I really wish a mini skid steer was in my budget. That appears to be a game changer to small tree services running a 2-3 person crew, and unless they got a lemon, you'd be hard pressed to find someone that regrets buying one. One day.
I love my GRCS!! Not a daily use tool, but I have some capabilities now that most guys in my area don't.
Ask yourself if you can make $500-600 extra profit per month...that's your payment. No broken body. Save wages, payroll taxes, accounting costs, HR-type energy, WC premiums, etc.
I didn't make money as easily until I had it, and relieved myself of relying on employees.
I look at it as I have myself, 10 neck-down-grunts that can't drive, or rake. I can self-lower, self-speedline like a mofo. I don't have to prevent anyone from hurting me or themselves/ breaking stuff/ stealing stuff, so I can fully focus on my stuff.
You'll keep material big and work more efficiently. You will pull things you wouldn't have pulled before. ACCESS!!!
When I have employees, great. When I can't find anyone worth having, I don't have to compromise my high safety and quality standards.
I can tailor my bids to get the jobs best suited for my set-up (staffing at that moment), plus I can incorporate other services.
Having a machine opens up money making beyond/ complimentary to tree pruning/ removal.
Chip onsite and spread mulch, after towing your chipper to the work.
I have a 11' Southco box on a heavy chip-truck that won't go where a 5 yard chip trailer goes all day (which also carries the mini to the jobs, and is a portable, giant material/ tool cart. The mini will tip the trailer 45 degrees, making manual unloading a breeze. I chip directly onto the ground a lot, too. My chip truck will haul my mini or mini-loaded logs as often/ more often than chips.
One tree customer need an old roadbed scraped, a mound of soil spread, and some gravel spread. Half-day of easy work for me that she would have trouble finding someone with a mini-x to do reasonably, who she knows she can trust. The trustworthy guy she knows does big jobs and is busy.
She is always spreading my name. I can help her with something like that, ezpz. She will ask what she owes me at the end. Her husband will be happy for the emergency access (their main, paved driveway is steep and slick, down to their low-bank waterfront house).
I've carefully cleared overgrown land from invasive blackberries and scotchbroom, saving keeper plants. They did the restoration from there.
I've helped create the framework for an outdoor therapy space for a client by canopy-raising, chipping, mulch spreading (log in grapple or bucket), and rough-clearing brambles. Bring the chipper to the brush, chip in place.
Machines have no worker's comp insurance, never complain, are hungover, texting, anticipating getting off-work (aka, not paying attention to work), etc, etc, etc.
GAME CHANGER!
Plus, people want to see a show. You will get some jobs in part because they are so impressed seeing you do the neighbor's work, and customer's don't want dirtbag laborers around their houses.
