Plate compactors

[Tom Brown]

Why are plate compactors so expensive? It's even tough to find a used one for less than $1000 around here. I was hoping to pick up a used one for $500~600 but that doesn't look possible. Do they ever come up used at reasonable prices?

 

[Land-Tech]

I don't know why they so pricey, except that they have to be built strong to take all the abuse. I have a Dynapac that I bought from a contractor going out of business. This was ten years ago and use it a lot. I paid seven hundred for it then and it was probably a couple of years old when I bought it. It has a Robin engine which I think is made by Suburu. The plate is steel and the vibrating mechanism (I don't know what it's called.)is very heavy duty and by it's self probably half the weight of the tool.The engine has always run great. I've replaced a couple of drive belts,oil and plugs but the main components have been reliable. If there is a problem,it's usually caused by something shaking loose. Before I bought this one, I would borrow a friends and it had a aluminum plate, it was much lighter but had stripped bolts in the aluminum casting that he was having a hard time repairing. I'm not sure how the lighter plate affects the compaction rate if it does but I did not want the repair hassles that aluminum has versus steel. This model I have was around $2800 new in the late nineties. Scott

 

[Tom Brown]

I don't know why they so pricey, except that they have to be built strong to take all the abuse. I have a Dynapac that I bought from a contractor going out of business. This was ten years ago and use it a lot. I paid seven hundred for it then and it was probably a couple of years old when I bought it. It has a Robin engine which I think is made by Suburu. The plate is steel and the vibrating mechanism (I don't know what it's called.)is very heavy duty and by it's self probably half the weight of the tool.The engine has always run great. I've replaced a couple of drive belts,oil and plugs but the main components have been reliable. If there is a problem,it's usually caused by something shaking loose. Before I bought this one, I would borrow a friends and it had a aluminum plate, it was much lighter but had stripped bolts in the aluminum casting that he was having a hard time repairing. I'm not sure how the lighter plate affects the compaction rate if it does but I did not want the repair hassles that aluminum has versus steel. This model I have was around $2800 new in the late nineties. Scott

Thanks, Scott. I hear you saying you get what you pay for. That sounds like good advice.

 

[Earthwerks Unlimited]

Thanks, Scott. I hear you saying you get what you pay for. That sounds like good advice.

The cost is what is called in marketing (and capitalism in general) "charge whatever the market will bear". As long as we keep paying whjat6 they ask, that will be the price; don't pay the price and the price MAY drop. We as contractors are in the same position. When a client says to me, "Why are you charging me $100 an hour? I only make $15--I don't make that kind of money!" I tell them that's the price. Same thing with everything in life. It is what it is.

 

[mllud]

The cost is what is called in marketing (and capitalism in general) "charge whatever the market will bear". As long as we keep paying whjat6 they ask, that will be the price; don't pay the price and the price MAY drop. We as contractors are in the same position. When a client says to me, "Why are you charging me $100 an hour? I only make $15--I don't make that kind of money!" I tell them that's the price. Same thing with everything in life. It is what it is.

A lot of people dont have a clue about overhead. The cost of making the service available.

 

[Tazza]

A lot of people dont have a clue about overhead. The cost of making the service available.

When they ask that question you should say thats ok, you can go out and spend $50,000 or so on a new machine, then they will need to gain the knowledge and skills to operate it, then a truck to move it to the job site. Some people just can't see that you need to make a living and they need to pay for services.
Everyone knows that different professions cost more than others.

 

[Earthwerks Unlimited]

Thanks, Scott. I hear you saying you get what you pay for. That sounds like good advice.

That's what I tell them--almost word for word!

 

[xtreem3d]

That's what I tell them--almost word for word!

don't know if your still looking and also don't know the quality but Harbor Freight has a couple in the 5-700.00 range last time i looked

 

[BobcatKW]

don't know if your still looking and also don't know the quality but Harbor Freight has a couple in the 5-700.00 range last time i looked

I bought a brand new Davis-Walker for $400.00 at an auction in Kissimmee Fl. in august of last year. It is made is South America and the motor is made in China (Honda ripoff) I've used the heck out of it and I'm very happy with the performance.

 

[KevinCuellar]

I bought a brand new Davis-Walker for $400.00 at an auction in Kissimmee Fl. in august of last year. It is made is South America and the motor is made in China (Honda ripoff) I've used the heck out of it and I'm very happy with the performance.

The various back filling materials away from the granular soils are; 1. Coarse and fine aggregates. 2.Boulders/ Soling stones. 3. Saw dust(Wooden). 4. Cement:Lime: Sand-1:1:20 mix. 5. Lean concrete . If there is any other materials may pl. be posted. Regarding the back fill with Saw dust there is an article which is loaded. pallet trucks pallet truck pump truck

 

[jackaustin]

I don't know why they so pricey, except that they have to be built strong to take all the abuse. I have a Dynapac that I bought from a contractor going out of business. This was ten years ago and use it a lot. I paid seven hundred for it then and it was probably a couple of years old when I bought it. It has a Robin engine which I think is made by Suburu. The plate is steel and the vibrating mechanism (I don't know what it's called.)is very heavy duty and by it's self probably half the weight of the tool.The engine has always run great. I've replaced a couple of drive belts,oil and plugs but the main components have been reliable. If there is a problem,it's usually caused by something shaking loose. Before I bought this one, I would borrow a friends and it had a aluminum plate, it was much lighter but had stripped bolts in the aluminum casting that he was having a hard time repairing. I'm not sure how the lighter plate affects the compaction rate if it does but I did not want the repair hassles that aluminum has versus steel. This model I have was around $2800 new in the late nineties. Scott

I will be needing a 24" plate compactor (hoepac) for an upcoming project. We will be prepping for residential foundations. It will be mounted to a 580 Super M. Are there any brands/models that are preferred, or maybe more importantly, brands to avoid?