There are a number of mechanized products with the word compactor in their name, but not all of them immediately indicate what the machine is designed to do or what function it is built to accomplish. One of the more confusingly named products is the plate compactor, which has a name that sounds like the opening to a Jerry Seinfeld comedy routine. Just imagine Jerry standing up in front of a crow wondering aloud: What is a plate compactor? Does it compact plates? Is it a plate that compacts other plates? What is a plate compactor, I ask you? Why would anyone want to compact a plate?

While it seems perfectly reasonable for a stand up comedian to poke fun at products whose name might indicate a very unusual function, the truth is that plate compactors have absolutely nothing to do with dinner plates. Instead plate compactors are used before construction projects in order to ensure that the ground is are firmly compacted as possible before building anything on top of it.

In order to understand the value and true purpose of plate compactors one has to understand the problem that plate compactors are meant to solve more thoroughly. Even basic construction projects such as paving a driveway may seem easy, especially to the do-it-yourself crowd, but the task at hand is more complex than meets the eye if one wants to guarantee longevity. Distributing the weight of one or two vehicles plus a ton or two of cement and/or concrete over a few hundred square feet of driveway may seem like it mitigates the risk of having non-compacted ground, but the truth is that having an area of underlying ground that is not as firmly compacted and supportive as the rest will create a weak point. The results will not be a catastrophic earthquake, but they will eventually manifest themselves in cracks that can be covered only to return later. Without addressing the problem of the ground under the foundation, one can only hope to treat the recurring symptoms.

Plate compactors allow one to address these problems directly by compacting the ground in much the same way a steam roller does, but on a tighter budget. After all, steam rollers are incredibly expensive and even renting steam rollers is a proposition few can truly afford, particularly for home improvement projects like replacing a paved driveway with a concrete or stone driveway.

Instead of using a massive roller that weighs several tons, plate compactors act like jackhammers with large metal plates at the head; instead of cutting through objects with a small head like a jackhammer, plate compactors pulverize a surface repeatedly creating the most compact and secure ground upon which to build a foundation. Starting at around $700, plate compactors are expensive but if one’s needs are only temporary they may be able to rent a plate compactor for a short duration.