Today’s rental landscape jobs have many rental operators turning to compact mini skid-steer machines versus larger trenchers or track loaders. The reason behind the shift: On many landscape jobs, rental operators need to get on and off their machine multiple times throughout the day. The ease of simply hopping on and off the operator’s platform of a mini skid-steer is much easier than climbing in and out of the cab of a larger machine. Additionally, the compact machines fit through standard yard gates and make it easier to maneuver in small, residential spaces where many rental jobs are found today.

And what’s more, the construction industry continues to see a shortage of skilled operators. Today, rental operators are challenged to do more with less — they need reliable equipment that gets the job done faster and easier. Due to this trend, operators turn to mini skid-steers for their versatility. The units offer a variety of attachments to help perform different tasks. Operators can now have one dedicated machine for multiple jobs. For instance, operators can take one machine on a job and do trenching work, attach a bucket to remove dirt, and also restore the ground with a box rake attachment. These machines also direct maximum power to the attachment, further improving productivity.

For example, the new Ditch Witch SK1050 mini skid-steer directs maximum hydraulic power to the attachment, providing rental operators the power to tackle challenging tasks with more efficient and productive use of hydraulic attachments like trenchers and augers.

For these reasons, mini skid-steers are fast becoming the preferred piece of equipment for many smaller rental jobs. The units have a low initial cost and a low total cost of ownership, which also appeals to rental stores. The durability and ease of maintenance makes servicing the machines easy for both rental stores and operators — another appealing characteristic.

Today, there are a variety of mini skid-steer models on the market to meet the growing needs of the underground construction and rental industries — from very compact, like the Ditch Witch SK600 unit, to larger and more powerful, like the newest Ditch Witch SK1550 unit. The SK1550 is designed to conquer complex landscape and irrigation projects that typically were only suited for traditional skid-steer loaders, further improving versatility. Although larger, the unit still provides the key benefits of a mini skid-steer, including a smaller job site footprint.

The market and industry are continually changing. The mini skid-steer design and functionality is evolving at the same pace to meet the growing needs of the compact, rental space.

For more information on Ditch Witch mini skid-steers, visit www.ditchwitch.com/mini-skid-steer.