The right rental equipment for your landscaping business can help you streamline projects, increase productivity and reduce overhead costs. With a range of different equipment types to consider, it’s important to consider your business needs, including:

• The types of landscaping projects you specialize in, from lawn care to land management
• The size of your landscape projects, such as small residential properties or managing grounds of large institutions
• The types of landscaping tasks you do, from material hauling to digging to vegetation removal

When considering the above criteria, you’ll be able to choose which types of earthmovers are most suitable for your business. Below, you'll find a variety of landscaping equipment rentals from compact to heavy-duty that can take your business to the next level.

A residential landscaping business can benefit from the versatility and compact size of the skid steer loader. Small, fast and easy to maneuver, skid steer loaders are ideal for simple landscaping projects you need to complete quickly. Because they’re easy to transport, workers can bring skid steer loaders to and from projects quickly without the need for a larger trailer.

In addition to being a compact earthmover, skid steer loader benefits include being compatible with a wide variety of work tools and the ability to tackle a range of landscaping tasks. Between land clearing, stump removal, brush cutting and land tilling, skid steer loaders are an essential equipment rental for running a successful landscaping business.

Cat skid steer loaders are four-wheeled loaders built on a rigid frame, making it easy for these machines to traverse a range of terrain, from pavement to rock. Surprisingly powerful for compact equipment, Cat skid steer loaders have up to 110 horsepower with a total load capacity of up to 3,700 pounds.

Like skid steer loaders, compact track and multi-terrain loaders are compact earthmovers, but they're equipped with tracks instead of wheels. A tracked loader is beneficial for landscaping projects because it provides optimum flotation over varying terrain and can operate in a variety of weather conditions, like ice, snow and rain. Like all compact earthmoving equipment, both compact track and multi-terrain loaders can be equipped with a suite of landscaping work tools, including landscape rakes, stump grinders and more.

While compact track and multi-terrain loaders are similar in appearance, they have a few key design differences, each one better suited for certain landscapes than others. A compact track loader is built with a stiff undercarriage, and while it has superior flotation over rugged terrain than a skid steer loader, the multi-terrain loader offers the best option for working on extremely delicate surfaces, like sod and lawns. The latter loaders have a suspended undercarriage with rubberized components, delivering very low ground pressure.

While the above categories of earthmovers are considered compact equipment, wheel loaders are bigger machines, more suited to larger landscaping projects. These are high-capacity machines able to perform a variety of tasks from moving soil, gravel and landscape material to hauling away debris, branches and brush. 

Similar to a tractor, wheel loaders ride on large, rugged wheels that provide optimum stability and have an ergonomic cab for maximum visibility. With a universal coupler, the wheel loader’s front bucket can be swapped out for other specialized tools, including a variety of landscaping attachments.

Cat wheel loaders are designed for smoother ride quality and reduced vibrations, making them easy to operate for long hours on extensive projects. With Cat technology, operators can maximize productivity, whether the job is grading slopes or digging trenches. Caterpillar also offers a compact version of the wheel loader to accommodate landscape businesses that serve the residential and small commercial markets.

For growing landscaping businesses, it’s important to maximize your rental equipment to get jobs done faster with fewer tools. These are one of the most versatile earthmovers landscaping contractors can rent. Because they're part loader and part excavator, backhoe loaders allow landscapers to accomplish countless different jobs, including:

• Moving boulders and rocks
• Cutting vegetation overgrowth and removing stumps
• Grading slopes and leveling ground
• Digging trenches for laying irrigation lines
• Excavating dirt to install fence posts, ponds and water features
• Hauling landscape material, including soil, sod and fertilizer

These loaders are a reliable machine in situations where you don’t know what kind of terrain you're up against. Between hard earth and rocky terrain, a backhoe loader can tackle a range of landscapes expertly. Cat backhoe loaders range in size and capacity, from smaller machines with a 24,000-pound capacity to larger models with 29,000-pound capacity.

Businesses that take on lot clearing and hardscaping projects can benefit from the power and performance of an excavator. In particular, mini excavators are an ideal heavy equipment rental for landscape contractors because of their compact size and maneuverability. These excavators are also convenient to transport to and from jobs, and their smaller size makes them easy to operate safely.

A mini excavator allows you to prepare your site for landscape installation by removing boulders and rock, excavating tree stumps and piling vegetation and debris for removal. This equipment can dig holes in preparation for installing water features or retaining walls and can help you trench up drainage ditches and irrigation lines. Specialized mini excavator attachments can also help you dig holes for fence and sign posts or tree and shrub installation.

Cat mini hydraulic excavators vary in load capacity from 1 to 10 tons, with dig depths ranging from 5.5 to more than 16.5 feet.

Complete landscaping jobs more safely and efficiently with a telehandler rental. A telehandler is a type of aerial lift that allows you to reach objects at significant heights. In landscaping, telehandlers can be put to use safely pruning and trimming trees. 

These machines have a telescoping boom, meaning workers can adjust them to the specific heights they need. With four heavy-duty wheels, the telehandler machine remains stabilized on the ground, while the boom lifts a basket to the desired height and at the correct angle thanks to its horizontal range.

A telehandler is ideal when working in confined spaces where other machines can’t fit or it's unsafe to use a ladder. When the boom isn’t extended, workers can use telehandlers to move boulders, rocks, material and landscaping supplies around the site. For site cleanup, you can also add a broom attachment, helping you push and pile debris for removal.

Cat telehandlers range in capacity from 6,500 to 11,000 pounds and have a reach of 42 feet or more.

The primary benefit of landscaping equipment rentals is that they can help business owners manage their project budgets by mediating their overhead costs. For small and growing businesses, it's essential to find ways to control operating expenses while maximizing productivity. For landscaping businesses, in particular, having access to rental equipment allows contractors to pay fair market rates for daily, weekly or monthly projects, helping them plan their project budget and provide customers with accurate quotes.

When you rent equipment, all the costs that would otherwise be associated with ownership are rolled into a single fee. Some of the direct costs landscaping contractors can avoid by renting their equipment include:

• Maintenance, repair and replacements costs
• Insurance fees
• Storage expenses
• Depreciation and disposal costs

Depending on your needs, the rental fee can include the rental amount, delivery and set-up. The only additional cost contractors are responsible for are fuel costs. Renting your equipment from The Cat Rental Store ensures you get well-maintained equipment that's been serviced to maximize fuel economy.

2. Take on More Projects

Landscaping contractors know how unpredictable the busy season is, with increased demand for landscaping, lawn care and land management services. Small- and medium-sized businesses can greatly benefit from the ability to rent high-quality, reliable equipment on-demand. If you currently own and operate a limited number of earthmoving machines but require more support to keep up with customer requests, you can turn to The Cat Rental Store near you to supplement you with the heavy equipment and attachments you need.

By partnering with The Cat Rental Store, you'll be able to take on more projects, allowing you to keep a tight project schedule, remain productive and serve more clients. Rent equipment as needed and have a successful busy season without worry that you’re leaving money on the table.

3. Gain Seasonal Flexibility

Successful landscaping businesses know the importance of adapting their services to meet seasonal conditions. Because landscaping services are so dependent on the weather, businesses can struggle to maintain profitability year-round without access to the right equipment. With such tremendous fluctuations in demand, landscape contractors need savvy ways to adapt their services to meet the demands of the season.

When you partner with The Cat Rental Store, you gain access to a massive selection of specialized equipment and work tools needed during short seasonal windows. Winter attachments like snow blowers, snow plows and snow pushers allow you to serve more customers year-round without having to make a major investment in equipment that remains in storage the rest of the year.