COVER STORY conserving their cash flow and lines of credit. “There is very little difference between our rental and retail models, so many of our contractors rent until they have enough guaranteed work before moving into the next stage of leasing or purchasing,” Worley says. Several factors influence rental costs: demand, area, location in the U.S. (Western, Southeast, Northern, etc.), length of rental, and attachments and associated costs rented with the compact excavator. “Whether a landscape professional is looking to rent or buy, customers usually always end up finding work for the machine,” Steger says. “Utilization is key to return on investment.” Among the top considerations for contractors is how often they will utilize the machine and what they can afford from a time aspect. “If they will only need an excavator periodically, then renting a machine to complete a job or several jobs may suffice,” Caldwell says. “When renting a machine, contractors don’t have to worry about breakdowns or maintenance issues, depreciation, etc. They can opt for the newest, most feature-laden machine on the rental yard without worrying about how they’ll be able to afford it.” However, the challenge is that they also may find that the machine they need is unavailable or out on another jobsite for an extended period. “They lose a certain amount of control by renting,” Caldwell says. Balancing the cost of renting per day or opting to rent for a month if the job is going to take three weeks is significant. Baker suggests going to the counter at the rental house and thoroughly examining the rental prices. Delivery charges vary as well, depending on if the customer is physically picking up excavator at the rental yard or if the excavator is being delivered. “The convenience of being able to continue to work on the job and have the excavator delivered to the jobsite may outweigh the cost of delivery & pickup,” Baker says. “By taking the time to
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examine and run the math while considering the length of time the excavator is needed, the renter may be able to save money and associated cost.” However, as more people choose to work on property improvement projects, the demand for Equipping the excavator with a bucket and thumb combo is a a congiven for many in the landscape/hardscape industry professionals tractor looking for easier ways to clean out trash and debris. to purCaterpillar chase a research to better understand what mini excavator may be higher and over exactly they need to get the job done time the benefits are sure to pay off. before selecting a model,” Steger says. “If a contractor knows they’ll be doing He says it is imperative to always a lot of work that a compact excavachoose the model that best suits your tor and its attachments could handle needs. For example, Steger says each faster and easier, the investment in a of the six John Deere models has difmachine may be worth it because of ferent key specifications to consider the increased productivity it brings,” when it comes to operating weight, dig Caldwell says. “Consider how much depth, lift capacity, and attachments. time and effort you could save by investAlso, whether purchasing or renting, ing in a compact excavator, will it help Steger says customer support also should you complete more jobs and earn more be a priority consideration. It is imporrevenue? If so, it could virtually pay tant to have dealer support for parts for itself in a short period of time.” and service whenever needed. There are also rental purchase options available for customers so they can rent the machine for a while A Cat 302 CR makes short work of a and then purchase it later. retaining wall or pile of rock materials. “Purchasers should do their Caterpillar
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