Our tower lights make your camping head torch look like a fairy light. These light towers mean serious business. In saying that, they need to be used properly if you want to get good bang for buck when you hire this equipment. This advanced gear guide will get into the nitty gritty so you know what you’re doing. We’ll cover:
What light towers can be used for
A good light tower can play a big part in workplace safety. But, given the sheer size and power of this hire equipment, they’re mainly used outdoors. A light tower is exactly as it sounds, surprise, surprise.
Generally, a light tower is a large, mobile and high intensity light on a mast. Given the cost to buy one new, and needing to store this large piece of kit, it often makes sense to hire this equipment instead of buying new.
We’ve already said that a light tower makes a great worksite light. But what does this actually look like? What industries and tradies, in particular, can prioritise workplace safety with one? Here are reasons why a light tower is not just essential hire gear for winter but for other times of the year as well.
Yes, tradies will most often swing by Hirepool branches to hire a light tower. But many people also use this gear for events at night, whether a concert, music festival or, in some cases, a wedding. A light tower helps keep patrons safe, as they can see where they’re going. In particular, tower lights can point punters to important areas like the loo.
It’s surprising how much we rely on electricity these days. This includes keeping the lights on at home. A light tower can be helpful if there’s a blackout or other emergency. Most of our light towers at Hirepool are either powered by diesel or are a diesel and battery hybrid. So, you can use one when there’s no power.
Top tip: If you need to rely on a battery, you may also want to hire a power generator to charge it. Read our advanced guide to generators for pointers on what to look for.
One of the main reasons to hire a light tower from us is for use on the work site, especially during night. A tower light means your team can keep trucking along safely, even when visibility is low or at night time. Workplace safety should always be top priority.
Another reason people hire a light tower is for movie sets. Believe it or not, this is more common than you’d think. When a film crew is out filming at a remote location or at night, a light tower is sometimes used to light a set and keep people safe as they work around the set. We’re not film buffs at Hirepool, but we’ve probably helped with some pretty big movies over the years.
Many road works projects occur at night when fewer vehicles are on the road. It makes sense, really. Civil Construction companies are some of our biggest customers for light towers. They hire them to help them work safely long into the night. Especially during winter, when the sun sets earlier. Sometimes there are even roadworks carried out during the day and there are streetlights out of action. In this instance, light towers can also act as a substitute.
It's fair to say that a light tower is a handy piece of kit, especially when it comes to workplace safety. We’ve got a few options at our Hirepool branches across the country. So, how do you know which one is right for you? Here are some points to consider before booking online.
The long and short of it; there are three main types of light towers. It’s also worth noting that the majority of light towers these days are hybrid models. Diesel light towers are slowly being phased out. We offer all three at Hirepool, but some are rarer than others. These types include:
As the name suggests, this is a light tower that runs on a diesel motor. These are the tried and tested models, but they are sometimes a bit louder.
Hybrid light towers are the more modern take on this gear. These light towers run on both diesel, battery and plug in through mains power (10A Plug). Kind of like a hybrid car, these hybrid light towers have an inbuilt generator that charges the battery when it’s running. So, it can last longer using less fuel.
Electric light towers are pretty far and few between in New Zealand. In saying that, a few are floating about.
When choosing a light tower, think about what you value most. If noise is a factor, go for hybrid or electric. If you want to less impact the environment, don’t go with diesel.
The bulk of the tower lights at Hirepool are towable. This is great; you can just whack it on your tow ball and away you go. We do have a couple of options that aren’t towable, in which case you’ll need to hire a truck to get them from A to B. In most cases, a trailer won’t cut the mustard. When deciding which light tower you need, consider whether your vehicle has a tow ball.
Generally, light towers are measured in lumens. For those that aren’t in the know, lumens are a measurement of units of light. It’s common sense, but if you need to light up a larger area, you’ll probably need a tower light higher in lumens.
Older diesel light towers used to run with halogen lights (4 x 1000w). However, new hybrid models have LED lights (4 x 150w). These LED lights tend to provide a white light as opposed to the yellow from halogen lights.
Especially if you’re hiring a light tower for an exposed work site, you’ll want to keep wind capacity in mind. This is the maximum wind you can use your light tower in without risking it falling over or being damaged. Most of the light towers at Hirepool have a wind capacity of 110 km/hr.
One of the perks of our hybrid light towers is that they have an inbuilt light sensor feature. Basically, this means that the light will turn on and off on its own when it senses it should. So, the light tower will turn on when the sun goes down at the end of the day and turn off when the sun comes up.
This sensor may seem a bit spooky, but this can be a time-saving and helpful feature. Especially if you have a situation where you need to have a light working when there is no one around to staff it. A good example of this is for roadworks when the light tower needs to act as a street light. This sensor also helps preserve fuel, making it more eco-friendly.
As with any hire equipment, workplace safety always need to be top priority. This includes following safety best practices and wearing the correct personal protective equipment. When you hire any equipment from Hirepool, it’ll come with its own safety instructions for use. Each piece of gear is different, but PPE to consider includes:
Its also vital you go over the prestart safety check before you power up your light tower too. These may include:
For starters, each light tower is different. Each model will also come with its own unique set-up instructions. So, you’ll want to follow these in the first instance. Our hybrid light towers are the most popular these days, so here is the gist of how to set one of these up:
Turning off the light tower is also really simple. Lower the mast, secure it, then press the stop button. Then you’ll want to turn the operation dial, and battery isolator switches to OFF.
If you’re after a big light tower for a serious job, here are the main options at Hirepool. It’s well worth noting that these days, given how they’re more cost effective and better for the environment, hybrid options are the more popular option.
This light tower is perfect for lighting large areas. It has a rotating masthead that reaches nine metres. This option either comes in an electric or battery option. You can’t tow this light tower, so you’ll need a specialist truck.
Once again, this light tower is great for large spaces. Also, once again, this option has a masthead that can reach nine metres. This particular light tower runs on diesel and is towable. This means you can connect it to the back of your work truck.
This light tower is a hybrid model, meaning it can run on both diesel and a battery. It’s very efficient on fuel usage, lower in emissions and much quieter than other options. You can also tow this light tower.
This light tower is a fully diesel model with a slightly higher reach and masthead than some of the other options on the fleet. Being fully towable, you can also easily move this light tower around.
Especially during winter, a light tower can be essential equipment to hire for overall workplace safety. View our range of light towers online now. If you need more pointers, reach out to your local Hirepool crew. For more help for tradies, give our Trade Hub a nosey.
