How to keep your construction tools safe

By Alexander on 19th July

Recently there’s been a sharp rise in thefts of construction and gardening tools. This is usually where tools are either taken from a vehicle or stolen out of a garage or garden.

The tools are then sold on either on social media or to pawn brokers for a profit.

Not only is it really inconvenient when your tools get pinched, but it also can cause a massive financial issue, even if you are insured. You may find that you have a drastic loss of earnings whilst you are obtaining new tools, especially if there is a wait-time on some specialist equipment. Also you may find that after an insurance claim they will increase your premiums for the following years.

So, what can you do to help protect your gardening and construction tools?  Well one option is to install some high-quality CCTV and most importantly some good signage that acts as a deterrent to would-be thieves. Next you need to make sure that you have good insurance that covers both your tools and loss of earnings. Shop around to get the best price on this but try not to compromise on cover level. Lastly keep a digital log of all the serial numbers of your tools, that way if they do get stolen you can give those numbers to the police and have more of a chance of recovering these if the thieves try to sell them on.

Is your lawnmower up to the job?

By Alexander on 30th June

Out of all the garden tools that are available probably the most useful to those with grassed areas is a lawnmower. Lawnmowers started out as a simple contraption consisting of a cylinder with blades that when pushed along would cut the grass, but lawnmowers have come a long way since then and can be found in different sizes to suit every lawn and powered in a variety of ways to make the task of mowing the lawn easier.

Small electric lawnmowers are best if the lawned area is not large and there is access to an electricity supply where the mower can be plugged in. If this is not the case, battery lawnmowers are now available promising that a small lawn can be mowed on a single charge. Robotic lawnmowers are even on sale now that can be set off and will mow the grass without anyone having to intervene.

Larger gardens can present problems when it comes to mowing the grass as a smaller electric mower may struggle to cut the grass efficiently. A self-propelled petrol mower is a much better option in this case as it will cope with a large lawn and even one that is sloped in places. Of course, for a very large area a ride-on mower is advised.

Lifting Equipment Store Expands into the US

By Jim on 29th November

Lifting Equipment Store (LES) is proud to introduce Lifting Equipment Store USA. The well-known name in UK lifting equipment will be branching out to supply lifting equipment USA, adding to their already highly successful business and brining their products to a whole new audience. This is a major turning point in their business and will see high quality, good value lifting equipment supplied further afield, to a much wider audience than ever before.

It is a natural progression in many ways for this company, which is already a UK leader in the lifting equipment and material handling industry. This will build on a US service launched back in 2018; it will now be based within the US and will be able to deliver the kind of market-leading service expected from this kind of business, that has such well established backing. It signals a major move for the lifting equipment industry as a whole, and it is a big change that can bring about big benefits for customers.

Who is Lifting Equipment Store, what do they do and what is their product offering?

Lifting Equipment Store is a UK based leader in the material handling marketplace – the president is Will Dunn. Lifting Equipment Sore is part of Kingsway Corporation and was established in 2012, during which time it has become established as a market leader and has always maintained a focus on core company goals. Part of this is a commitment to customer service that sees Lifting Equipment Store providing a great deal of value for its customers.

Part of the reason why Lifting Equipment Store has chosen to expand globally at this moment in time is the current climate. They believe that there is a gap in the market, and that lots of people will be buying lifting equipment from their own homes. This means the process of ordering will need to be highly automated, and will need to be as simple as possible. Lifting Equipment Store has met this need and is committed to providing the best possible advice and customer service as well, meaning a better buying experience for customers across the US.

Lifting Equipment Store supplies a vast range of lifting equipment and material handling equipment, and it can secure good prices for US customers due to relationships held with global manufacturers. The company will specialise in the supply of lifting equipment, rigging gear, fall protection equipment, and material handling products.

Key products include:

  • Chain hoists
  • Machine moving skates
  • Fall protection gear
  • Forklift attachments
  • Lifting jacks
  • Drum handling equipment

All of the products supplied come from leading manufacturers and have all necessary regulations to be sold and supplied to the US lifting equipment market.

Where will lifting equipment in the US now be available thanks to this new expansion?

Lifting Equipment Store USE will be based in Houston, Texas. It will showcase leading manufacturers: Columbus McKinnon, Thern, Morse and Tandemloc.  It will make high quality lifting equipment available to the industry US wide, no matter where they might be based, with excellent levels of customer service.

Furniture Movers for Better Lifting

By Jim on 28th October

Safe lifting is the cornerstone of working as a removal professional, a construction worker, or someone else who has to move heavy loads on a daily basis. Finding ways to lift these loads carefully and, above all, safely, is absolutely essential. Furniture movers can make a big difference and can help to move loads more safely and more efficiently. They will allow bigger loads to be moved without having to lift them manually which is a major improvement for professionals who want to protect their own physical health, as well as doing a good job for their clients.

  • Furniture movers make lifting safer for the people carrying it out.
  • They allow larger loads to be lifted and moved safely and more easily.
  • Furniture movers come with ratchet straps for securing the load.
  • Items can easily be loaded, even bulky ones, by jacking them up onto the mover and moving them into place safely.

What are Beam Clamps and Why are they Important?

By Jim on 28th September

In the lifting industry, few items are more important than beam clamps. These essential pieces of equipment are used in lifting and rigging, clamping onto a structural steel beam so that loads can be lifted, managed and moved safely. They can be used with various cranes and other lifting equipment to make lifting safer and more efficient. In turn, this also makes lifting processes simpler, more straightforward, safer, and more efficient; the benefits are far reaching and should not be underestimated by people operating in the lifting industry.

So what exactly is a beam clamp, and how does it work in a little more detail? A beam clamp might also be known as a girder clamp so don’t get confused between the two. They are used to attach a hoist to a runway, lifting beam or similar, so that the hoist can then be used to lift loads. They can be highly customisable and the right beam clamp needs to be used for the right environment. Sometimes this will involve treating the beam in a certain way, and it will certainly involve picking the correct capacity and specifications for the task in hand. The beam clamp used will always need to be fully compatible with the lifting equipment.

How can beam clamps be used? Are they really necessary?

Beam clamps are a necessary means of attaching a lifting point to a beam/girder of a crane or other lifting device. They are very important for safety on site during any lifting procedures. Failure to use the correct lifting equipment can result in damage of the equipment, damage to the load, as well a serious injury.

One of the great aspects of a beam clamp is that it is usually lightweight and easy to transport, so it can be used by mobile teams who are travelling to different sites. It also makes it easier to have the correct beam clamp to hand – because it isn’t difficult to transport them, multiple clamps can be taken from place to place.

How do beam clamps work? Some important factors to consider.

All beam clamps will have different operating mechanisms and will be suited to their own particular purposes. Some operate with a scissor action, while others have bolt fixings or screw locks. However the beam clamp works, it is very important that it is safely fixed onto the beam; a shackle can help with this. It may even be included when buying beam clamps, depending on the intended purpose of the lifting equipment.

As with any kind of lifting equipment, it is absolutely essential that any beam clamps used are of the right specification, which also include the weight capacity. 15,000kg capacity tends to be the upper limit, but check what you need as it may be possible to select a beam clamp with a 6,000kg capacity, or possibly even 3,000kg if it will not be needed for heavy duty industrial lifting. Check all specifications and compatibility in full before you go ahead with your purchase.