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Intro
It’s no secret that having equipment on your landscape supply yard is vital to the entire operation. Especially given the large-scale materials on a landscape supply yard, you’ll need a variety of equipment to receive stock, to organize materials, and to help customers get the items they need. Depending on what stock you carry, your general equipment needs may vary. Read on in this guide as we explore the different machinery that excels on a landscape supply yard and find the optimal machine for you. For a more in-depth look at each of these machines, join DeFeo Material’s free online course titled “Equipment for Landscape Supply Yards” where they walk through their years of experience managing a supply yard and what equipment is most essential.
Dump Trucks
Why You Need One
Dump trucks are essential for landscape supply operations. They exhibit a few key qualities for operating within the yard. For one, they are extremely versatile in the variety of materials a dump truck can effectively haul. Plus, there is high capacity in a dump truck to carry significant loads of material, which serves to streamline processes and improve efficiency around the yard.
Common Models
Within the world of landscape supply yard dump trucks, there are three main directions you can go:
Standard Dump Truck - A separate trailer attached to a standard truck offers up to 5 tons of hauling capacity without requiring a CDL making for a versatile option.
Transfer Dump Trucks - The full truck chassis and hydraulic hoist creates a dump truck capable of haunting around 10 tons at any given time.
Side Dump Truck - For large-scale operations, these tri-axle dump trucks provide substantial carrying capacity up to around 22 tons of material.
Common Uses Around the Yard
Around the yard, dump trucks excel in a few roles. For one, their ability to transport bulk material is largely unmatched by other machines. Transportation includes not only stock for customers, but waste removal as well. In between major operations, dump trucks also make for great project support as they are great at smaller tasks like towing machinery and plowing snow.
Repair and Maintenance
As with all machinery, regular maintenance is vital for the longevity of your dump truck. Routine inspections, scheduled services, and prompt repairs all contribute towards a well-functioning dump truck.
Resale Value
Dump trucks can carry a significant resale value if you no longer need the equipment. Factors that influence greater resale value include brand/model, well-kept maintenance records, and keeping wear/tear to a minimum.
Excavators
Why You Need One:
Excavators are crucial on the landscape supply yard for a variety of tasks. Excavators excel at efficient digging on the yard for projects like retaining walls, concrete walkways, or trenches. That said, excavators can be extremely versatile in that they can get outfitted with different bucket shapes for the task at hand. What’s more, the compact design allows excavators to operate in a variety of yard shapes and sizes.
Common Models
Depending on what you need from your excavator, there are a few different models to choose from:
Crawler Excavator - The track-based design allows these excavators to excel on uneven terrain with superior stability and digging power. Their larger size allows them to excel within larger-scale operations.
Mini or Compact Excavator - Ideal for residential landscape operations as they are extremely versatile in the size of space they can work in while still providing substantial digging power.
Wheeled Excavators - Equipped with tires, wheeled excavators are great on solid ground and can move easily between operations.
Common Uses Around the Yard
Around the yard, excavators are great at digging/trenching. With appropriate attachments, they can aid in material handling. For site preparation in general, excavators are great at clearing land, removing stumps, and flattening terrain.
Repair and Maintenance
Given the high costs of excavators, repair and maintenance are essential for excavator longevity. Daily checks of tracks and hydraulic systems, periodic maintenance in the form of oil changes/lubrication, and early problem detection all contribute towards increasing excavator longevity.
Resale Value
The major factors influencing excavator resale value include brand recognition, comprehensive maintenance records, and the overall machine condition. Excavators are expensive, so a properly cared-for machine can fetch a high resale value.
Loaders
Why You Need One
With their front-mounted buckets and agile nature, loaders are exquisite machines on the landscape supply yard. These machines excel at superior material movement, have great efficiency in landscape supply operations, and exhibit extreme versatility on the yard with great mobility and equipable attachments.
Common Uses Around the Yard
In a landscape supply yard, loaders are great at efficiently transferring bulk material from trucks to bins. With various loading attachments such as a fork, loaders can also lift pallets and other weirdly shaped materials. What’s more, loaders have the ability to push/carry large debris making them extremely valuable for site preparations.
Repair and Maintenance
Routine inspections, adherence to manufacturer’s guidelines, and proactive problem identification all contribute towards increasing the longevity of your loader in the face of wear and tear.
Resale Value
As always, to keep the resale value of your loader high throughout use, having a recognizable brand/model, thorough maintenance records, and the overall cosmetic appearance of your loader will all contribute towards its value.
Screening Machines
Why You Need One
Designed to ensure the quality and consistency of materials during yard operations, screening machines monitor what materials get by. This, in turn, optimizes resources leaving only the most quality of material for your yard. What’s more, by screening your material, you are able to more precisely store it according to grade and size, giving your consumers a wider range of options to choose from.
Common Models
There are 3 main models of screening machines that excel within a landscape supply operation:
Vibratory Screeners - Using gravity mixed with vibrations, this screener can efficiently sift through large volumes of material.
Rotary Trommels - The rotating cylindrical screen separates material of various sizes.
Deck Screeners - With multiple layers of screen to place material into different grades, deck screeners are extremely efficient.
Common Uses Around the Yard
Screening machines are great at sorting, grading, and ultimately screening all of your material. Whether you want to screen soil to remove stones/other debris, sort your stones according to grade, or refine your compost to just the essentials, a screening machine is just what you need to avoid the tedious labor of manually sorting.
Repair and Maintenance
To optimize the life of your screening machine, regularly clear screens to avoid clogs/maintain efficiency. Always check mechanisms to ensure any wear and tear gets addressed early. Plus, also ensure your screens are in good shape as poor screen performance will affect the accuracy of your machine.
Resale Value
As with all the machines mentioned before, to maximize the resale value of your screening machine, you want to opt for a recognizable brand. From there, having clear maintenance records demonstrating the care you put into the machine can do wonders on the resale. Technological features can also play a large role in the perceived value as being able to screen more precisely is often appealing for buyers.
Skid Steers
Why You Need One
Skid steers are one of the ultimate helpers on the landscape supply yard. They excel at multi-functionality; through different attachments like buckets, forks, and augers, there are tons of tasks where a skid steer might be just the machine. What’s more, their compact design makes for an efficient use of space while the versatility of the machine creates a cost-effective solution to multiple problems on the yard.
Common Models
Here are the most common models of skid steers you’d be likely to run into:
Wheeled Skid Steers - Higher versatile, suitable and stable in most terrains.
Track Skid Steers - Tracks improve traction on muddy/sandy conditions while minimizing the soil displacement.
Stand-On Skid Steers - Ideal for quick tasks, stand-on skid steers give improved flexibility and visibility.
Common Uses Around the Yard
As mentioned, skid steers pride themselves on being efficient and versatile. As such, they can participate in many jobs around the yard including material handling, ground preparations, as well as excavation and drilling. With a variety of attachments available, skid steers are incredible in the range of tasks they can accomplish.
Repair and Maintenance
For skid steers, longevity will be tied to regular inspections for wear and tear including, most vitally, fluid checks. Attachment maintenance is another major step to take to ensure your skid steer is properly functioning for years to come.
Resale Value
How tricked out your skid steer is will affect the resale value. This includes upgrade/bonus attachments as well as simpler things like the model/brand. Operation hours are another huge indicator of the life of a skid steer. Higher hours, especially in tougher conditions with excessive salt during the winter, for example, can affect the value during resale.
Conclusion
Depending on your specific landscape supply yard operation, some or all of these machines would be extremely helpful for your operation. From handling materials, to site preparations, to customer assistance, having the proper machinery really is key. But there are a lot of factors to consider, one of the greatest being price. Do thorough research to ensure you’re purchasing just what you need to increase the efficiency of your operation. For a more in-depth look at all these machines and the role they can play within a landscape supply yard operation, check out DeFeo Materials free online course where they, amongst a variety of other topics, touch upon the essential machinery for an efficient, successful landscape supply business.
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