Plate Compactor

Compaction is the step people skip, and it is why patios heave and shed pads settle into a corner three winters later. Gravel dumped and raked flat is not a base. Gravel run over with a plate compactor, in lifts, is.

The 212cc engine is larger than most in this class, which shows up as 4,496 lb of force at 5,400 blows per minute and a plate that travels up to 82 feet a minute. Faster travel is not about rushing - it is what lets you cover a patio-sized area in passes rather than in an afternoon.

Compact in two to four inch lifts, not all at once. A plate compactor works the top few inches. Dump eight inches of base and run over it and you get a firm crust over loose material, which is worse than not compacting at all because it looks finished.

What people use it for

• Base under paver patios, walkways and fire pits
• Shed and outbuilding pads before the gravel gets levelled
• Backfilled utility trenches, so the ground does not sink over the line
• Driveway repair and pothole patching
• Firming up ground before setting posts or forms

Worth knowing

Damp material compacts. Bone-dry material moves around and dust flies; soaking-wet material turns to soup and pumps rather than compacting. If you can squeeze a handful into a ball that holds its shape and does not drip, the moisture is about right.

The swing-over handle is worth knowing about before you start - it lets you flip the handle to the other side so you can work right up against a wall or a form without the handle getting in the way.