A concrete driveway fails from a soft base, not from the finish broom. Day one is excavation. Day two is base and compaction. Pour day is forms, a truck, and maybe lights if you are finishing after work. The compaction hub covers theory; this page is the driveway as a job. We rent the dirt and density machines — not power trowels or pumps.
In This Guide
Equipment for pouring a driveway
Primary machines
Mini excavator
PrimaryE35 for most residential cuts; 305.5 when the slab is thick or the soil is cemented.
Cut to depth, shape the edges, and load out the old drive.
Skip it when you are pouring on an already-prepared, inspected pad and only need compaction.
BrowseCompact track loader
PrimaryT550 class. Wheels only on a dry, sacrificial surface.
Place and grade base without destroying the park strip you still have to live with.
Skip it when base is being dumped exactly in the forms and you can spread it by hand.
BrowsePlate and/or roller
PrimaryPlate for edges; RD12-class roller when the field is a real driveway.
Density. This is the rental that decides whether the slab cracks in year two.
Skip it when the base was compacted and inspected yesterday and nobody drove on it.
BrowseOptional / nice to have
Skid-steer breaker
OptionalHydraulic breaker on S550/T550 class.
Demo the existing slab before you pretend you can “just overlay it.”
Skip it when there is no existing concrete.
BrowseDump trailer
Optional7×14 for demo; 6×12 if you only have leftover dirt.
Old concrete out, extra base in.
Skip it when a roll-off is already in the driveway.
BrowseLight tower
OptionalTerex RL4 6 kW class.
Late finishes. Concrete does not care that you have a day job.
Skip it when the pour is at 8 a.m. and you will be done in daylight.
BrowseTypical pairing
Demo + cut: breaker and mini + dump trailer. Base: CTL + plate/roller. Pour: send the earthmoving home so it is not parked on the fresh slab. Lights only if the sun is losing.
Get the old one out and the subgrade right
Existing slabs want a breaker on a skid steer, then a mini to load. New cuts want an E35 or 305.5 depending on depth and soil. A CTL spreads import base. Do not pour on native clay that “felt hard this morning.”
Compact in lifts
WP1550 plate for edges and approaches; RD12-class roller for a long, wide drive. Thickness is a print and a city thing — residential drives are often 4–6 inches over compacted base. We size machines, not mix designs.
Pour day is logistics
Keep the telehandler off green concrete. A dump trailer can still fetch a last load of base if you under-ordered. Light towers (Terex RL4 class) if you are finishing after 5 p.m. in March.
FAQ
Do you rent concrete mixers or power trowels?
Not as a listed class. Ask what is in the yard; do not assume a finishing fleet. Ready-mix and a finisher are the usual pour-day plan.
Gravel driveway instead?
Different page — equipment to build a gravel driveway. You still compact. You skip the pump.
How far ahead should I compact?
Far enough that the inspector and the truck are not the same morning. Call (801) 880-8800 with square footage and pour time.
Machines on the lot
Live inventory rotates. These are current machines in the related rental collections — not a promise that a specific used unit is still here.
Need a quote on the right class?
Call or text — we'll match height, width, and capacity to the job instead of renting you a bigger machine than you need.