Earlier this year, we laid out seven ways a compact utility loader (CUL) can help boost jobsite productivity. It’s no secret more and more tree care company owners are investing in CULs — or mini skid steers — for their businesses. Tree service contractors are enlisting this reliable machine for a variety of reasons including heavy lifting, speed, jobsite accessibility and many more.
Related: Vermeer compact utility loaders
But don’t just take our word for it. We asked tree care company owners across the country why they love their Vermeer mini skid steer, and this is what they had to say:
- “The compact utility loaders help cut down on employee fatigue. The crews don’t need to lift as much — we let the equipment do the work for us.” —Leonard Bullinger, owner of Bullinger Tree Service
- “What we do is hard enough already. If we can avoid the pitfalls of our bodies, I think it’s a good workplace enhancement. The guys are happier. They perform better.” —Bud Clark, owner of Canopy Tree Specialists
- “We try to use proper lifting techniques, but there’s always going to be large debris that’s difficult to move. The way I see it, the skid steers help to reduce fatigue on my guys.” —Jim Gollnick, owner of Gollnick & Sons Tree Service
- “My crews use mini skid steers to remove material from jobsites rather than having employees drag and lift branches, limbs and trunks. For a single tree removal, a mini skid steer can save an hour’s work for each member of a four-person crew — four man-hours total. Sometimes, it allows us to use a three-person crew on a job. —Todd Kramer, owner of Kramer Tree Specialists
- “We feed all of our chippers with mini skid loaders and grapples. As far as ground work, we don’t have guys hauling a lot of branches to the chipper. That’s all done by machine. —Brent Rolffs, owner of Pella Tree Service
- “The mini skid steer shows up every day. It doesn’t ever complain. It makes things go a lot quicker and a lot easier. If I didn’t have the mini skid steer, my crew would need to cut material up into smaller pieces and then move it to the chipper in a wheelbarrow or a cart.” —Pat Stumpf, owner of Woodland Tree Service
- “It was a huge job. We purchased a Vermeer S450TX compact utility loader with a grapple attachment specifically for this job. We cut the trees into logs and limbs that were 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) long and hauled them out easily.” —Eric Zupko, owner of Treeway Tree Care
For more information on Vermeer compact utility loaders, visit Vermeer.com or contact your local dealer.