fuel on site can also result in greater savings in the long run, having a bowser nearby means there will be less travelling involved when needing to fill up, resulting in less fuel wastage.

A water bowser is equally valuable on the farm. Whether you need to transport water to livestock, support crop irrigation, create drinking points during dry spells, or manage dust suppression across large areas of land, a water bowser removes the problem of having no mains water source out in the fields.

Rollers:

Used for flattening land or breaking up large mounds of soil, rollers are a necessity for working on farmland. On larger spaces of land, these practical rollers are most commonly pulled by tractors. But for slightly smaller and compact areas of land, a ride on roller is a great way to make sure all the land is correctly attended to, with the added bonus of the ride on feature, meaning you have complete control.

For agricultural use, rollers prepare soil for optimal seedbeds as the land is rolled flat and firmed for the plantation. It is important to make sure the land is flat before planting seeds as it is an easy way to control average seed planting depth, this is also helpful for controlling weeds. 

A ride-on roller is a great piece of plant equipment to use, with multiple benefits attached, easier planting, flatter soil and complete control.

Telescopic handler:

The tele-handler has the ability to be equipped with a number of different accessories and attachments for specific tasks, such as buckets, forks, tipping skips, hook attachments and many more. This feature makes the telescopic handler a valuable vehicle for the best use of time management and efficiency on any farm. 

Perfect for moving hay bales or moving buckets of feed, the attachments available are great for getting a job done fast. Similar to the backhoe loader, this piece of equipment can save on overall costs, as this is a highly versatile machine. 

As well as this, the telescopic handler is smaller than many other machines that serve a similar purpose, so it can be stored in a compact place, out of the way of the day-to-day movements of farm life. 

Lighting tower:

A useful piece of equipment for all outside work, including agriculture, a lighting tower is a valuable tool for when you need to carry on working once the sun has set. Lighting towers are the backbone for outside work and illuminate land when you need to work after dark; these can be rotated and relocated for your convenience. 

On stretches of land such as farmland, there are limited places for lighting to be situated, a lighting tower can provide a solution to this, creating that much-needed lighting for locations further afield. 

Aggregates:

Aggregates have multiple uses in agriculture. One of these being that they can be used as essential minerals and stone materials to improve the health of soil and to manage water drainage. The most common aggregates used in agriculture include crushed stone, gravel, recycled asphalt and concrete. 

At Rockthorn we supply a range of aggregates suitable for agricultural use, delivered directly to your farm. Get in touch to discuss what you need.

Hire vs buying agricultural equipment

The seasonal nature of agricultural work makes hiring a more cost-effective option compared to owning machinery that would otherwise sit idle for much of the year. But the decision to hire or buy also depends on factors such as cash flow, frequency of use and the scale of your operation.

How Rockthorn can help

Wherever you are and whatever the job, Rockthorn can source the right machinery for your agricultural project. Whether you are working alone or managing a large operation, our team is on hand to advise on the best equipment for the task. Give us a call on 0330 118 5030, email hire@rockthorn.co.uk, or fill out our quick quote form, and we’ll get back to you.