CRS95
Member
Hi there, thought I would join this forum just to get some opinions and ideas from people with some experience.
I will be leaving school soon, and I'm looking to potentially start a landscaping business in the next couple of years. I used to work doing some basic soft landscaping, as well as digging graves, but I'm looking to focus more on hard landscaping, one idea I had was to offer a garden makeover service. This would mean I would have to undertake tasks possibly including levelling, trenching, digging ponds/water features/pools etc, turfing, paving and building patios/decking.
I have worked with micro excavators in the past, but nothing too big, only a small Kubota. However, i know a couple of different guys who i can hopefully work with over the next couple of years who have some bigger machines.
If I was to start up my own business what machine do you think I should look at getting though? Originally I assumed a mini digger would be best (around 1.5 tonnes, something with a bit more power than the Kubota but able to be towed with relative ease) but now I'm starting to think that a mini skid steer loader might be a better option, as the massive range of attachments could cover a huge amount of different jobs. I could potentially buy a used skid steer (Bobcats seem to be the cheapest option where I am) for not much more than a used mini digger, and get a dozer for levelling, landscaping buckets and possibly even a backhoe. I've also looked a compact track loaders and wheel loaders, but they look like they might be too expensive for a start-up business. Also would it be worth getting a dumper?
What would be the most valuable machine for landscaping? Or combination of machines (i.e mini digger and a dumper). Bear in mind that it has to be a fairly cost effective option, and that if this does happen I would have the potential to expand in future. Of course, I think the best option is probably to get one machine pretty early on, then hire if I need something different for certain jobs.
Thanks any advice or ideas appreciated
I will be leaving school soon, and I'm looking to potentially start a landscaping business in the next couple of years. I used to work doing some basic soft landscaping, as well as digging graves, but I'm looking to focus more on hard landscaping, one idea I had was to offer a garden makeover service. This would mean I would have to undertake tasks possibly including levelling, trenching, digging ponds/water features/pools etc, turfing, paving and building patios/decking.
I have worked with micro excavators in the past, but nothing too big, only a small Kubota. However, i know a couple of different guys who i can hopefully work with over the next couple of years who have some bigger machines.
If I was to start up my own business what machine do you think I should look at getting though? Originally I assumed a mini digger would be best (around 1.5 tonnes, something with a bit more power than the Kubota but able to be towed with relative ease) but now I'm starting to think that a mini skid steer loader might be a better option, as the massive range of attachments could cover a huge amount of different jobs. I could potentially buy a used skid steer (Bobcats seem to be the cheapest option where I am) for not much more than a used mini digger, and get a dozer for levelling, landscaping buckets and possibly even a backhoe. I've also looked a compact track loaders and wheel loaders, but they look like they might be too expensive for a start-up business. Also would it be worth getting a dumper?
What would be the most valuable machine for landscaping? Or combination of machines (i.e mini digger and a dumper). Bear in mind that it has to be a fairly cost effective option, and that if this does happen I would have the potential to expand in future. Of course, I think the best option is probably to get one machine pretty early on, then hire if I need something different for certain jobs.
Thanks any advice or ideas appreciated