Landscaping jobs differ as much as the yards you tend to, and you need a large variety of tools to address the needs of your clients and their property. Renting landscaping attachments gives you access to tools you may not use all the time, such as snowplows, tillers and stump grinders. Opting to rent these accessories can save your company money and give you a competitive edge. Discover the additional ways your business can reap higher profits from renting landscaping attachments for your skid steer loader, wheel loader, backhoe or other Cat® equipment.
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- How Renting Attachments Benefits Your Business
- The Best Landscaping Attachments To Rent
- Get Help Deciding
How Renting Attachments Benefits Your Business
If you want to give your landscaping business an edge, you need to incorporate attachment rental into your business model. This option makes doing business more profitable and more manageable than buying the accessories you need or doing the job without them. Find out more about the benefits of renting your company’s accessories and how doing so can boost your bottom line.
1. A Wider Selection of Attachments
Landscaping jobs range from simple mowing jobs to clearing out shrub-covered lots. Because the seasons can affect the type of work you do, even jobs for the same client can vary greatly each time you work on them.
When you rent the tools you need, you never miss out on a job because you don’t have the right tools, and you never have to complete a job using tools that aren’t ideal. For example, if you take on an assignment that requires land clearing of dense brush, you will need a brush hog attachment to cleanly cut away the thick growth. If you do not own one of these attachments, the other options may be to mow the grass with walk-behind push mowers or have workers use handheld machetes hack away at the growth. If you use these tools rather than a brush hog or mulcher attachment, the job will take longer, be more difficult and potentially be less safe. For exceptionally thick growth, not renting a brush hog could prevent you from accepting the job. Rent the accessories your crews need to avoid similar situations from happening.
2. No Maintenance Responsibilities
Rented equipment does not require maintenance. We take care of all upkeep and repair for the landscaping tools we rent. If you have an extended rental period and need service, let us know. We will schedule the repairs or service for times when you don’t need to use the equipment.
Without the need to service the rented tools, you can spend more time being productive on landscaping jobs. As a result, you will cut your costs while increasing the work you can do and increasing your business’s income.
3. Tools That Are In Excellent Condition
When you rent tools, you get attachments that are in good condition and haven’t seen heavy use. These parts do not have the wear on them that older, more heavily used tools have. Their blades stay sharper, and they run better than well-worn models.
4. Access to the Latest Models and Technologies
When you work with an equipment rental company, you get access to the latest equipment models and technologies without having to purchase them yourself. Because companies like Caterpillar continually strive to make their attachments and equipment more efficient, using the newest accessories means your crews can be more productive in the field. Also, when customers see you using the most up-to-date equipment, you’ll gain a reputation as a company that’s on the cutting edge of technology.
5. Less Downtime
Renting equipment for your landscaping work reduces the time you need for the jobs. With attachments that get more done in less time, you cut the time spent on labor. For many government contracts, you could earn extra bonuses by completing a job early or avoid penalties incurred for delays. Even when working for private clients, getting tasks done faster enables you to accept more work and make more money.
6. More Time to Dedicate to Growing Your Business
When you rent landscaping attachments from MacAllister Rentals, you don’t have to worry about maintenance or repairs. We service all of our rental equipment throughout the year, so every part is ready to rent whenever you need it. If your parts require care while you have them, don’t do the repairs yourself. We offer maintenance even when you have the rented equipment.
By letting us take care of all the concerns with maintaining the equipment you rent, you can focus more of your time and efforts on running your landscaping business. The time you save may enable you to take on more projects, boosting your revenue.
7. Increase Working Capital
As with any operation, your landscaping company must focus on the bottom line. Renting equipment on an as-needed basis increases your working capital in several ways, in addition to reducing maintenance costs and allowing you to take more jobs.
First, when you rent instead of buy, you spend less money upfront. Limiting equipment and attachment purchase costs gives you more money to put back into your business. Use the extra capital to hire more workers and increase the number of jobs you can take.
Secondly, renting attachments and equipment means you don’t need to carry insurance for those tools throughout the year. Lower premiums save your company money by lowering overhead.
Lastly, equipping your crews with the most efficient rented attachments gives them the tools they need to do the job well the first time. With landscaping, the caliber of your work is on display to the public who see the results of your crews’ efforts. When your teams have tools such as mulchers and stump grinders to cleanly clear land, the finished product looks better than if they only had the attachments that came with your equipment. A bucket can move dirt, but it cannot clear land or remove stumps as specialized tools can. When you present your clients with quality work, you get repeat business and referrals, both of which expand your business and company income.
The Best Landscaping Attachments To Rent
The landscaping tools you use need to be robust and long-lasting. You also need to know that you can trust the attachments you rent. When you use our tools, you get high-quality equipment from brands such as Caterpillar.
Below is a selection of some of the attachments we offer for rent to landscapers. If you need something else or want to rent a skid steer loader or compact track loader to go with these tools, don’t hesitate to ask.
1. Augers
Auger attachments make creating deep, straight and narrow holes effortless. For tree plantings or fence posts, using drills means you never need a manual post hole digger again.
What sets these attachments apart from manual options is their ability to break through even the most hardened and compacted earth. With the push of a lever, the power of your Cat equipment sends the auger through everything from clay to light loam.
2. Brush Hogs
If you need a way to get through dense vegetation, regular mowers may not work. The extra sharp blades of standard mowers can dull when applied to the thick brush. You need a brush cutter for this type of work.
Depending on the model, brush cutters can take down vegetation with a maximum diameter of 3 inches or 8 inches. The width of the attachment also depends on the model. However, even the smallest has a cutting width of 60 inches.
Brush cutters, also called brush hogs, attach to the back of a mower or onto a skid steer for removing dense grass and saplings. These attachments use rotary blades for maximum coverage under the tool’s body. Wider cutting areas mean you need fewer passes to mow a dense field, giving you more time for other tasks.
3. Buckets
Buckets come in a variety of sizes, allowing for innumerable uses. The types of buckets you can choose from depends on the equipment you have. For instance, smaller skid steer loaders can not carry the same buckets as larger backhoe loaders can.
Options include multipurpose buckets for a variety of uses and larger loads of up to 2.5 cubic yards. Material handling buckets feature a cutting edge that stays in contact with the ground and an easy-to-replace design. Light material buckets are ideal for removing low-density mulch, snow, fertilizer or wood chips.
Moving soil, mulch and more are tasks you need to do regularly for landscaping and land clearing. Make sure you have the right buckets for the job. With bucket attachments, you have options to match your material handling needs.
4. Compactors
When you need to tamp down soil for laying concrete or making paths, you need a vibratory drum compactor. The new Cat compactor models have twice the compaction force, which means you need fewer passes to achieve the necessary smoothness of the surface.
For Cat equipment, these compactors fit onto skid steer loaders, compact wheel loaders, compact track loaders and multi-terrain loaders. With so many equipment options, regardless of what type of small loader you use for your landscaping business, you will find a compactor that works.
For driver comfort, these attachments feature rubber mounts. These mounts isolate the vibrations to the compactor, letting it move as much as possible for proper compaction without the movements traveling through the attachment to the cab.
5. Pallet Forks
Cat fork models have multiple tine lengths for transporting a variety of products that require stable, secure moving. For compact track loaders, multi-terrain loaders and skid steer loaders, the fork attachments have a rail-type carriage. This design allows you to change the distance between the tines, which makes these forks extremely versatile.
6. Tillers
Dense soil is no match for a tiller attachment. They break up the hard-packed earth to prepare it for mixing and planting bed creation. These accessories used with skid steer loaders have a metal grating, which improves performance in wet conditions.
For stirring up soils to different depths, the tiller attachment has three depth settings. The motor for the accessory has a connection directly to the loader’s auxiliary hydraulic system for operation from the cab. To prevent damage to the tiller and keep the operator safe, the top of the attachment has a built-in step for accessing the operator seat.
7. Trenchers
Prepare the ground for irrigation pipes or drainage systems by digging the necessary narrow gaps with a trencher attachment. Models vary in their boom length from 36 inches to 60 inches, and the largest require Cat equipment with high flow or high flow XPS options. Model availability depends on the rental location and the equipment you need to use it with.
The teeth on Cat trenchers are tungsten carbide steel for enhanced longevity, even when used for hours in the toughest of soils. The spacing between the teeth ensures maximum digging force through any material. These attachments offer superior trench creation compared to manual labor or other forms of digging.
Options for trenchers include various chain types and cutting widths. Tell us about the kind of ground you plan to work with, and we’ll recommend the best arrangement of trencher options for the attachment you rent.
8. Rakes
Landscape rakes attach to a variety of small loaders, including compact track loaders, skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders and compact wheel loaders. To prepare the soil by removing surface debris, using a rake attachment will quickly aerate and level the ground while collecting rocks, sticks and debris. Emptying the accumulated waste is as simple as reversing the hydraulic system.
Rake attachments mean you don’t need a full team of workers with hand rakes to clear debris from a lot. Using one of these attachments allows faster clearing of a plot by a single loader operator, which frees other crew members for completing different tasks needed on the job.
9. Material Handling Arms
When your job requires lifting materials and moving them, material handling arms are the tools you need. They feature a hook at the end of the arm that attaches to the top of what you must pick up and come in fixed-arm and extendable-arm options.
If you use a skid steer loader, compact track loader or multi-terrain loader, you can only use a fixed arm. However, backhoe loaders, compact wheel loaders and small wheel loaders can accommodate extendable material handling arms. The main differences in these options relate to the size of the equipment that uses the arm. Smaller loaders use fixed arms, while larger models can handle extendable arms.
For information on the best material handling arm for your job, contact one of our representatives. We can recommend the right material handling arms for whatever you need to lift and the equipment you want to rent or already own.
10. Grapple Buckets
For loads that are difficult to keep inside a standard bucket, use a grapple bucket. The grapple attaches to the top of the bucket to hold logs, rocks or other loads that could roll out. The grapple is removable, which enables you to convert this attachment into a regular bucket, increasing the possible applications of this attachment.
Most grapple buckets have a jaw opening of 40 inches and range in size from 60 to 78 inches. They conveniently attach to skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders or compact track loaders for use on smaller lots that require moving materials.
11. Stump Grinders
When clearing lots, removing stumps often takes the most time and effort of all the jobs you must do. With a stump grinder tool, you can remove multiple stumps more efficiently. While the grinder can attach to a loader, it also works as a standalone tool. Using powered tools to grind out stumps speeds up this tedious task so you can get the lot cleared faster.
12. Mulchers
Mulchers make land clearing fast and efficient. These tools quickly eat through the undergrowth, breaking up shrubbery, saplings, grass and other growth that’s up to 8 inches in diameter. Skid shoes enable you to adjust the height of the blades and adapt to any terrain. The teeth arrangements on the various available mulchers also allow for more customized cutting based on the vegetation. When using mulchers, the operator has total control over the force of the attachment. Depressing the push bar allows for more intense mulching while pulling it back reduces the mulcher’s speed. With greater control over speed, blade height and teeth arrangements, these mulcher attachments work well for any land clearing application.
13. Blades
Use blade attachments for grading, leveling and moving materials. Blade angle control from the operator and curved moldboard allow for the closest approach to obstacles for a more precise clearing job. Regardless of the land terrain or the materials moved, there’s a blade that will fit the situation required. While you can upgrade standard dozer blades with a winter upgrade kit for moving snow, you may want to rent a snowplow instead for less effort and assured snow removal.
14. Snow Clearing Attachments
Converting your landscaping business into a snow clearing operation in the winter is simple, with your existing equipment and snow clearing attachments. Snow plow attachments have durable, reinforced blades that come in direct contact with the ground for moving heavy loads of snow more efficiently. Snow blower attachments only collect as much snow as they can throw at a time. If debris clogs the system, the operator uses an in-cab reverse function to clear the blockage for more efficient snow clearing.
Need Help Deciding?
If you aren’t sure which tools you need for your business or if you need help choosing among the many loader attachments we have available, let us know. At MacAllister Rentals, our team is knowledgable about the equipment we rent and can help you decide which tools you need for your job. For any questions about our products, contact us online.
Once you know what you need to rent, fill out an online form for a quote or visit one of our locations in Indiana or Michigan. Our inventory includes robust Cat equipment, and we also service everything we rent. To give your landscaping business the edge it needs to get ahead, contact MacAllister Rentals to find the right landscaping attachment rentals for you.
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