A1 Handyman, a Brisbane-based handyman and small construction business, has seen steady growth since it started nearly three years ago, which has led owner Les James to move from renting equipment as needed to investing in his own Vermeer S925TX Mini Skid Steer Loader.

Les has always had a passion for renovation and DIY jobs around the house, but when he was made redundant in his corporate pharmaceutical job a few years back, he used that as an opportunity to start his own handyman business.

“I’ve had a fair bit of experience with renovating and building three houses on my own, and I’ve always been on the tools, so I thought why not start doing some handyman work and see where it goes,” Les says.

“Since we’ve started it’s just gone insane. It was first just me doing simple jobs like replacing doors or fixing holes, but now we have me and three casuals, and we can do all types of tasks, from landscaping and gardening work to building retaining walls and decks.

“I like to say, ‘we can do anything from the back fence to the front and everything in between!’”

Les bought the Vermeer S925TX Mini Skid Steer Loader late last year.

“It just made more sense for us in the long run to invest in a versatile piece of machinery, instead of hiring for each job. We tested a few other brands, and Vermeer came out on top for value for money.

“The strength and capability of the skid steer is incredible. There is so much power for a small machine, so it was definitely worth the investment,” he says.

The S925TX comes in either 25hp (18.6kW) or 35hp (26.1kw) models, with an operating weight of just over 1.5 tonnes. It also comes standard with a dual hydraulic auxiliary system with high-flow to power the most demanding attachments and a low-flow to give the operator maximum control.

Les says another key selling point was the consistent communication from his Vermeer Australia sales representative, Jack.

“From when I first made contact with Vermeer Australia, to now, Jack has been continually there, giving me all the information I needed along the way so I felt comfortable with the purchase.

“Even now, the continual back up from Vermeer is great. Any issues, they’ve been able to fix straight away. When the machine had its first service, Jack picked it up, and dropped it off so I didn’t have to go out of my way. The customer service has been second to none,” Les says.

To find out more about Vermeer’s mini skid steer loader range, head to www.vermeeraustralia.com.au