Rammer or Compactor: Which is Right for You?

The construction sector has to deal with a huge number of matters with the help of a number of tools. Even their tools and machines are in such a wide range as per the requirements in the field. Only if we take the settlement and compaction of ground, there are several types of machines used. Plate compactor and tamping rammer are among those main machines. Each job needs a different treatment and process with the help of these machines. To handle these matters, civil engineers and laborers have to purchase powerful machines from a tamping rammer exporter. Similarly, performance level, applications, prices, and durability are among the main elements contractors have to consider.

Now, if you are in the construction field, you might face a dilemma between buying a plate compactor and a tamping rammer. Though they have similar applications, there are some prominent differences between them. You can find those differences below.

Tamping Rammer is for Narrow Areas

Some places are narrow, and you can’t use large machines for settling the soil. Then you have to use a tamping rammer on those areas to settle the soil. Since these machines have a small plate of working that uses the whole force on that specific narrow area, normally, they are used for the ramming of small areas in gardens, parking lots, sandboxes, etc. This machine allows the user to focus on a specific spot to settle down the tiniest particles of soil. That massive force suppresses those particles to smoothen the soil for better settlement.

Plate Compactor is for Wide Areas

When you have a large area to deal with, you have to switch to a plate compactor. They are for large areas where you need to settle ground particles in an equal way. That means you will not have to focus on just a specific spot like in tamping rammer. You need a plate compactor that has a wide and flat surface to suppress larger areas of soil without leaving anything behind. It could be your entire garden, construction site, pavement area, and similar wide places. That will allow you will have a higher area for working on soil compaction.

Tamping Rammer is for Cohesive Soil like Clay

Some soils are sticky and cohesive, which need tamping rammers only. They eliminate air bubbles by suppressing the clay particles. These air bubbles can make the soil unbalanced for construction work or gardening. Moreover, the cavities inside those clay soils need heavy ramming. This heavy ramming is possible only through tamping rammers. When they exert heavy force on those areas, the soil starts to settle down by filling air bubbles and cavities. They leave no space or cavity inside the clay for complete bonding.

Plate Compactor is for Gravel and Asphalt

Granular soil has got countless unsettled gravels. This unsettlement does not allow the ground to become even and balanced. You have to choose a machine that can settle them with massive force and distribution. To settle tiny particles of soil equally, a plate compactor is the right tool. Its flat surface equally distributes the grains of soil to fill the gaps. It breaks down the gravel to settle well for the flatness of the ground.

Another thing is you can use them for asphalt settlement on your pavement. You do not need a huge compactor like a bulldozer to settle a small area like a pathway. A plate compactor can suppress hard asphalt particles also.

Tamping Rammers Have More Force than Compactors

When we compare the force of exertion, tamping rammers are more powerful than plate compactors. The reason is that they are supposed to focus on a specific area with full force. At the same time, a plate compactor has to divide the particles of soil into a settled layer. In case you want to know the difference, tamping rammers can generate almost double the force of plate compactors. This is why tamping rammers create much more vibration. The reason why plate compactors have less weight is their mobility. They are easy to move in different directions as compared to rammers.

Plate Compactors are Heavier than Tamping Rammers

The weight difference is obvious because of the components and size of the machines. Both have different shapes and designs, which contribute to the weights of these machines. If we look at plate compactors, they weigh from 50 kg to 100 kg and above. If we increase the engine power, the size and weight will also increase. Some plate compactors weigh around 200 kgs also.

On the other hand, tamping rammers normally weigh from 20 kgs to 90 kgs normally. They have less weight, which makes them easy to stand on a specific spot for tapping. Likewise, their functions differ from each other. That is why moving a heavy plate compactor is easy because of its structure.