463 Helps Landscaper Make Money

After looking at various makes of small skid-steer loaders and mini-loaders to replace shovels, rakes and other hand tools, 22-year-old Eric Verderber (right) put his money on a 463 Mini-Bob™ skidsteer loader. It’s proven an ideal choice for his landscaping and narrow access excavation business, which evolved from a lawn maintenance service he began while in junior high school. “It’s by far the best investment I’ve made in this business,” says the owner of Verderber Landscaping, Raymondville, Tex. The 463 offered more and better performance and comfort features than other machines costing up to several thousand dollars more, says Verderber. “It’s the best one available for its size and much heavier-duty than other small machines,” he says. Also, his Bobcat dealer is about 120 miles closer than dealers for the other loaders he considered. The 463, which is 36-in.-wide and 6-ft.-high, is the right size for the small yards in his area. “What good is a bigger machine if it won’t fit my jobsites?” he asks. Eric and his brother, Michael, use the Mini-Bob loader with a 36-in. Bobcat bucket with bolt-on teeth and a Bobcat landplane for digging dirt, backfilling and carrying, spreading and leveling topsoil and gravel. “The 463 is like a third hand,” says Verderber. “It helps out a lot.” One way is by cutting his labor costs in half. Another way is by fueling the growth of his business. “I’ve developed a niche in the market for working in tight areas,” he says. “Larger skid-steer loaders are common around here, but I’m the only one with a skid-steer loader this small.” The speed and power of his 463 also enables Verderber to take on bigger jobs. “I used to avoid leveling and grading work,” he says. “Now I’m doing more of it.” His Mini-Bob loader is “very agile for working in and around trees,” says Verderber. “I can turn on a dime and, maybe even pick one up. The cab has a lot more elbow room than I thought it would.” The significant time savings he enjoys from the increased productivity of the 463 is especially important. In addition to serving as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, Verderber is a full-time college student who expects to graduate later this year with a degree in horticulture. His Mini-Bob machine is more than paying for itself. “It has to,” he explains. “It’s helping me pay for college.”