Are you a contractor thinking about getting into the concrete grinding and polishing market? Then my advice to you is... stay away from the “WORLD OF CONCRETE” (WOC) show held yearly in Vegas! I'm joking of course (sort of).....
Years ago, when I was contracting, my brother and I were talking about getting into concrete polishing. Not knowing anything about the industry we thought that the WOC was a good place to start.
We went to WOC with the intention of looking at the different systems available — and then we'd buy the one we liked best. What we didn't account for was how confusing this process was going to be for us!
There were so many different types of concrete grinders, by so many different manufacturers, offering so many opinions, that we were totally overwhelmed. It was confusing! And it wasn't 'cheap' to invest in any of the systems we researched.
We spent the entire day looking at endless grinders and getting endless sales pitches — our heads were SPINNING! But!... We narrowed down our choice anyway and prepared to buy a system.
Just as we were ready to buy, we bumped into an old friend who just happened to be a PRO in the concrete grinding and polishing industry. We told him about the system we were about to buy and asked him for his feedback.
Before giving his opinion, he asked us a few questions about our future business and HOW we intended to use this system, and WHAT we expected to get from it? So we told him. He raised his eyebrows and said, in his opinion, we were making a huge mistake in choosing this particular system.
To be clear — it was a good system — but NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE for the work we wanted to do, or how we wanted to do it! And we would most likely outgrow it pretty fast, especially if we were going to be successful in growing our business into this new service area.
But how were we to know that we were making the wrong choice?
My point in sharing this story with you is this... there are A LOT of equipment manufacturers who make concrete grinders and polishers. All of them have many different styles, each designed for a specific purpose. And every one of them (including us 😉) is vying for your business. We all want to provide the machines you need to get your job done.
BUT!!!... it is in your best interest to have an idea of what you want to accomplish with your purchase (both from the machine - and from the marketplace where you do business), and THEN decide what TYPE of machine will match the work and will provide the expected performance level you need...
Here are just a few important questions that you should be asking yourself when trying to determine the best machine for your type of desired work.
One last thought regarding Equipment advice...
Lastly, I would recommend that you find a TRUSTED Sales Representative that knows both the equipment and the industry you are working in. There are many great Sales Reps out there to help you make the best choice. Knowledgeable Sales Reps can give you "informed direction" and can help you match your needs with the machine best suited for you.
Yes, Sales Reps will often be 'biased' to the machines they sell — that is their job after all — but the good ones will also acknowledge good competitor machines when asked. And remember, you can call upon any of the Bartell Sales Specialists when you need expertise and feedback.
Yes, it can be confusing and intimidating when looking for the right concrete grinder. And it's probably safe to say that you won't have a 'chance' meeting by a seasoned PRO right before you purchase. But you can get the same result just by asking yourself these simple — but telltale -— questions to help guide you.
All the best in your equipment research!