RM Online - What you need to know about generators

The latest word on generators is that quieter is better. And if they are easier to lift as well, it seems clear that homeowners and construction customers are going to be happier renters.

No general tool rental business is likely to be without a fairly deep inventory of generators - they've been rental staples practically since day one. And the trends toward smaller, easier-to-use, more portable and quieter generators may well spur growth in this market if rental companies can reach those customers for whom these advancements are important issues.

"Hydraulic generators are really selling like hotcakes because they are quieter and more environmentally friendly, due to their enclosed system," says Parnell Thill, marketing services coordinator for Stanley Hydraulic Tools, based in Milwaukie, Ore. "Most people think of a loud jackhammer when they think of uses for generators, but more people are demanding quieter operations."

Today gasoline and diesel engine-powered generators and pneumatic models are approaching the quieter operation of hydraulic units, also.

Safety - that is, the safe range of decibel levels for human ears - is becoming a huge issue. "Where noise is either of greater user concern or an environmental concern, there really is a difference with the closed system of a hydraulic machine," Thill says.

Dennis Morrison, national sales manager for diesel genset manufacturer Coleman Engineering, based in Holly Springs, Miss., says the entire rental industry is leaning toward the quieter machines - as well as some other key features in demand these days, including a voltage selector switch and more onboard fuel capacity.

"We're finding that [rental] operators need to know more ahead of time what the fuel capacity is when they are putting gensets out for larger operations," Morrison says. More fuel means more productive time in the field.

International Sales Manager Joyce Forcelle of Winco, LeCenter, Minn., says all the emphasis on very specific generator features - whether gasoline, pneumatic or hydraulic models - is due largely to the fact that generator rentals over the last two or three years have leaned toward application-driven use: people are renting them for specific purposes, not just keeping them around in case there's a power failure. That opens a big potential market for rental companies that can identify opportunities and how to reach prospecitive renters.

"Homeowners have become a common renter for these units, especially the more portable units," says Forcelle. "They don't want to be lugging a 200-pound unit around."

"Generators are aimed more and more for the rental market so people can put it them in the back of a pickup truck," says Thill, again pointing to the advantages of hydraulic units: "A pneumatic generator that puts out the same power as a hydraulic that fits in a pickup truck is about as large as a horse trailer. If you're a small- to medium-sized business with residential applications, pneumatic air units are not practical.

"In general, people really are trying to get one that's more portable, and it is a natural fit for the rental owners. But some rental owners say they like the ease of use and the convenience of the hydraulic model, but they think it can't be that powerful because it's small. Instead, they park the horse-sized pneumatic on their yard. There's a real need to educate the industry," Thill says.

For the professional renter, the variety of products available through the rental channel is a big factor, says Winco's Forcelle: "People are looking at renting products for specific jobs. That's why contractors are increasingly looking to rental." In fact, that observation applies across the board.

Safety is an area where education really has stepped up and must continue to do so, according to Morrison. "With generators there's a potential for shocks or short-circuits, so every [manufacturer] must emphasize well-written instructions [that include] placards showing the key points."

Morrison also is a strong believer in the critical importance of in-house training that manufacturers provide for their customers. (See the Rental Management cover story, Manufacturer Training Training Training, March 1998 which talks about the competitive advantage that manufacturers' training programs can give to rental companies.)

"The really big challenge is education, whether you're talking about hydraulic [models] or not - education about the potential for increasing the applications that gensets go out for," Thill says. "There needs to be some study on it. Small-to-medium-sized rental operations are getting a handle on what the potential is for these things and looking at products as individual marketing challenges. I think manufacturers need to work in cooperation with rental owners better so they understand there is potential for each kind of generator."

Manufacturers are indeed becoming more consultative in their approach to rental customers. "Manufacturers have to educate [rental operators] and help them broaden their base of equipment," Thill says - and he quickly follows that with a strong statement about why: there's a tremendous amount of business available through the rental channel that remains untapped. "That's why we're spending so much time on the rental market," says Thill. "There is a huge potential there."