plant hire - head to head
Atlas Copco vs Stephill
Both makes turn up on the same shortlists, and the honest answer is that they are built for different buyers rather than one being better than the other. Here is what actually separates them - from a directory that sells neither.
| Atlas Copco | Stephill | |
|---|---|---|
| Built in | Sweden (Stockholm) | England (Wellingborough, Northamptonshire) |
| Making trailers since | 1873 | 1985 |
| UK availability | Widely available - large UK network | Widely available - large UK network |
| Range covers | portable air compressors, diesel generators, LED light towers, dewatering pumps | petrol generators, super silent diesel generators, welfare generators, lighting towers |
| Best known for | XAS / XATS | Super Silent Diesel 3000rpm |
Choose Atlas Copco if...
Bought by hire fleets, contractors and utilities for portable compressors, generators and light towers. Known for the yellow and grey HardHat polyethylene canopy on its compressors and light towers.
Look at: XAS / XATS, QAS, HiLight
Full Atlas Copco profile →Choose Stephill if...
UK-built generators sold mainly to hire fleets and contractors. Range runs from small petrol sets to 1500rpm diesel sets for sites, events and welfare cabins.
Look at: Super Silent Diesel 3000rpm, Super Silent Diesel 1500rpm, Hiremax
Full Stephill profile →Where to hire or buy either
Most UK plant hire companies carry several makes and advertise none of them, so the practical move is to find the firms covering your area and ask what is on the yard.
Atlas Copco vs Stephill - common questions
Is Atlas Copco better than Stephill?
Neither is better outright - they are built for different buyers. Bought by hire fleets, contractors and utilities for portable compressors, generators and light towers. Known for the yellow and grey HardHat polyethylene canopy on its compressors and light towers. UK-built generators sold mainly to hire fleets and contractors. Range runs from small petrol sets to 1500rpm diesel sets for sites, events and welfare cabins.
Which is easier to get hold of in the UK, Atlas Copco or Stephill?
Atlas Copco: Atlas Copco Power Technique has UK offices at Hemel Hempstead with sales, service and parts. Stephill: Stephill builds in Wellingborough and says it supplies UK hire companies and the construction sector.
Can I hire rather than buy?
Yes. Most UK plant hire companies hire as well as sell, and many carry several makes without listing them. Search by your area and ask what they have on the yard.
Other comparisons
GetBrent is an independent directory and is not a dealer for, nor affiliated with, either manufacturer. Brand and model names are the trademarks of their owners, used here only to identify the products they refer to. Specifications vary by model year and market - confirm weights, dimensions and towing limits with the supplier before hiring or buying.