What should a concrete pump cost? Who gets to decide? My guess is that the steel for everyone’s boom is pretty much the same. The same is also true for the outriggers and frame and turret assembly. Hoppers, whatever type valve is used, wear plates, material cylinders and differential cylinders are, when it comes right down to it all very close to equal in today’s pumps. No one manufacturer is way out front with trick metallurgy in any of these areas. Last time I looked all of the big purchasers paid about the same for a ton of whatever type of steel is needed for any component. Boom, differential, shift and outrigger cylinders are ‘peas in a pod’ the same. Everyone needs a PTO and hydraulic pumps and these all seem to come from the same companies. Control circuits for the pump, outriggers, boom… yup, everybody has to have them. 23 relays and a mile of wire and that is pretty much a build list for a garden variety concrete pump today.

That is the “pay-out” side of the ledger. How about the “income” side; that is even simpler. HOW LONG IS THE BOOM?

So I think that most reasonable people would agree that about the only things left are: management and labor cost, warranty cost, plant infrastructure, sales and marketing cost, insurance and… oh yea…profit.

Who gets to decide what a concrete pump costs?

The customer! ;~)

Written By Bob Sanderson Published by ConcretePumping.com