Drilling and blasting equipment is necessary for your business, but you're not sure what your options are. Where do you look? How do you find the best drilling equipment suppliers? How do you find the best prices? This guide will take you through the basics of locating the right drilling equipment manufacturer for your needs.

There's a wealth of drilling and blasting equipment information out there. You just need to know how to find it. You can start quite easily by simply asking yourself 3 questions about your needs:

1. What drilling equipment suppliers can fulfill the needs of my business?

2. What expenditures will my business need to absorb?

3. Are there alternatives to buying expensive rock drilling and blasting equipment?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine your rock drilling equipment needs

Assess your business before searching for any drilling equipment manufacturers. What do you need the equipment for? Are you drilling a well or blasting for a mine? Does the location of your work limit the kind of equipment you can use? By pinpointing your requirements, you know exactly what you need and can start contacting drilling or blasting equipment suppliers that have the right products.

I recommend: If your needs are diverse, consider organizations like The Thomas Companies, which have several branches that specialize in different types of work. You can request a catalog of their products. Also, check out MiningUSA.com for companies and equipment you can access for drilling and blasting.

Anticipate what level of drilling and blasting equipment you can afford

Owning your own business means you're constantly calculating your costs, so you want to know what sorts of equipment and services you can afford. Providers of drilling and blasting equipment have many different fields of expertise and many kinds of machinery. Know which company to choose by knowing first exactly what you need for your job and how much you can spend.

I recommend: Get a head start by getting quotes from several companies, which will give you an idea about your costs. Contact Aggregates Equipment, Inc., or REV Drill for pricing information.

Save money by renting rock drilling equipment

Slash your expenses by renting equipment instead of buying it outright. If your drilling needs are limited or short-term, this is the way to go. You'll save money up front and avoid worrying about storing machinery you hardly ever use.

I recommend: Rental Site can help you search for what you need. Caterpillar has a special "Build and Quote" application that lets you configure your own machine and get a price quote.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look into used equipment as another way to save money. Many manufacturers, including several of the ones listed above, deal in used as well as new equipment.