Build a rig ? Or buy a rig ?

itswillist

New Member
Hey guys, I'm saving some of the money I'm making to A) Build my own rig ? or B) Buy one pre-made to my specifications ? I was thinking I could buy the individual pieces slowly then put it all together ? Which way you guys think I would save the most money ?
 

Revive

New Member
I could be mistaken,but I would think that buying one premade would be cheaper.Although an extreme example,go by all the parts for a car and put it together yourself.I'd hate to see the cost.

But then again,it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.
 

R L S

New Member
If you have all the equipment close by and have common sense as well as plumbing and mechanical skills go ahead and do it yourself. Basiclly all your doing is bolting down your unit,water tank, chem tanks and reels onto your trailer plumbing it up and making sure it is where you want it to be. It will take longer than buying a premade one but if you have the time then it doesnt matter.
 

5 Star Johnny

New Member
Personally, I would build it myself. I can't say this would be cheaper, but it could save you time & trouble later on. I have saved thousands of $$$ and countless hours setting up my own rigs. For what it's worth: Say you decide to expand (or narrow) your service offerings (decks, flatwork, siding, etc.) over a period. If you purchase a pre-designed rig, it may not fit your needs a year or two down the road and you'll end up changing things, or have to work around a layout that's not efficient anymore.

We kept our eyes open for used, enclosed trailers, hot water rigs, etc. My favorite rig cost me around $7,000, and I spent a year using it before we "tweeked" the layout to fit our needs. 14' tandem trailer, 1 yr. old hot water skid unit, water tank, etc. Our experience was that what we thought might be the best layout changed over time as we used the rig out in the field. Of course, you could change things around if you bought a pre-designed rig, but you might cost yourself a lot of innefficiencies over the first year or two. Good Luck!
 

Revive

New Member
What A Tool

Maybe I should have looked a little closer.I for some reason thought you meant building a hot water rig.What a tool.I'll go put my head back in the frozen sand.
 

itswillist

New Member
thanks .. yeah, I am making it a hot water rig. I would like to build it mainly just to have a better knowledge of the whole system. I'm somewhat mechanically inclined but my dad is really good at it.. between the two of us we'll make it happen.. I did a rough cost on all the parts and it looks like I could buy the rig I want for around 5500.00 or make it for around 4000.00 so I figured it would be worth it anyway .. that's with a used trailer, but all new components to the unit (CAT pump, Honda engine .. etc etc .. ) Do you guys like the "Hotsy" units ? www.hotsy.com ? just wondering if they have good equipment ? Hope I didn't break any rules just now ???? ....
 

R L S

New Member
I just retiered a HOTSY 1260SS unit that had well over 8,000hrs on it. Great machine. I also just bought a Landa SLT which is an awesome machine as well.
 

5 Star Johnny

New Member
I guess I'm the tool! :eek: I thought you meant a trailer rig set up. The only thing I'd question in building your own hot water unit is the frame, or skid portion. The engine, pump and heating unit should be fairly simple to piece together, and the individual warranties should apply if something goes wrong. My feeling is that the frame portion is going to be important as you have a lot of vibration. You're the one who needs to decide what your times worth in putting the whole thing together. Also, if you have a dealer nearby that you would normally purchase a rig from, you may getter better response and lower, or little repair costs if something goes wrong. A dealer is going to have a lot more pull in getting parts and warranty repair approvals (reimbursement), than you might as an individual. Good Luck
 

Mark

Moderator / Sponsor
I don't have any used trailer packages or skids
right now, but I can make you a good deal on a
new Alkota, All American, or Hydro Tek.

Let me know if I can help. [hello]
 

itswillist

New Member
Would you guys think I would need electric brakes on the trailer if I have a 350 - 400 gal. water tank on it ? thats about 3500 lbs in itself. I've heard yes and no .. I'll be pulling it w/ a V8 chevy Silverado ...
 

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