What’s Your SMALLER Equipment Setup?

climbingmonkey24

climbingmonkey24

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
United States
For the guy’s out there who are running a smaller setup versus big equipment and trucks, what you got?

I came across someone on social media the other day where they had a sprinter type van vehicle, a small dump trailer, and a small Kubota tractor with small chipper mounted on back. They towed the Kubota by putting it right in the back of the van. It was pretty cool!

My current setup is a dump trailer that I added sides to with a chipper. I chip into the dump trailer or just load brush into it depending how big the job is and if I need the chipper or not. Works well. The dump trailer has hydraulics so can tip.

I focus primarily on pruning work so I have no need for huge equipment right now. I am interested in maybe a spider lift down the road though, and expanding to bigger equipment gradually while keeping costs in check.
 
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climbingmonkey24 said:
For the guy’s out there who are running a smaller setup versus big equipment and trucks, what you got?

I came across someone on social media the other day where they had a sprinter type van vehicle, a small dump trailer, and a small Kubota tractor with small chipper mounted on back. They towed the Kubota by putting it right in the back of the van. It was pretty cool!

My current setup is a dump trailer that I added sides to with a chipper. I chip into the dump trailer or just load brush into it depending how big the job is and if I need the chipper or not. Works well.

I focus primarily on pruning work so I have no need for huge equipment right now. I am interested in maybe a spider lift down the road though, and expanding to bigger equipment gradually while keeping costs in check.
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I can head out solo in a F350 with a mini and either a chipbox and chipper or a toolbox for all tool storage and mini skid attachments and a dump or flatbed trailer.

This truck also heads out to bigger jobs meeting a larger chip truck and chipper while setup with the toolbox.

The biggest downside to this little chipbox, besides the limited capacity is that its not a dump bed. I can disassemble the box in just a couple of minutes then unload the chips from the flatbed.
 

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Getting ready to unload chips. A pitchfork working from ground level makes pretty quick work of it. Just poke /drag out the bottom and the top of the pile spills off.
 

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This is the best I’ve seen for sure. He actually can get a wide range of work done and it seems efficient. I don’t see why the kuboto couldn’t be swapped out with a mini and one extra attachment either

www.instagram.com

Matt Rinard on Instagram: "The arb van exterior shows up in a lot of pictures and videos every week while doing tree work, so here’s an inside view! Equipment layout starting at left side front and working back: personal climbing gear, hedge trimmi

688 likes, 54 comments - mattrinard on January 16, 2021: "The arb van exterior shows up in a lot of pictures and videos every week while doing tree work, so here’s an inside view! Equipment layout starting at left side front and working back: personal climbing gear, hedge trimming...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

www.instagram.com

Matt Rinard on Instagram: "The more I run this setup the more I love it, small and simple but so much capability. Everything I need for every job packed into one compact rig, no more loading up or forgetting gear, no more wet or frozen ropes, the lis

186 likes, 8 comments - mattrinard on January 9, 2021: "The more I run this setup the more I love it, small and simple but so much capability. Everything I need for every job packed into one compact rig, no more loading up or forgetting gear, no more wet or frozen ropes, the list goes on...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Yeah for sure. I love that tractor set up; although I think I’d prefer a tracked mini or something with wider tires I could deflate for less impact on lawns. I think I’d go for a larger dump trailer also but that might put it over weight.

he’s a nice guy, I’ve reached out to him in the past about his set up.
 
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Wow, I looked at the second pic first and I did not expect him to have the Kubota in the van. That is a slick setup!

I bet the little tractor is pretty good on lawns. He could probably put some A/T tread pattern float tires on there and not even have to blow his tracks off after.
 
Jzack605 said:
Yeah for sure. I love that tractor set up; although I think I’d prefer a tracked mini or something with wider tires I could deflate for less impact on lawns. I think I’d go for a larger dump trailer also but that might put it over weight.

he’s a nice guy, I’ve reached out to him in the past about his set up.
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Those little tractors are so light, they are virtually no impact on grass. A friend of mine (a landscaper) has a fleet of various sized Kubota tractors. The little ones with turf tires are not noticeably harder on the ground than a lawnmower.
 
These are great setups one and all.

The Sprinter 3500 has 40" between wheelwells. I checked...

I think the best rig is the isuzu ftr/nrr with backpack storage, side load mini loader platform, chip box, and towing a chipper/dump roll off trailer. Mat racking space is another possibility. These builds have been around for at least a decade. The primary issue is getting a dump bed installed at the rear of the chassis under a warranty and DOT regs - there is a danger that it will tip the truck up. If anyone has info on that I would like to know.
 
colb said:
These are great setups one and all.

The Sprinter 3500 has 40" between wheelwells. I checked...

I think the best rig is the isuzu ftr/nrr with backpack storage, side load mini loader platform, chip box, and towing a chipper/dump roll off trailer. Mat racking space is another possibility. These builds have been around for at least a decade. The primary issue is getting a dump bed installed at the rear of the chassis under a warranty and DOT regs - there is a danger that it will tip the truck up. If anyone has info on that I would like to know.
Click to expand...
Check out this truck by Super Lawn Trucks, I think it pretty well defines what you are looking for. They can customize as well, to build exactly what you like - one of the lawn services I used to own had a Super Lawn truck set up for a mowing crew, it was a nice setup, and SLT always provided great service when I needed it.

Super Contractor Truck-Steel Dump | Super Lawn Trucks

superlawntrucks.com superlawntrucks.com
 
Reach said:
Those little tractors are so light, they are virtually no impact on grass. A friend of mine (a landscaper) has a fleet of various sized Kubota tractors. The little ones with turf tires are not noticeably harder on the ground than a lawnmower.
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I didn’t think of turf tires to be honest. I just thought of the narrow and very hard tires I’ve used doing farm work and on my current jobs kubota’s. Both of which are larger units, and leave large ruts without protection unless ground is hard.

right when I left my farm/vineyard job they had gotten a small unit for mowing the rows of grapes, so small you could pick up the rear end and straighten it if it slid out mowing across a vine row on a hill.
 
Stumpsprouts said:
How do you load and unload the mini into the f350? Looks high for ramps..
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The deck height is 42" I have a set of 10' ramps, you can see them on the right hand side of the toolbox in the pic from the rear.

I am currently working on a chiptruck with mini platform that I'd like to have a hinging ramp. Although my current ones are made of aluminum, they still weigh 80lbs each and are a little bit of a pain to use but work very well.
 
Reach said:
Check out this truck by Super Lawn Trucks, I think it pretty well defines what you are looking for. They can customize as well, to build exactly what you like - one of the lawn services I used to own had a Super Lawn truck set up for a mowing crew, it was a nice setup, and SLT always provided great service when I needed it.

Super Contractor Truck-Steel Dump | Super Lawn Trucks

superlawntrucks.com superlawntrucks.com
Click to expand...
That's the style, just heavier duty. It's good to see a production model.
 
RyanCafferky said:
When I do my own jobs I roll with a Sprinter van and tow a 6" Vermeer chipper. I try and get the clients to keep the chips and have even spread them as mulch in people's yards rather than hauling them.
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I'm doing the same thing with my E350 and Bandit 75XP. Not having a dump bed forces me to leave chips as mulch, which is better for the trees. I make more money because I charge for the (highly variable) time it takes to haul chips and I don't spend time managing brush. Everybody wins. We should just about always be keeping chips on site.
 
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