Every plate compactor and rammer gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Machines are grouped by type, plate compactors and jumping jack rammers; warranty uses the same scale in both groups, and value, force, plate size and build use a scale for each group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price per 1,000 lb of credited force | 30% |
| Force | compaction force, capped by machine weight | 25% |
| Plate | plate or shoe area | 10% |
| Build | name-brand engine, wheel kit and water tank | 15% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 20% |
Where the numbers come from
Force, plate or shoe size, engine, weight, vibration or blow rate, travel speed, water tank, wheel kit and warranty come from the maker’s product page, spec sheet or manual, or the maker’s own listing copy at a retailer. When a maker gives force only in kN, it is converted at 224.8 lbf per kN. Prices are checked at Amazon, the maker’s own store and other retailers, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The force cap
A plate or rammer can only push down as hard as its own weight and its spring system allow, and pro machines from rental brands claim about 15 to 22 lb of force per pound of machine. Some budget machines claim 25 to 33 lb per pound. So the force these rankings credit is capped: a plate compactor is credited at most 20 lbf per lb of its weight, and a rammer at most 25 lbf per lb. A machine that claims more is scored at the cap, and its force and value factors are marked estimated. When a maker doesn’t publish the weight, the claimed force is used as is.
The factors
Value is the current price divided by the credited force, per 1,000 lbf, on a log scale, so halving the price per pound of force always counts the same. For plate compactors, $1,500 per 1,000 lbf scores zero and $150 full marks; for rammers, $2,500 per 1,000 lbf scores zero and $250 full marks.
Force is the credited force. For plate compactors, 1,500 lbf scores zero and 4,500 lbf full marks; for rammers, 2,000 lbf scores zero and 3,600 lbf full marks.
Plate is the area of the plate, or of the shoe on a rammer, width times length. For plate compactors, 200 sq in scores zero and 450 sq in full marks; for rammers, 110 sq in scores zero and 160 sq in full marks.
Build for a plate compactor is 40% for a name-brand engine (Honda, Briggs & Stratton, Subaru or Kohler), 30% for a wheel kit in the box and 30% for a water tank. For a rammer it is 60% for a name-brand engine and 40% for a wheel kit in the box. A wheel kit sold as an add-on doesn’t count.
Warranty is the maker’s product warranty: none scores zero and 3 years full marks. A separate engine warranty from the engine maker isn’t counted.
What isn’t scored
Engine size and power, weight, vibrations or blows per minute, travel speed, compaction depth and water tank size are listed but not scored. Claimed compaction depth isn’t measured the same way by every maker.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. Value is neutral when the force isn’t published. Build is neutral only when the engine maker, wheel kit and water tank are all unpublished; if one is published, the others count as missing from the score. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.