FAQs About Rammers
United Rentals offers multiple sizes of vibratory rammers, also known as tampers, jumping jacks or wacker packers. They are designed for compacting cohesive and mixed soils in confined areas. Rammers are ideal for backfills around foundations, forms, pipelines and other trench work, including preparation for concrete or asphalt. If you need deep compaction in a narrow area, this is the right compaction equipment for you.
Learn more about our rammers in our FAQ section below.
United Rentals offers three different sizes — small, medium and large. Small rammer compactors should be used for the narrowest areas, such as around pipelines or small trenches. Medium and large jumping jack rammers are designed for larger areas, such as preparing concrete sites or driveways.
United Rentals offers small, medium and large plate/foot-size gas-powered jumping jack rammers and heavy-duty diesel-powered large rammers. You should choose a rammer based on the size of the jobsite and the amount of compaction you need. If you have a larger work area and need deep compaction, a larger rammer would be advantageous. If you are compacting a very narrow trench around utility pipes or structures, a smaller size would be best.
Jumping jack rammer compactors are narrower, and they have increased impact force. The rammer compactor is best used when you need to compact material in a narrow trench or around utility pipes. The plate compactor is the right choice if you need to compact a large, flat area with granular soil. Instead of relying on impact force, the plate compactor vibrates, moving the soil particles closer together and resulting in high-density compaction. However, the jumping jack and plate compactor work well together; use the plate compactor to prep the area, the jumping jack to compact the cohesive soil, and the plate compactor again to finish.