A Chance to Grow

Andy Weilbacher hopes to grow his company,  10-year-old Weilbacher Landscaping, this year and implement a second crew to install water features. While the economy may make this goal challenging, he remains optimistic.

“People said that last year about the economy, but we actually had one of the best years in 2008 as we shifted gears from new construction,” says the owner of the $500,000, Millstadt, Ill.-based business. “People instead were taking out home loans and doing remodeling projects.”

With homeowners now sprucing up their existing houses, Weilbacher could continue to see an increase in hardscapes and water features. “Versa-Lok retaining walls are our No. 1 seller,” he adds. For this type of work, their
Bobcat 328 compact excavator is used more than he ever originally thought.

The purchase was made when his company was installing a very large water project. Before this, his crews had used their Bobcat skid-steer loaders and would occasionally rent a mini excavator for retaining wall projects and water features. The company was able to get a demo machine they liked and decided to make the purchase. Because of the magnitude of the water feature project the company purchased it for, it recouped the cost on this installation alone.

Now the mini excavator is used to tear out railroad tie walls, move boulders and more. The company currently uses the excavator for nearly 50 percent of its work. “We purchased it with the grapple option,” says Weilbacher, who has five employees. “This option makes it feel like we have three extra guys on the job. The grapple has paid for itself.”

Weilbacher already owned two Bobcat skid-steer loaders, so the decision to purchase a compact excavator from the company came easy. It also helps to have a Bobcat dealer two miles away, which simplifies getting service and parts.

When he was looking at his different choices from Bobcat, he knew he didn’t want a machine that was too small, yet could still get into tight spaces and smaller backyards if needed. And he wanted one that offered an adequate dig depth; his 328 digs 10 feet deep.

He also chose to not get a cab enclosure with air conditioning and heating, which adds $4,000 to $5,000 to the purchase price. Having an enclosure also means the windows need to stay clean to give the crew good visibility.

With good maintenance – keeping the fluids and filters changed every 100 hours and lubricating the machine daily – Weilbacher says he should get about 4,000 hours out of his mini excavator.

For his next Bobcat purchase, Weilbacher plans to buy the 430 ZTS with zero tail swing. “With this option, there is no swinging past the rubber tracks,” he says. “You could work an inch away from a house and not bump it when you swing around.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Valley View, Ohio.