Surveying Equipment Hire
If you're looking to hire surveying equipment, there are many companies around the UK that you can try. As most professional surveying equipment can be very expensive, hiring equipment such as total stations, dumpy levels and cable locators can be a cost effective option - especially for one-off jobs.
Total Station Hire
Total Stations are the essential field surveyor's tool. They are essentially two surveying instruments in one; an electric theodolite with an integrated electronic distance meter, which allows you to measure distances and angles, in both the horizontal and vertical planes.
Many total station models also have other technologies integrated into them, such as mapping software. This gives you a 'total' surveying package - allowing you to do everything from measuring to mapping the area that is being surveyed.
For the all-round, professional surveying solution, total stations are the essential piece of equipment.
Buying a total station brand new can be expensive, but there are companies out there that may be able to do you a deal. The alternative to buying a brand new total station is to buy a reconditioned total station. These are pre-owned and have been used before, so they can be much cheaper than buying brand new. A proper 'reconditioned total station' will be in full working order - even if it may have some cosmetic bumps and scratches on the body.
Of course, if you don't need to buy a total station, then you can save a lot of money - especially on one-off jobs - if you look at total station hire. You can hire a total station from one of many hire companies around the country - most will even deliver it to your site.
Optical Level Hire
Optical levels, also known as automatic levels, builders levels and dumpy levels, are used for measuring points in the same horizontal plane. By aiming the telescope of the optical level at a measuring staff which is being held by an assistant stood at the point under measurement, and looking through the eyepiece of the telescope, you can read the result on the staff, and transfer elevations during site surveys or building construction.
When buying or hiring an optical level, you do tend to get what you pay for. For example, a cheaper level will probably have lower quality optics, less magnification capabilities and overall less features. Though, depending on your job, that may be all you need. If you need something with a higher specification, greater accuracy and higher magnification, they will tend to be more expensive, but it is essential that you get the right piece of equipment for the job.
So, if you need to buy a higher specification optical level, the Leica NA2 is an extremely robust, reliable, accurate, high specification option. Whereas, if you don't need something with such a high specification, the Leica Jogger is a good, relatively inexpensive, every-day option.
Though, of course, if you don't really need to buy an optical level - for example, if it's a one-off job - hiring an optical level is a great value option. There are optical levels for hire for every budget - from the high specification Leica NA2, to less expensive, lower specification options, such as the Leica Runner.
Laser Level Hire
Laser levels provide a high-tech, convenient alternative to traditional spirit levels. Laser levels can project laser lines, in various planes, on to walls, ceilings and floors, so you can easily ensure your work is level.
There are a great range of laser levels available, which project lines in different planes, and can be used either indoors only or outdoors as well.
Laser level hire is available nationwide from a number of companies. Whether you need an interior laser level or an exterior laser level, a single grade laser or a dual grade laser, or even a pipe laser, there are great deals to be had, as hire rates don't tend to be too expensive on laser levels.
Cable Locator Hire
Cable locators or 'Cable Avoidance Tools' (C.A.T) and their associated accessories are used for detecting and locating buried cables, by picking up on the signals which they emit and giving the operator an audible and visual signal as to their location. Using a C.A.T, you can detect and follow the path of a range of underground utilities, pipes and cables.
There are a huge range of cable avoidance tools on the market, each with different features and specifications. Depending on what you are trying to locate, you may also need a signal generator (Genny), to apply a traceable signal to the buried utilities; and a sonde, which can be pushed through a buried non-conductive pipe using some rodding, and will emit a signal that can be traced using the cable avoidance tool.
When hiring a cable avoidance tool, and any accessories, make sure that you tell the hire company exactly what you are trying to trace, and give them an overview of the job. This will help them to recommend which C.A.T and accessories that you will need, with all of the right features.
If you're not sure exactly how to use the equipment, some hire companies offer training programmes as well.