Need an All-Purpose Earthmover? Behold the Backhoe!

For a powerful combination of excavating and loading capabilities, you can't beat the versatile backhoe. With a big loading bucket on one end and a long excavator arm on the other, the backhoe is designed to conquer the most challenging earthmoving and excavation tasks.

Ranging in size from full-size models to more compact, highly portable versions, there's a backhoe suited for just about any digging job you can imagine. Most backhoes are built around a tractor-like body and engine assembly, with massive rear wheels generating serious traction and smaller front tires for maneuvering around the worksite. Their hydraulically operated loader and excavator arms can lift massive amounts of loose material at a time, and with specialized attachments can perform other duties such as mowing brush, grinding down stumps, driving posts and piles, or digging trenches.

Top manufacturers of backhoes include such companies as Case, John Deere, Kubota, Terramite, JCB, Ford, Woods, and Caterpillar, and between these brands you're sure to find the backhoe model that's most appropriate for your job, whether you're working in construction, mining, earthmoving, or demolition.

However, the mechanically inclined, cost-conscious consumer may find it more interesting and economical to build their own backhoe. This can be accomplished by starting with a basic farm tractor that can be reconfigured with special utility attachments. By hooking up an excavator attachment and loader bucket attachment to your tractor drive-train, you can make your own homebuilt backhoe for a fraction of the price of the latest backhoe model straight from the factory. So if you're a tinkerer at heart and have a suitable tractor handy, this may be the most fun and affordable route to a new backhoe!

Don't Forget the Forklift! Your Business May Depend on this Vital Materials Handler

A key member of the vehicle fleet at storage facilities, warehouses, and large retail and wholesale operations is the humble forklift, an oft-overlooked piece of commercial equipment designed to load and unload pallets of materials and place them whereever they're needed at a given facility. More exotic varieties such as all-terrain forklifts can be found in rugged locations where they play a vital role in outdoor construction and resource extraction projects.

Top forklift makers include companies such as Nissan, Toyota, Crown, Daewoo, Cat, and Komatsu. A vast array of forklift models are currently on the market, and determining the best lift for your operation will require careful consideration of the types of jobs you'll be using it for.

Will your forklift be used exclusively indoors in a warehouse or similar setting, moving pallets of several hundred pounds to and from shelving and storage? Then a light electric forklift is most likely the best choice. However, if you'll be loading and unloading massive pallets from trucks, aircraft, or other vehicles, and operating in an outdoor environment, a larger gas or diesel forklift will provide the capabilities you'll need.

For short-term projects, the most cost-effective option may be to lease rather than purchase a forklift. Equipment rental companies such as Hertz have extensive inventories of construction and industrial forklifts, and renting a lift will save the additional costs and headaches of insuring and repairing the forklift.

As with any major piece of industrial machinery, forklifts can be dangerous if handled by an inexperienced operator. So your first step before putting your lift into service should be to ensure that your forklift drivers have been rigorously trained by qualified instructors.

From Big Digs to Demolition Duties, Excavators are the Equipment of Choice

Any construction or demolition site that requires significant amounts of digging, materials handling, and clearing of debris is likely to need the services of an excavator. A type of engineering vehicle, excavators perform important jobs in a number of industries that rely on the efficient removal and relocation of large quantities of loose material. Places you can count on seeing excavators at work include construction digs, road work projects, river dredging operations, and open-pit mining operations such as those used to mine coal, gravel, and oil sands.

There are a variety of excavators currently on the market, ranging from giant models weighing dozens of tons, like those used in large-scale mining activites, to small excavators that can be quickly and easily loaded on trailers for transportation anywhere they're needed.

Also called mini excavators, these compact excavator models are favored for smaller construction projects. These can include digging house foundations, moving cement, gravel and other materials at a home building or renovation site, and helping landscapers create the desired terrain in yards, office parks, and golf courses.

While large construction and demolition firms may decide to invest in their own excavators, for smaller operations renting excavation equipment of the appropriate size may be the most economical option. Whether you're renting or buying, there's no shortage of great excavator deals to be found online. With the web at your finger tips, you're just a few clicks away from finding the best excavator for your next big dig.

Air Compressors for Every Pneumatic Need

One of the most useful pieces of machinery for the professional builder and the home craftsman is an air compressor. An efficient compressor can power any number of pneumatic power tools, ranging from jackhammers to nail guns to power sanders and drills. Pneumatic tools are driven by pressurized air, and a compressor is designed to provide a reliable source of compressed air at the required PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch).

Shopping for an air compressor can be a bit of a chore, but with the resources of the web it's a lot easier than it used to be. First off, ask yourself what you'll be using the compressor for. Will you need it to provide power to multiple power tools at once at a construction or industrial site? Then you'll probably want a large, trailer-mounted compressor from a manufacturer like Ingersoll-Rand. But for smaller projects in a home workshop, a smaller model from Craftsman or Black & Decker should do the trick.

In addition to general purpose compressors for driving tools and machinery, there are also more specialized air compressors intended for functions such as inflating tires, rubber rafts and inflatable toys, as well as devices for filling up SCUBA diving tanks and pressurizing paintball guns.

Leading makers of air compressors include Ingersoll Rand, Black & Decker, Dayton, Quincy, Eagle, Porter-Cable, Leroi, Sullair and Champion. When shopping for a new or used compressor online, make sure to check out the latest deals available at auction sites like eBay, and to request free price quotes from business-to-business procurement services such as BuyerZone.

Portable Power Generation Systems

Electrical generators play a key role in many building and construction projects, and also provide a convenient and portable power supply for boats, recreational vehicles (or RVs), mobile facilities, and remote locations off the power grid. In an emergency, a backup generator is usually the first choice for supplying on-demand electricity during a power outage.

A variety of power generation systems are currently on the market, ranging from compact models for household and recreational usage, to larger electric generator installations for industrial and institutional energy supply continuity. Among the top generator brands are Honda, Kohler, Generac, Onan and PTO, all of which are readily available via online retailers and business-to-business supply services.

Most standard generators produce power with a compact internal combustion engine like those found in motorcycles and lawnmowers. Household and industrial generators run on the same fuels used to power most vehicles and industrial machinery, including diesel, propane, natural gas and gasoline. Larger commercial models are more likely to be powered with diesel fuel oil, while most intended for recreational and home usage run on gasoline or similar light fuels such as propane. Generators designed to produce backup power in emergencies can switch on almost instantaneously as soon as an outage is detected, insuring an uninterrupted flow of electricity to essential equipment.

No matter what type of generator you're in the market for, from small-scale household models to big generator rigs for industrial and construction projects, you're just a few clicks away from excellent deals at online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, as well as specialty retailers focused entirely on power generation products. Thanks to the Internet, it's never been easier to find the best power generator for your project goals and budget.