Running out of picks mid-project is avoidable. This guide covers how to calculate minimum site stock based on machine type, project length, and ground conditions.
Running out of picks mid-project is a big problem. A milling or stabilisation crew sitting idle while you wait on a parts delivery costs far more than the picks themselves and it’s entirely avoidable with a bit of planning upfront.
The most common reason contractors get caught short is ordering based on what they used last time, without accounting for what made last time different. A project with more rock content, harder subgrade, or a heavier milling depth will burn through picks significantly faster than a straightforward asphalt mill on a clean road surface. The second reason is lead time optimism, if your supplier is managing tight inventory, you can easily be waiting a week or more.
The variables that affect consumption
Ground conditions
This is the biggest variable. Soft, clean asphalt is easy on picks. Recycled pavement with aggregate, gravelly subgrade, or any material with rock inclusions will wear picks faster and sometimes dramatically so. If you’re working in conditions you haven’t cut before, build in a larger buffer.
Milling depth
Deeper cuts mean more material contact per pass. A 150mm stabilisation pass will consume picks faster than a 50mm mill.
Pick rotation
Picks that are free to rotate in the holder wear more evenly and last longer. Seized or poorly maintained holders cause uneven wear and faster replacement cycles. If your holders haven’t been serviced recently, factor that in.
A simple framework for calculating site stock
- Asphalt mill, clean surface (low abrasion) → add 20% buffer above your baseline estimate
- Asphalt mill recycled or aggregate content (medium abrasion) → add 40% buffer
- Stabilisation granular subgrade (medium-high abrasion) → add 50% buffer
- Stabilisation rocky or variable subgrade (high abrasion) → add 75–100% buffer
What to do on longer or remote projects
- Order your full estimated consumption upfront rather than topping up as you go
- Keep a minimum of one full drum set as standing safety stock on site at all times
- Check in with your supplier at the halfway point to confirm availability of additional stock if needed
If you’re running projects in the Pilbara, Kimberley, or other remote areas, the logistics reality means you should be holding significantly more buffer stock. We’ve supplied picks to crews operating weeks from the nearest freight hub, plan for that reality, not the ideal scenario.
We can help you work through a site stock estimate based on your machine, drum configuration, and the conditions you’re expecting. It’s a quick conversation that can save a painful one later.
