Compact Track Loaders Gaining Momentum in Landscaping
Landscaper Explains Why These Machines Excel in the Wet Pacific Northwest
Landscaper Jim Malone relies on his Bobcat compact track loaders to finish jobs when other machines won’t work.
It’s no secret that compact track loaders are gaining in popularity in landscaping. The machines extend working seasons and enable contractors to get back onto jobsites sooner after it rains. WorkSaver had an opportunity to visit with Jim Malone, president of Malone’s Landscape and Nursery of Covington, Wash., and ask him about his company and why he’s using Bobcat® compact track loaders today.
WorkSaver (WS): Can you tell us about your business and how you got started?
Jim: I started the company in 1991 with a used Bobcat loader and a pickup truck. Today we have four Bobcat machines, 10 landscape crews, six maintenance crews and roughly 100 employees.
WS: What Bobcat machines do you own today and why?
Jim: We purchased four Bobcat compact track loaders — a T190, a T200 and two T250s — from Bobcat West. Being in the Pacific Northwest, we can spend more time on our jobsites with track machines than rubber tire loaders because we don’t get stuck. We work year-round here and the compact track machines help us a lot because we’re generally wet for seven or eight months of the year.
WS: What are some other reasons you like the Bobcat compact track loaders?
Jim: We get better flotation from the Bobcat compact track loaders — it helps us when we’re working on hillsides. Also, customers appreciate it when we’re not disturbing their yards. We certainly spend a lot less time repairing sites when we’re done because of the track machines. That includes less time repairing underground irrigation pipes.
WS: Can you give us some examples of how you use the machines on your jobsites?
Jim: We focus mostly on high-end residential; either new construction or renovating a yard. We grade the soil, remove rocks with a soil conditioner or a scarifier, install irrigation systems with a trencher attachment or move palletized material into backyards.
WS: With all of the brands available today, why have you stuck with Bobcat compact track loaders?
Jim: We’ve tried other brands and we don’t get the same performance we do with the Bobcat machines. We think that it’s a good product, which is why we’ve stuck with them. Bobcat stands behind the product and it helps me stay productive. Uptime is my number one priority. We want the machines up and running. They’re not making money sitting idle. Uptime is the key to everything.
If you’d like to continue reading more about Bobcat compact track loaders, visit the compact track loader page. If you’re interested in learning about how Bobcat machines are used in landscaping, visit the landscaping market page.