Buying a Utility Locator?

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Buying a Utility Locator?

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If you are in the underground construction business, you should be verifying the location of every utility line before work begins. While contacting One Call before a job begins is still required, double-checking the exact line location yourself and using soft excavation methods to verify will reduce your company’s risks of a utility strike.

As the old carpentry saying goes; “It’s better to measure twice and cut once.” Your team should be following a similar motto: It's better to locate twice than have to perform extra repair and restoration. Because, even if a utility strike isn’t your crew's fault, at a minimum, the incident will still cost you hours of unproductive downtime.

What to consider when shopping for a locator

Before buying a locator, you need to make sure to choose the right one for your needs. You want one that:

  • Will give you the most accurate readings even in a crowded area with a lot of interference
  • Will hold up under harsh job site conditions including dirt, rain and heavy usage
  • Is backed by a responsive dealer network that is a leader in the utility industry

Utility locators built by McLaughlin meet all of those criteria. Serving the underground construction industry for more than 95 years, McLaughlin understands the specific needs that contractors face on the job site.

McLaughlin locators are durable and do not require a lot of updating, which means you won’t have to hassle with them like you would with some other locators. The locators are backed with a three-year standard warranty and waterproof guarantee. Also, most McLaughlin locators are supported through the Vermeer worldwide network of dealers, so when you need service or training, help is never far away.

The right locator for your needs

McLaughlin offers four different utility location systems. Here is a quick overview of each model to help you determine which locator to consider.

Vermeer Verifier G3 by McLaughlin: With its rugged design and pinpoint accuracy, this locator is the right choice for utility contractors and companies who want to own the best and most versatile tool on the market. 

The Verifier G3 locator features multiple frequencies and 30-foot depth capabilities. Its durable design with antennas mounted in rubber isolators helps reduce the need for instrument calibration. It also has the most accurate push-button peak depth on any locator and a combination screen that reduces screen toggling. 

According to Jake Jeffords, director of sales and marketing for McLaughlin Underground, the Verifier G3 locator is accurate at depth estimates and does a great job in congested underground conditions. “From making general utility line sweeps to verifying the location of a particular line, this is the locator that most contractors should consider investing in,” he says.

McLaughlin Vision LX: Sharing the same qualities as the Verifier G3 locator, the Vision LX is another great option for anyone working in the underground construction market. The unit’s simple and user-friendly interface with a combination screen makes it easy to use.

McLaughlin Vision FLX2: If you are an electrical contractor that needs to pinpoint a fault in an existing line, then the Vision FLX2 locator is what you should have in your truck. This unit offers cable tracing with depth estimate and can locate faults for electric, CATV and telecommunication lines. 

“The Vision FLX2 locator reduces the guesswork for utility repairs,” Jeffords says. “As the operator walks the path, he or she will be able to accurately pinpoint the spot of a line break using this locator system. From there, corrective action can be taken.”

McLaughlin GX2: McLaughlin developed this locating system for plumbing and electrical contractors who require additional power and frequencies. The McLaughlin GX2 model features three locating modes: peak mode with manual gain adjustments, peak mode with semiauto gain adjustments, as well as a combination of peak and manual mode.

“Plumbing, electrical and sewer contractors like the GX2 locator because it works well with other tools they are using on jobs like a camera inspection system,” Jeffords says. “This unit puts out seven watts of power and has more available frequencies than other models, which gives them more volts for dialing in a locate.”

Taking the time to choose the right utility locator and learning how to use it will help you avoid utility strikes, and keep your crew safe and productive, as well as help you maintain a solid reputation.

If you need more help with selecting a utility locator, visit McLaughlin.com to learn more. 



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