Since the new Allways Hire branch opened in Napier on 1 June, there’s been plenty of positive feedback from those enjoying local access to our great service and hire equipment.

For loyal customers like Ben from Devine Plumbing, it means less time on the road between Napier and Hastings and more time on the job. Now he can pick up his hire ready equipment closer to home.

Devine Plumbing are based in Napier and work Hawke’s Bay-wide. They specialise in plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting, civil drainage and wastewater treatment. As Ben explains, they’ve been hiring a wide range of equipment from Allways Hire for more than four years.

“We hire all types of different machines and equipment. The biggest benefit from hiring with Allways Hire is the personal touch of talking to the guys. Knowing we can give you a call and arrange things when we need to. We don’t always know when we need a digger but [if] it turns up then Allways Hire is there to help. It comes in handy.

[Allways Hire] are really flexible and helpful. We’ve had diggers on long term loan before and we’ve bought diggers off Allways Hire – we’ve done everything. They’re really helpful to deal with and help us out when we need it.

The Napier branch is going to be really helpful. Not having to travel to Hastings just to pick up a digger will be really great – especially with the current traffic. And – yeah – just having a local branch on this side of town will be really helpful and speed the job up.”

Need to hire equipment? Listen to Ben’s recommendation and “definitely give Allways Hire a call”. Experience the convenience of hiring construction or roading equipment from Allways Hire in either Napier or Hastings – just give us a call today or browse our available equipment on the Allways Hire website.

A closer look at how the Master Sweeper cleans up in roading

Russell Roads is a civil roading and infrastructure company based in Hawke’s Bay. They do civil and infrastructure projects for Central and Local Government, as well as industrial projects for larger clients throughout Hawke’s Bay.

James Scott, General Manager of Operations at Russell Roads, describes the Master Sweeper as a “perfect” machine. We took the opportunity to dig deeper and ask him some questions about why the Master Sweeper has been such a good addition to the roading equipment used by Russell Roads.

“On our projects we go through a whole heap of processes building pavement and we need a sweeper that can give us the option of working in tight small spaces but also sweeping the road to a final surface before we seal it that we couldn’t achieve with our own gear…we found the Master Sweeper which has met all our requirements.

We predominantly use the Master Sweeper for our pre-seal pavement sweeping. Also sweeping off the loose chip after chip-sealing on our projects. We find it very versatile between the two.”

The Master Sweeper sweeping the road to a final surface before the road gets sealed.

The team at Master Equipment has designed the Master Sweeper to be easy to operate, but talking to James was a great opportunity to ask an expert whether the Master Sweeper really is a cut above the rest. James has both operated the Master Sweeper and trained his team members to use it, so is it really that good?

“I personally have used the Master Sweeper and shown other operators how to use the Master Sweeper…we find it very very easy to operate and also to pass on that information to new operators.

We find that the ergonomics of the cab and all the luxuries of working within the Master Sweeper cab are great. You’ve got really good visibility; everything’s at one touch of your finger; you’ve got fantastic air conditioning; really good sound system; and the actual tractor unit is not very loud at all; and it’s a pleasure to drive and operate.”

“It’s got really good visibility; everything’s at one touch of your finger;… and it’s a pleasure to drive and operate.” – James Scott – Russell Roads

Dust is an environmental contaminant that can present real challenges in roading. James told us that the dust suppression features that come with the Master Sweeper do a great job of eliminating dust on the job.

“The Sweeper performance…is second to none. We have dust suppression on the units which really helps when you’re working in an open air environment or even in a closed air environment. It’s developed to a point now where you could throw it at any application for your sweeping needs and it would do the job.

Dust Suppression is very very important on our jobs. Airborne contaminants are an environmental risk that we have on our jobs. With the dust suppression we no longer have to deal with that…The amount of water that’s applied to the pavement even prior to sealing is minimal but it keeps the dust down and everyone happy.”

“We have dust suppression on the units which really helps when you’re working in an open air environment or even in a closed air environment.” – James Scott – Russell Roads

James recognises that a lot of feedback has gone into evolving the design of the Master Sweeper so it always performs at its best. In fact James has been part of the feedback process and is really pleased with the results he now gets on the job. One of the areas where the high design standards are evident is in the hard-wearing brush which really does last longer. We asked James what he thought of it.

“…Master Sweeper have done all the work and calculated the right amount of pressure to apply to the pavement and the surface so that they get limited brushware. The brushware feature’s really good – as I’ve said it sweeps the pavement perfectly so it’s not too soft but it’s not too hard. Anywhere that we can save on plastic for the environment is a really good feature of this machine.”

Great brushwork and it’s also easy to get around with the Master Sweeper – both when you’re in the cab and when you’re trying to get Master Sweeper to your next job.

“The brushware feature’s really good – as I’ve said it sweeps the pavement perfectly so it’s not too soft but it’s not too hard.” – James Scott – Russell Roads

“It’s got an extremely tight turning circle. You can turn these sweepers in very very tight areas, you can do one point turns in a very very small space. I find the manoeuvrability very very good. It’s got a high, medium and low ratio box in it and it’s such a well thought out machine for operating.

The efficiency that we gain from the Master Sweeper being a self-contained unit on its own trailer is fantastic for our operation. We just rock up [to Allways Hire], pick up our broom and…drop it back. It’s perfect for us and we get the job done and we don’t have to pay for a transporter to go and pick up or deliver the machine and then drop it back [to Allways Hire].”

With so many great features, easy operation, efficiency and easy transportation: it’s easy to see why James describes the Master Sweeper as “perfect”.

We closed the interview by asking him if he would recommend the Master Sweeper to other operators.

“I’d really encourage anyone to go and try the Master Sweeper. 100% I recommend the Master Sweeper for our application and for anyone else who has to get sweeping done. I haven’t found one better to date. For someone that knows and uses machinery day in day out, you can take my word for it or you can go down and try it yourself and see how you get on.”

See more about tractor sweeper hire in Hawke’s Bay today.

As a business that’s been delivering civil water, drainage and earthworks projects for over 45 years; Drainways Contracting understands what a difference the right equipment can make to the job on hand. That’s why they prefer to use the Master Sweeper when it’s time to clean up.

We asked Jaydon Currie, one of the owners of Drainways Contracting, about the features that make it such a favourite with the team.

“We started using the Master Sweeper because clients were requesting sites to be kept swept for every weekend. It made a good impression so we kept it up from there. It’s good for client satisfaction, it’s good for public image, and it makes it worth it for everyone.

We use the Master Sweeper mostly for sweeping the roads around the sites and work that we do. We’re bringing bits of shingle and dirt and debris onto the road so we’ll give the roads and driveway a good sweep every week to keep them clear. Mostly it’s just [about] keeping the roads clean and safe.

For us it’s been very good. The bulk of the debris has already been removed so we’re just doing the last sweep up. Some of the stuff gets a little bit heavy on occasion but the broom handles it fine and we just slow down a little bit in those heavier times to allow it to keep up.”

Being able to hire the Master Sweeper makes it easy for Jaydon and his team to keep the roads clear and both his clients and the public happy. Because the Master Sweeper has a built in dust suppression system; Jaydon knows he can clean up without generating more dust that could cause complaints. Now he’s used it, he says he wouldn’t work without it.

“The dust suppression system is good – I wouldn’t do it without it. Often we’re working in situations where the material or shingle we’re sweeping is dry. It’s been out in the sun and the wind all day or all week so it needs that dust suppression. Sometimes it needs two runs to make sure we’ve got the dust under control before we start sweeping, but it’s very good and I wouldn’t do it without it.”

The Master Sweeper is also popular with the crew at Drainways Contracting because it’s comfortable in the cab and it’s easy to operate. That makes a huge difference for whoever gets behind the wheel.

“The Master Sweeper is very easy to operate. You’ve got the broom motor activation switch that you just flick forward. You’ve got the lever that you push on to float and it just drops [the broom] to the ground. And you’ve got the forward and reverse pedals that make the tractor go back and forward. It’s extremely easy.

The operator’s cab is very good, it’s comfortable, it’s air conditioned, it’s got very good visibility. It’s a good spacious cab and with the adjustments of the steering wheel you can get a very comfortable position. It’s excellent, I like operating it.”

As well as being easy to operate and comfortable to work in, the Master Sweeper has the advantage of being good for the budget as well. Jaydon is well-aware that the brush-saving feature is saving him money on the job.

“The brush-saving feature is a good feature. With the machine on float mode [the broom] follows the undulations of the ground. That stops the brushes pushing too hard into the ground and wearing them out too fast which obviously allows for less maintenance and less brush changes and it helps all round efficiency.”

The Master Sweeper is a great all-rounder that gives Drainways Contracting all the features it needs to do a great job when it comes to cleaning up. And it’s also easy to get to the job-site so Jaydon and his team can pick it up and drop it off easily, as needed.

“It’s easy to transport around. The trailer’s quite big but it’s just something you’ve got to get used to. As far as loading and unloading and all that kind of stuff it’s very very easy. Allways Hire have made it easy to do that by shortening the strops so you don’t have to tie them up at the end. They’re always there, they’re always on the trailer. The ramps are easy, it’s a very very good system.”

Jaydon’s experience working with Allways Hire has left him in no doubt that he would recommend them to other businesses in need of equipment. Not just because Allways Hire gives him access to the range of Master Equipment, but also because they’re always ready to help him hire what he needs.

“We’ll be using the Master Sweeper again. We like to try and do it once a week if we can. Allways Hire have always got it available and it’s just a phone call to book it and it’s there ready for us to pick up when we need it.

I would recommend [the Master Sweeper] because 1. It’s just a very good easy machine and 2. It is worth it. It sweeps the mess up so well. It cleans up the last little fragments and keeps your site tidy and presentable.

Allways Hire are always good to work with. Nothing seems to be too much of a problem and they’ve always got the gear we need.”

Hire the Master Sweeper from Allways Hire or learn more about this great machine on the Allways Hire website.

The team at Allways Hire puts customers first and provides the right machinery, well serviced, to get the job done. This formula for great service is a winner for small businesses.

To get a handle on what a difference the right service makes when you’re growing your own business, we talked to Dom Greening from Akra Civil. Set up in October 2021, Akra Civil is a Hastings-based business supporting Hawke’s Bay with water and infrastructure work.

Dom’s the owner of the business, works in the field, does the admin and describes himself as a real all-rounder. That puts him in a great position to be able to explain why he chooses Allways Hire and what a difference great service can make.

Giving a boost to a small start-up business

When you’re in a new business, it’s not always easy to get big companies to give you a break. Dom appreciated that the team at Allways Hire were willing to give his business the credit he needed to hire machines from the start.

Dom knew the Allways Hire team and the team knew him from his previous role. Getting his business set up with the right paperwork at Allways Hire was a matter of taking them through his plans.

“Before I went out on my own I used to work for another company and they were clients of Allways Hire. It was a no-brainer to go back to the guys. We use them for everything really: trucks, diggers, compactors, auger attachments, a bit of everything.

Being a new company, when you go out on your own you don’t know a lot of people. Hireage companies are very hesitant to pretty much give you credit limits and stuff. Because of having the existing relationship with the team at Allways Hire – when I came in and saw the team and I told them I was going out on my own they gave me quite a good credit limit to start us off and were helpful with us on our journey.”

Smart small companies get their resources to work for them.

Allways Hire has given Dom and the team at Akra Civil access to the equipment needed to grow the business over the past year. The combination of having the right equipment available – trucks, diggers, compactors etc. – and being able to get it transported to site allows Dom to operate a lean business that’s well-positioned for growth.

“We’re a small company so we don’t have a lot of big gear. Having the stuff transported to us as we need it is helpful to us. It helps out a lot for a small company that they can transport it to us when we need it.

Allways Hire has allowed us to grow without trying to find the capital to buy equipment straight off the bat. It’s allowed us to grab equipment as we need it, but getting the right equipment for the jobs we’re doing at the time. It’s been helpful and the support is really good.”

Friendly flexibility adds up to a winning service formula

For Dom, the success of his relationship with Allways Hire isn’t just about the equipment that’s available. It’s also about the attitude of the team. Because the people he deals with are flexible and friendly and keen to meet the needs of his business: Dom hasn’t needed to hire from anyone else.

“[Allways Hire has] the friendliness, the service, and just the relationship really. It’s a lot more catered to, I feel, than if I went to other places, just ‘cause I know the guys you know.

If we have any problems or anything arises – we might need a digger or something at the last minute or at the very start of the day, you know. We call them up at 7 o’clock in the morning, “Oh, we need a truck and digger, you know,” they’re like “Ok, give us 30 minutes and we’ll have one for you,” [and] if not, they’re jumping around trying to find it for you to make it work.

They’re always accommodating to our needs so that’s why we’ve always kept with them. I don’t really hire stuff from anywhere else. Just because with us being small, as a small company, they’re more accommodating than if I went to a bigger hireage company. Allways Hire are a lot more understanding of situations.”

“Good for small companies”

When asked if he would recommend Allways Hire to other businesses, Dom says he already has. Telling people about Allways Hire is the right thing to do when you know they’ll face similar challenges as a small business. Some good service can make all the difference.

“I definitely recommend Allways Hire. Being a small contractor I’ve had mates that also have gone out on their own and my first place for them to always go is Allways Hire. Just because of the service it provides people, it’s good for small companies.”

Hire your equipment with Allways Hire

Allways Hire supports customers across Hawke’s Bay with a wide range of equipment hire needs. If you’d like to set up an account with Allways Hire, you can call us on 06 872 6774. You can browse and hire our wide range of construction and roading equipment on our website or find out more about our focus on excellent customer service, read about our team and explore the Allways Hire difference.

https://www.allwayshire.co.nz/

It’s a great feeling when partnerships work. At Allways Hire the team is always working hard to make sure that the service we deliver is the service that you need. That’s definitely true for Mitchell Ewart from SWD Wastewater and Drainage. He’s been working with Allways Hire for 4 years and enjoys the benefits of the relationship. We caught up with Mitchell to find out more about what’s making him happy to work with us.

SWD Wastewater and Drainage are specialists in onsite wastewater management. They support customers across rural Hawke’s Bay with water treatment plants and water tanks. That means moving a lot of dirt, and that’s where the Allways Hire equipment comes in handy.

“We install waste water treatment plants and water tanks. I do a little bit of everything. I’m in the digger, I’m out on the tools laying drains. We mainly work in Hawke’s Bay, mainly rural and a little bit of stuff in subdivisions.”

SWD Wastewater and Drainage has its own equipment but MItchell says they hire from Allways HIre when they need a big expensive machine or if they need a piece of kit that isn’t part of their fleet. Being able to call on Allways Hire gives them the flexibility to adapt to each job no matter what’s involved.

“We needed to start hiring a little bit of machinery that we didn’t already own and we came across Allways Hire and we’ve been using them ever since. We use Allways Hire for the machinery we don’t have or if there’s too much outlay to buy our own. We mainly hire the bigger diggers for installing our treatment plants and water tanks. “

The benefit of working with Allways Hire isn’t just the availability of the right machine for the job. It’s also the convenience that comes from working with a team who are ready to support your business, and have had a good think about what’s important to you.

Allways Hire transports the hire equipment to your worksite and the young fleet deliver reliability which reduces downtime. If anything should go wrong a member of the team is always on hand to help. Mitchell says that that makes a big difference to a business like SWD Wastewater and Drainage.

“The benefits of using Allways Hire are having the machinery delivered to site. It works for us: showing up, they bring the transporter out, drop the machinery off and we can just get into the job. We like the friendly service, they deliver our machinery to site and they’re easy to deal with.

“I would definitely recommend Allways Hire. They are very helpful; they will go out of their way to do anything on the machines if there’s any issues. Very helpful and easy to deal with.”

Is your business ready to grow? Do you need access to machinery that’s not part of your fleet? Working with Allways Hire could give you the flexibility you need to take on new and different work without having to invest in new and different equipment. Contact our team today and find out more about hiring equipment from Allways Hire, or browse our range of equipment online today.

Jimmy’s an Allways Hire customer both in his own business and while working for Russell Roads, a large Hawke’s Bay Civil Engineering company. We asked him to talk to us about how working with Allways Hire has given him the flexibility to grow his business.

“Earthworks Hawke’s Bay does drainage, pavement works, concreting, asphalt driveways, patios and landscaping. We work directly for the client quoting and winning work, and delivering it. We’re experiencing a lot of urgency in the market at the moment and people definitely want their work done yesterday. They’re not able to travel overseas so they have a bit of spare money. They look around the house and want upgrades on their outdoor areas so they can relax and enjoy them – rather than going to Bali for a holiday.”

THE FLEXIBILITY TO QUOTE QUICKLY

A growing market makes it more important than ever that Jimmy can move quickly to quote for the next opportunity and access the equipment he needs for the job. That’s where working with Allways Hire has helped. Allways Hire give Jimmy 1:1 support so he can quote and book in his jobs, and rely on accessing the equipment he needs.

“I book work up to 6 weeks in advance so I need complete flexibility in the equipment for the next jobs I take on. I need to be able to count on the rates for the work I’m pricing. I know the gear’s going to be available when I need it because I ring the [Allways Hire] operations guy and have a good discussion with him about what I’m needing. Evan tells me when the gear’s going to be back so I can plan around it. Sure enough when I go in it’s there and waiting for me.”

ACCESS TO THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE

Being able to draw on the expertise of the Allways Hire team allows Jimmy to be accurate with his quotes and always make sure he’s using the best equipment for the job. The combination of his own extensive experience and the feedback from the Allways Hire team means Jimmy knows he has the right tools for the job on hand.

“I’ve been a civil contractor for 18 years and have lots of experience dealing with hire companies. Allways Hire have given me a much more personal experience. They are very customer focused and it’s like they focus on the relationship between the medium to small sized businesses just as much as the big businesses.

I speak to them on an operational front about tasks that I’m resourcing, things that I’m going to do, and we work out the best solutions for the job.”

PERSONAL SERVICE AND EQUIPMENT THAT’S THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT

With years of experience in the industry, Jimmy knows that there are times when certain types of equipment can be in high demand. He believes what sets Allways Hire apart is the personal service associated with booking, picking up and dropping off your equipment: where your needs come first and everyone is focused on making it easier.

“There’s periods of the year when you get into the Spring/Summer months when you’re in the construction season where you need to ring ahead and prebook stuff. But if you do that and you’re well organised and you’re communicating with everyone in the team there about your requirements: you can basically plan your job or the resources that you need for the job around the availability. But if anything comes up that will fit your needs earlier they’re straight on the phone to you to say ‘Hey that truck that I said was going to be 2 days well one has just come in. Do you want it?” Usually the gear is there and available when you need it though, that’s not the norm.”

A FOCUS ON FLEXIBILITY AND MAKING IT EASY TO HIRE

With access to the right equipment for a job, a lack of experienced labour can still make resourcing a challenge. Especially when you need equipment to be operated. Jimmy definitely feels he has benefited from the reliability of the Allways Hire equipment and the ease of delivery, operation and transport. We asked him to tell us a bit more about it.

“Allways Hire basically has all new equipment. The safety features of the new equipment are critical these days. With the talent pool that we’ve got in driving and construction it’s very hard to pick up experienced workers. Having new machinery with all of the safety functions on the machines takes that worry factor out of it for me.

When I’m under the pump and I’ve got a number of different machines on site and I need to off hire things and I can’t free up a truck to return it I use Allways Hire to transport not only my own equipment but their equipment too at times. They’re flexible with me transporting their equipment on my equipment too.

As soon as you tell them you’ve finished with their gear they off hire it straight away and they get there the next day to pick it up. They’re smart operators that understand that we want low cost reliable solutions for our needs.”

SMART SOLUTIONS FROM MASTER EQUIPMENT

Jimmy also hires Master Equipment from Allways Hire. Master is an innovative range of machinery that has been developed to fill a gap in the market. The aim is to do the job better, with smart equipment that’s easier to operate. Jimmy has used both the Master Sweeper and Master Grader and has been really impressed with the design and the results.

“They’ve developed some pretty neat kit in-house and you get that full experience of how smart and resourceful the team are with some of the machinery they’ve resourced and are building – both the Mid-mount Graders and Master Sweepers.

Dust is an environmental pollutant so it’s important to be able to include in the quote that you’ve planned in equipment that’s going to minimise pollution. That’s what the Master Sweeper can do with its dust suppression.

The Master Grader is set out in a way that it’s a natural movement to select the lever or make the right movement on the controls. They’re very well thought out. You can be an entry level operator and pick it up relatively quickly or you can be an experienced operator and see the thought process that’s gone into the development of it and you think to yourself ‘Well that’s smart’.”

A WINNING COMBINATION

The combination of smart machines, a young fleet, and a team that are dedicated to giving Jimmy the support he needs to grow his business is a winning one. Jimmy’s definitely a fan of the reliability and flexibility that he gets from working with Allways Hire. The equipment they provide his business is the perfect compliment to his years of construction experience. It’s no wonder he’s getting such great results for his clients across Hawke’s Bay.