Private and commercial landscaping projects can involve a wide variety of tasks, so having easy access to versatile and reliable equipment is key. This was a major consideration when CMS Landscaping chose to invest in a new Vermeer S925TX Mini Skid Steer Loader. Having previously hired mini loaders for projects, the company knew permanently adding one to its fleet would increase productivity and save money.

Charlie Stevens from CMS Landscaping has been in the landscaping industry for approximately 20 years. Having previously provided residential landscaping services in Melbourne, the company has now moved further out and is currently servicing the Bellarine Peninsula, Geelong Surf Coast and surrounding areas, providing a range of landscaping work, including paving, excavation, concreting retaining walls, decking and irrigation.

From hiring to purchasing

Mr Stevens said mini skid steer loaders were an important piece of equipment to have on-hand as they are compact and versatile, allowing the company to complete a range of jobs without the need to bring in additional equipment.

“We used to hire skid steer loaders from a local hiring business whenever we needed it for a job. However, this was becoming uneconomical and no longer suited the company needs, so we decided it was time to purchase our own. Buying one meant we would always have quick and easy access to it when we needed it.” Mr Stevens said.

“It was much more economical for us to purchase a mini skid steer as it quickly pays for itself, especially when you’ve previously been hiring the same equipment, two, three or more times a month. It’s also good having it there full time, it saves time instead of sourcing it from a hiring company and having to go pick it up.”

Mr Stevens said as he had hired mini skid steers in the past, he had the chance to use a number of different brands, but found Vermeer to be the best.

“After trying Vermeer I found it was the one I liked best and I kept going back to it. It’s really good for landscaping, so it was an easy decision to go to Vermeer for a mini skid steer when I decided it was time to invest in one.”

An integral part of business

CMS Landscaping purchased a Vermeer S925TX Mini Skid Steer Loader with the auger drive and four-in-one bucket attachments, and has since used it in most projects.

“We started using our Vermeer S925TX pretty much as soon as we got it for a project for Geelong City Council,” Mr Stevens said.

“We were working on a playground, which was a great opportunity to put the mini skid steer to work because we needed to move and dig a lot of bulk soil and mulch. We used the skid steer for most of the work on the project, eliminating a lot of manual, hands-on labour.

“I’ve since used it for a lot of other projects for tasks such as digging and filling holes, and digging out slabs.”

An easy process

Mr Stevens said his experience dealing with Vermeer throughout the sales and after-sales process has been good, and that he would consider making more purchases from them in the future as the need arises.

“Everyone I spoke to at Vermeer was easy to deal with and gave me all the information I needed during the sales process,” Mr Stevens said.

“I’ll definitely make more purchases from Vermeer in the future. I’m actually thinking about buying more attachments for the mini skid steer to further expand our capabilities and the work that we can do with it.

“Along with the auger drive and four-in-one bucket, there are other attachments such as the trencher, grapples, or spreader, so there’s a great deal of versatility that it can offer our business.”

Click here to read the full article in the November edition of Landscape Contractor Magazine.