Equipment: It's the air you breathe

By Chris Thompson
Editor at Large

How does one accurately introduce the construction industry to an equipment guide?

We may as well extol the benefits of food, the positives of clothing or the wonders of the very air we breathe. It's kind of a conundrum - everybody knows how important these things are, but they're such basic life staples that it's tough to get a handle on.

We only seem to notice our equipment when it breaks down or disappears. Or, of course, when it works really, really well.

From the minute you walk out your door in the morning to the second you arrive home in the evening, you use some kind of equipment. You drive your truck to work, you call in ahead on your cell phone or you check your Palm Pilot for your day's schedule. Or maybe you hop into your front-end loader or skid steer on the job site, move on to a grader in the afternoon and close the day out with a shovel, trowel or simple tape measure.

The possibilities are endless, and the list of potential tools and their uses could fill thousands of these equipment guides. That said, you're not going to find every single piece of equipment listed here, but you will find a solid list of opportunities and ideas.

You'll also learn, from Madison writer Jeremy Harrell, about Web sites dedicated to equipment sales, auctions and rentals, as well as the pros and cons of buying online. There's a virtual world of opportunity out there, and we're doing our best to take you there.

If it's the tangible world that appeals to you, Madison writer Sean Ryan will update you on Forest Products Labs, which tests new equipment for residential construction.

So, if you want to learn more about the air around you, take a breath. If it's food that interests you, dig in. But if you fancy your equipment, read on.

Chris Thompson is the Editor at Large who can be reached at 608-260-9790 or by email.

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