Heavy lifting and much more

For saving manpower on a landscaping job, compact tractors are a clear choice, equipment dealers say.

“A compact tractor is going to take the place of two or three people. You have one man and one machine that can do the job of two or three guys having to do a lot of stuff by hand,” says Kendrick Dodd, general manager for STEC Equipment, an equipment provider based in Anderson, South Carolina.

In simple terms, a compact tractor allows contractors to do the heavy lifting, replacing a wheelbarrow and two legs, Dodd says.

But with the addition of attachments, a compact tractor can become essential to business.

Multiple uses.

In a landscape setting, compact tractors can be used for mulch application, aeration, seeding and lawn applications including fertilizer and pesticide, Dodd says. Grading land is another common use, says Michael Maifrini, sales representative for Regional Tractor Sales, a construction and agricultural equipment provider based in Freelton, Ontario.

Compact tractors can also be used for cutting grass and excavations with a backhoe attachment. In the off-season, a compact tractor can remove snow with the aid of a snow blower attachment.

In Canada, landscape contractors often have good-sized snow contracts, Maifrini says.

For this type of work, he points to the Kioti line for snow removal because the chute rotation has complete hydraulic control, allowing the operator to point exactly where the snow should go.

Competitive advantage.

Landscapers also tend to gravitate toward compact tractors with a three-point hitch, Maifrini says.

“It really helps with putting grader boxes on. It really makes the tractor more versatile, and sometimes more versatile than a skid-steer,” he says.

“With the three-point hitch, it’s basically infinite, like limitless possibilities as far as attachment goes.”

For example, landscapers can put a grader box on the back of the three-point hitch when re-sodding a lawn.

“It gives ultimate control for the operator to do a perfect grade job whether they’re grading a swale like an angle or just grading normally on flat ground to make it absolutely perfectly level,” Maifrini says. “The three-point hitch gives them that control to raise and lower as they’re grading to make the perfect grade.”

In contrast to skid-steers, a compact tractor may cost less in the long run, Maifrini says. “The construction piece is going to cost a lot more to maintain than a compact tractor and they burn a lot less fuel as well,” he says.

Another selling point for the compact tractor is its small size.

“There are a lot houses being built closer and closer together. A lot of guys don’t have a lot of access. You can’t fit something between the houses that’s 7 or 8 feet wide,” Maifrini says.

“You need something that’s 4 feet wide, and that’s an advantage in a compact tractor.”

Common questions.

Landscapers commonly want to know the horsepower of a machine before purchase, dealers say. A machine with 25 to 35 horsepower will have the power needed for the job and will meet weight limits for the average yard.

And unlike a skid-steer, which can weigh anywhere from 8,000 to 15,000 pounds, a compact tractor typically weighs less at about 1,800 to 3,000 pounds.

A lightweight machine won’t sink into new sod or destroy grass. Turf tires are typically added to the landscaper’s compact tractor.

“(A turf tire) is usually a lot wider, so it leaves less of a footprint,” Dodd says. “Nobody is really going to be able to tell that a piece of equipment has gone across the yard.”

Will a compact tractor stand up to tough jobs as a commercial piece and last a long time?

“Yes, to the right operator,” Maifrini says. “They are not full commercial equipment so they do require a different operator mindset. A guy can’t use it like a bulldozer. ... Common sense operators are what we look for.”

With regular maintenance, a compact tractor can operate for about 5,000 hours, Dodd says.

Rental versus purchase.

“If you have one project that you’re going to need a tractor for one time and then the rest of the year you’re cutting grass, then it doesn’t justify you to go out and purchase a tractor,” Dodd says.

“Once you get to the point where you’re renting the tractor more often than not, then it makes sense just to purchase the tractor, finance it and then you’re no longer having to pay those rental payments. You’re just paying towards your equipment.”

Rentals run about $200 per day. Payment plans on a financed compact tractor range from $200 to $225 per month. Purchasing a compact tractor outright can run anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000. Today, a four-year warranty is standard, Dodd says.

“A lot of my good customers, they contact me for different things, not just calling in to complain,” Dodd says.

“They’ll call me and ask for my opinion and for suggestions. They help me. I help them. You want to find somebody that’s not just going to push you out the door as soon as you buy a piece of equipment.”