Landscape & Irrigation

September 2016

Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.

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22 September 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Attachments are key The type of work compact utility loaders are used for has been growing in recent years, primarily because of the increasing variety of attachments for the machine. Buckets, forks, augers, tillers, trenchers, land levelers, power box rakes, graders, blades, snow blowers — this is just a sampling of attachments that are popular with landscapers (see sidebar). Having so many options can help contractors grow their businesses. Want to get into irrigation installations? Buy or rent a trencher attachment. Get a couple of different sizes of auger bits, and you could be installing fence posts, root balls or even basketball hoops. Sunderman and Hutchinson see the development of additional attachments as one of the reasons compact utility loaders have such a strong future in the landscape industry. "If there's an application that's not being met now by the available attachments, it's quite possible that there will be one at some point," said Sunderman. Accessibility and operational features Currently, landscapers are most often using a compact utility loader for hauling material, site prep and trenching for irrigation, drainage tile or wiring for exterior lighting. "You can get material in place by using a traditional wheelbarrow, but the time, effort and perhaps number of trips are drastically reduced by using a mini skid-steer," said Sunderman. A Productive Future Compact utility loaders, and their attachments, are adding versatility on the jobsite Landscapers are a versatile group, tackling jobs involving land and plants, hardscaping, irrigation, fencing and walls, tree work, snow removal and more. It's as if the compact utility loader was made for them. After all, the first word that comes to mind when talking about the machine, also known as a mini skid-steer, is "versatility." "There are so many things that a mini skid-steer can add to a landscape business," said Jay Sunderman, commercial business manager for Tree Care, Rental and Landscape at Vermeer. "There are an increasing number of attachments developed for different applications, it can access most jobsites and it augments labor, which is a crucial issue in the landscape industry right now." Compact utility loaders have been present in the domestic market for more than a decade, but awareness is growing, and, in many ways, the machines are the future of the landscape industry. "We're going to see a lot more mini skid-steers in the landscaping industry in the coming years," said Matt Hutchinson, product manager for Tree Care, Rental and Landscape at Vermeer. A major reason is a compact utility loader's potential to ease labor issues. Landscaping is a physically demanding profession. This has made finding and retaining quality crew members arguably the biggest problem facing the industry. A compact utility loader offers solutions to both those issues. First, it is more productive and efficient than just about any person could hope to be. For example, instead of having a crew member carry pavers by hand or with a wheelbarrow to a backyard, a compact utility loader can do that work faster and in fewer trips. Reducing the physical demands of a job can increase employee happiness, helping to recruit and retain employees. "We want to help landscape business owners get more productivity out of their crews by giving them a tool to use like a mini skid-steer," said Sunderman. "As far as employee satisfaction goes, it's less fatiguing on that employee to use a mini skid-steer."

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