COMPACT TRACTORS
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
A Bobcat compact tractor complements skid-steer loader on jobsites
Young landscaper finds plenty of work for CT225 and attachments
In starting and building his landscaping and construction business, Tom Jones, of Ingomar, Pa., followed a path common to many young entrepreneurs: mow lawns while working at a full-time job; quit job when landscaping business grows; add construction services and purchase a skid-steer loader.
That very familiar story took a different — but very productive — turn two years ago when, in need of more equipment, Jones purchased a Bobcat® compact tractor.
Tom Jones fi nds many opportunities to operate his Bobcat compact tractor on his landscaping and construction jobsites.
CT225
“The compact tractor is nice to have for certain applications,” he says. “It’s a very good complement to my skid-steer loader.”
While working for a large national retail company, Jones — a 2002 business management graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh — saw his landscaping work grow from an evening and weekend schedule into a full-time endeavor. By 2004, he decided to put all of his time and effort into Tom Jones Construction.
“When I lined up three concrete construction projects, I was forced to evaluate my equipment options,” he recalls. “Should I buy or rent a skid-steer loader or hire someone else to do the work? Regardless of the answer, it was going to cost me money. I decided that if the company was going to be viable, the best bet would be to purchase my own machine. Buying a Bobcat S175 was one of the best things I ever did.”
More recently, Jones faced an even tougher decision. He needed more equipment and a compact tractor intrigued him, but he wondered if it was too similar to his loader in what it could do.
“The more I use it, the more I realize that a compact tractor is not the same as a skid-steer loader,” he says. “They have different purposes and you just have to know which is the best machine for a particular job. They can do some of the same work, but do it differently.”
For example, he points out, both can transport materials to a jobsite. On a large project, the loader would work best; the tractor would be fi ne, too, but is not as fast as the loader. “I prefer the CT225 for projects such as cleaning up around excavating sites when you have to drive on a sensitive surface.”
Jones purchased the CT225, along with a front-end loader, pallet fork and backhoe attachment, from Bobcat of Pittsburgh.
When not at a jobsite, he fi nds plenty of uses around the property where he stores supplies. “The CT225 is very handy to have around,” Jones says. “I use it with the front-end loader for lifting mulch, salt and pallets of plants.”
New to the landscaping business?
Based on his experience, Tom Jones offers some suggestions for anyone thinking about starting a landscaping business:
• Be fair to your customers and follow through on what you tell them you are going to do.
• Work hard to retain customers and add a few new ones every year.
• Grow slowly so you can continue to do quality work.
• Buy good equipment and continually look for the types of work that will allow the equipment to pay for itself.
• When possible, purchase equipment that can be used throughout the year.
Visit
www.MyWorkSaver.com/CT to learn more about Bobcat compact tractors, available options and accessories, and attachments and implements. WORKSAVER BobCatalog 2012 39
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