The hire industry is dynamic and growing, offering opportunities for those who are dedicated and committed to providing excellent products and services to their customers.
There are two specific models optioned for the hire industry: the more compact WS150 Superaxe and the larger WS3150 Superaxe. Both models feature the patented sliding blade, ergonomic bench height, safety guarding, the highest quality 9hp power packs, log lifter, top quality parts and heavy-duty construction – all covered by two year warranty. In NZ, all Superaxe 150 & 3150 models are sold with the ‘ready-for-hire’ kit. This includes heavy duty mudguards, a heavy duty swing up jockey wheel, permanent LED lights, reflectors, base plug mounted at the front of the draw bar and VIN plate. Fleet colours are also available by request.
Including these reliable, safe and hard working wood splitters in your range is the best thing you can do for your hire business.
ROI is not just cost per hire, it must take into account durability, manufacturer support, customer demand, potential injury liability and resale value. Superaxe ticks all the boxes here in addition to providing a safe machine that has an unrivalled brand reputation.
Most hire companies advertise a day hire rate for wood splitters around $250 – $400.
With the WS150 costing NZD$11,750 (painted frame) / $12,250 (galvanised frame) (excluding NZ GST) and the 3150 9hp costing NZD$13,500 (painted frame) / $14,250 (galvanised frame) (excluding NZ GST), the initial cost is recouped quickly – making Superaxe the ideal addition to your hire inventory.
The New Zealand Worksafe guidelines are set up to encourage machinery designers to work within a set of standards which are aimed at guaranteeing safety of the operator. Currently, these guidelines are being reviewed – however, in the past they have been closely based on Australian WorkCover guidelines established by NSW in 2009.
While we await any updates, there are some important aspects to consider. These guidelines have in the past been focused on (but not limited to) two-handed controls & manual blade return. The two handed control system means that the blade cannot be activated unless both hands are pushing the controls at the same time, guaranteeing that hands are kept well away from the cycling blade.
Importantly, these guidelines are voluntary.
The key issue for the hire industry is that if a person hires a non-compliant machine and injures themselves, it is the hire company that is most likely liable, not the manufacturer. The same applies for machines which have been tampered with.
If a person hires a compliant machine and injures themselves, it is rare that they could claim any damages as the machine is deemed to be ‘safe’ and the fault therefore rests on the user. Most cases in the last decade that have been brought against manufactures of compliant machines have been judged in favour of the manufacturer – with the user being liable for their own misuse.
Whitlands Engineering is awaiting updates to the NZ code which may result in subtle design changes in order to achieve full compliance.
Download the most recent information here: WorkSafe NZ
Superaxe has been on the market since 1993 – it is known by name across Australia and New Zealand as the industry leader in wood splitting design & efficiency. Whitlands Engineering is a family owned business and all machines are designed and built from scratch in our NE Victorian workshop. The Superaxe range is covered by 2 year frame warranty, with Honda Vanguard & powerpacks covered by a 3 year manufacturers warranty. All of our machinery is built using off-the-shelf parts ensuring quick replacement times. Our staff all have genuine expertise and experience in the industry and our pre & after sales service is unrivalled. We work with industry to design solutions to common issues and continually refine our machines in the pursuit of efficiency, safety and ergonomic comfort.
