Tips and Considerations for Renting Orchard and Vineyard Equipment

efits it can provide for your operations. Then determine what types of rental equipment you need. Rental providers offer equipment for various applications. Once you decide on the equipment you need, get the most out of the rental process with a few tips and tricks.

Why Renting Equipment Makes Sense for Orchards and Vineyards

Year-round orchard care takes a lot of effort and dedication. When your crew is getting ready for the fall harvest or the planting season, you need to prepare a fleet that will work as hard as you do. 

Since the work tends to change with the weather, there are many cases in which renting equipment is the most viable option for orchard or vineyard crews. If you're looking at gearing up for the busy season, consider these reasons why choosing rental equipment for vineyards or orchards could be the right decision for you. 

1. Find the right tool: Orchard equipment rentals are a short-term commitment that allow your workers to access specialized tools that excel in specific jobs. When your workers don't perform these jobs with the same frequency as other daily routines, completing them with rental equipment can result in significant time savings.   
2. Stick with the season: The changing seasons bring different workloads for orchard and vineyard crews. Owners can rent orchard equipment for seasonal use to save money upfront and conserve space in the garage. Your team will work more efficiently when there's less idle machinery in the way. 
3. Control costs: When you choose to rent, you skip the upfront fees and only pay for the equipment as you need it. Low short-term payments are easier to account for in your budget. 
4. Release maintenance responsibilities: Dealerships offering rental equipment handle all the maintenance and repairs for you, taking a big responsibility — and expense — off your plate. 
5. Save on transportation: Equipment hauling from one location to another can be a lot of work. You may even need to purchase a separate piece of equipment to relocate the machines you use in the vineyard or orchard. When you rent orchard equipment, the dealer can meet you at any location to handle pickup and drop-off. 
6. Keep up with innovations: Manufacturers are always producing updated equipment models. By renting, you'll have access to the latest versions without a long-term commitment. 
7. Familiarize yourself with the equipment: If you're considering buying new equipment for your fleet, renting for a couple of jobs can serve as a trial period to help you decide if it suits your work.
8. Protect against devaluation: Like anything else, orchard and vineyard equipment loses value over time, and unexpected damage can exacerbate this depreciation. When you choose rental equipment for your fleet, you don't have to worry about it.

Rental Equipment for Orchards and Vineyards From The Cat^® Rental Store

Equipment rentals can benefit orchard crews, and The Cat^® Rental Store has many options. Choose Cat equipment and other reputable manufacturers to bolster your fleet with the resources you need when you need them. Shop online through The Cat Rental Store for machinery like: 

• Walk-behind trenchers: Crews can dig trenches faster to expand the orchard with new trees. 
• Stump grinders: Quickly eradicate tree stumps to make room for growth. 
• Harvesters: Shake fruit loose to handle this year's harvest with greater efficiency. 
• Skidders: Tackle clean up faster with durable skidders that haul downed trees with ease. 
• Excavators: When preparing a new field or moving debris, excavators are valuable vineyard and orchard tools.
• Water equipment: Keep your orchard or vineyard properly irrigated with water trucks or trailers, especially during dry seasons.
• Generators: Supply electricity to a remote portion of your fields or cover a power outage in your on-site processing facilities.
• Utility vehicles: Move people and tools around your vineyard or orchard with utility vehicle rentals. 
• Dump trucks: Haul away debris collected during brush chopping or other maintenance tasks on your vineyard or orchard's grounds.
• Pressure washers: Keep your buildings, equipment, and harvest bins clean with pressure washer equipment. 
• Compact track loaders: Move around your orchard or vineyard easily without disturbing the ground by using compact track loaders.
• Skid steers: Lift and move materials around the property or use attachments with skid steers to complete various tasks.
• Tool attachments: If you have a tractor in the fleet, rent job-specific attachments to help with specialized tasks. 

Factors to Consider When Renting Equipment

If you're renting vineyard or orchard equipment for the first time, you might wonder what to expect from the rental process. Here are a few factors to consider for your first rental:

• Equipment needs: Narrow down the equipment you need for your job and specify the features and size to ensure it will work for your application.
• Rental periods: Consider when you want to begin renting and how long you will need the rental, from days to months, so you have a plan in place.
• Rental costs: Determine your rental rates and pay attention to your rental agreement to identify hidden fees that could increase your rental price.
• Machine usage: Find out whether you or your operators can run the rental machine and ask about equipment training provided by the rental company.
• Additional services: Some rental providers offer maintenance and repairs for equipment rentals; confirm what's provided and whether it suits your needs.

Browse The Cat Rental Store To Find What You Need

To learn more about our products for orchards or to put in a rental quote request, reach out to your nearest Cat dealer or call 1-800-RENT-CAT. You can also browse our equipment display online to see the machines you can rent through our dealer network.