As stated in previous blog posts, gantries are some of the most versatile pieces of ground-based equipment in the rigging industry. With the ability to span a gap, create a monorail for moving equipment and countless other uses, it comes as no surprise that many companies go out to purchase their own gantry. While it can make sense, on the surface, to purchase your own gantry, I’m here to explain why many of the largest companies choose to rent rather than own.

Storage

One of the main reasons to consider renting over buying is the matter of storage. While gantries break down into parts, they are not compact enough to not require a customized storage solution or a decent footprint for the unit to lay flat. Beyond the A-frame portion, consider the assortment of beam lengths that would need to be stored unless you fabricate and scrap each time you do a job. Both the legs and the beams take up considerable amounts of space and the costs on fabrication and scrapping a beam each time add up relatively quickly, not to mention the cost of maintaining a building just to store equipment.

Maintenance

As with any other piece of rigging equipment, A-frames should be thoroughly inspected by a trained and experienced person and repaired when needed. Given their construction, visual inspection is only a small portion of what’s needed to ensure a safe lift. Regular inspection is ideal for a gantry and is an included service provided by LGH on all of our rentals.

Ability to pick up additional projects

When you own, you’re limited to what you can do with your current set of equipment, from gantry capacity to beam length and have to then consider the cost of adding to your fleet to take on jobs. Renting allows you to pick up more projects than you would have otherwise with a greater variety of custom setups dictated by the job, not your fleet.

Peace of mind on the Jobsite

Knowing exactly when the equipment was last inspected, and certified can ease any worry about working with equipment. Renting a gantry with LGH, the unit and any hoists, trolleys, or clamps that come with it, looks and operates as if it was brand new complete with test certifications. With enough to worry about on the job, your equipment should be one less area of concern.

Tax breaks from renting

Companies that rent equipment may enjoy reduced tax implications. Purchases of equipment are not eligible for deductions the same way rental payments may be. When you rent equipment, the rental payments can be deducted from your taxes at year end.

Increased capital

Costs for purchasing equipment always outweigh rental equipment. Having additional cash on hand, especially during these times, is a huge advantage that can allow you to use that cash to secure additional projects, keep your workforce employed, or even just weather the slow periods between jobs with ease.