Equipment hire by type
Fifteen categories of plant and equipment, each with machine classes, sizing notes, licensing requirements, cost drivers and listed suppliers.
Earthmoving Equipment Hire
Excavators, loaders, dozers, skid steers, backhoes and graders for digging, loading, trimming and bulk earthworks.
Equipment guide→CP-02 · 29 suppliersCompaction Equipment Hire
Plate compactors, rammers, trench rollers, smooth drum, padfoot and multi-tyre rollers for fill, pavements and trench backfill.
Equipment guide→CR-03 · 67 suppliersCrane Hire
Franna pick-and-carry cranes, all-terrain and slewing mobile cranes, crawler cranes and truck-mounted crane trucks for lifts of every size.
Equipment guide→AC-04 · 46 suppliersAccess Equipment Hire
Scissor lifts, knuckle and stick boom lifts, vertical lifts, truck-mounted EWPs and spider lifts for safe work at height.
Equipment guide→MH-05 · 31 suppliersMaterial Handling Equipment Hire
Counterbalance and container forklifts, rough-terrain forklifts, telehandlers, pallet movers and order pickers.
Equipment guide→TR-06 · 53 suppliersTrucks and Transport Hire
Tippers, truck-and-dog combinations, water carts, low-loader floats, tilt trays and crane trucks for moving spoil, water and machinery.
Equipment guide→PW-07 · 19 suppliersPower Generation Hire
Portable, towable and containerised generators, lighting towers, distribution boards and temporary power for sites and events.
Equipment guide→PF-08 · 12 suppliersPumps and Fluid Management Hire
Submersible, self-priming and diesel dewatering pumps, wellpoint systems, sludge pumps, hoses and water tanks.
Equipment guide→SF-09 · 16 suppliersSite Accommodation and Facilities Hire
Site offices, crib rooms, ablutions, portable toilets, containers, fencing and remote accommodation camps.
Equipment guide→TM-10 · 15 suppliersTraffic Management Equipment Hire
Variable message signs, arrow boards, portable traffic lights, barriers, water-filled barriers, cones and signage.
Equipment guide→TG-11 · 17 suppliersTools and General Equipment Hire
Concrete tools, saws, drills, compressors, breakers, cleaning, landscaping and general construction equipment.
Equipment guide→MN-12 · 12 suppliersMining Equipment Hire
Large excavators, dump trucks, dozers, loaders, water carts and support equipment compliant with mine-site requirements.
Equipment guide→RC-13 · 11 suppliersRoad Construction Equipment Hire
Graders, profilers, stabilisers, pavers, rollers, water carts and sweepers for road building and maintenance.
Equipment guide→LR-14 · 22 suppliersLifting and Rigging Equipment Hire
Chain blocks, lever hoists, slings, spreader beams, gantries, jacks, skates and rigging hardware.
Equipment guide→WI-15 · 12 suppliersWelding and Industrial Equipment Hire
Engine-driven and inverter welders, compressors, blasting equipment, heaters and industrial shutdown support.
Equipment guide→Machine classes at a glance
A quick reference to the common sizes in each core category. Open a guide for the full breakdown.
| Category | Class | Spec | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthmoving | Mini excavator | 1–2 t · ~1 m wide track | Landscaping, footings, pool and plumbing trenches, narrow side access |
| Earthmoving | Midi excavator | 3.5–8 t | House sites, driveways, service trenches, small retaining walls |
| Earthmoving | Medium excavator | 12–25 t | Civil trenching, bulk dig, dam work, loading trucks |
| Compaction | Forward plate compactor | 60–100 kg | Pavers, paths, thin granular layers |
| Compaction | Reversible plate | 150–500 kg | Deeper granular layers, footings, retaining wall backfill |
| Compaction | Rammer (jumping jack) | 60–80 kg | Cohesive soils and narrow trench backfill |
| Cranes | Crane truck (VLC) | 5–100 metre-tonne | Deliver and place materials, trusses, pods and small plant |
| Cranes | Pick-and-carry (Franna) | 20–40 t | Moving loads around site, steel erection, shutdown work |
| Cranes | City / compact slewing | 20–60 t | Tight urban lifts, roof plant, air-conditioning units |
| Access / EWP | Vertical personnel lift | 4–8 m platform | Single-person indoor maintenance and fit-out |
| Access / EWP | Electric scissor lift | 19–40 ft | Ceilings, services, fit-out on slab |
| Access / EWP | Rough-terrain scissor | 26–53 ft | Construction sites, cladding and external works |
| Material handling | Walkie / pallet stacker | 1–2 t | Warehouse pallet moves and low stacking |
| Material handling | Counterbalance forklift | 1.8–5 t · LPG/electric/diesel | Warehouses, yards, loading trucks |
| Material handling | Container forklift | 2.5–3 t · container mast | Unpacking shipping containers |
| Trucks & transport | Small tipper | 3–6 t payload | Residential spoil, landscape supplies |
| Trucks & transport | Tandem / 10 m³ tipper | ~12–14 t payload | Civil spoil and quarry product |
| Trucks & transport | Truck and dog | ~30–38 t payload | High-volume haulage on longer runs |
Turn the job into a clear hire brief.
Suppliers answer faster and quote more accurately when they get the outcome, access, ground and dates up front.