Other Equipment Can't Keep Up With Telescopic Tool Carriers
When Jody Minick started his own business three years ago he knew he had to be efficient in order to provide a valuable service for his customers and to finish as many jobs as quickly as possible.
His company, Minick Farm Services, based in Saluda, S.C., specializes in cleaning out chicken houses. The fast-growing firm works throughout South Carolina using a pair of V518 VersaHandler telescopic tool carriers (TTC).
"A lot of work has come my way because of the speed of the VersaHandler units," says Minick. "On a typical job of cleaning four houses, others take two or three days, while I can do it in a day with one of the V518s."
That's important because the chicken growers want the litter removed as quickly as possible. They have to wash the entire facility and put in new shavings before the next flock arrives.
"The owners really appreciate our efficiency," says Minick. "Not only do they get their buildings ready sooner, but we even give them time to take a vacation. That wins us a lot of points with the owners."
A farm tractor is a common way of cleaning out chicken houses, notes Minick. The amount of work he accomplishes in four trips in and out of a house usually takes a tractor 12 trips. He also figures it would take three skid-steer loaders to keep up with his VersaHandler TTC in this type of job.
"The V518 offers several advantages," says Minick. "Using a 3 1⁄4-yard bucket allows me to carry more material each trip. The travel speed of almost 20 mph enables me to move in and out quickly. Then I have the advantage of being able to dump straight into a tractor trailer instead of piling the material and loading later. All-in-all the VersaHander unit is ideal for this type of work."
At the time Minick purchased his first V518 from Bobcat of Columbia he also evaluated another brand of telescopic. He decided the VersaHandler machine better fit his needs. "The fact that I can operate the V518 with a single joystick made my decision easy. You need four levers to operate the other machine. It was way too cumbersome. The V518, on the other hand, is a pleasure to operate."
A year ago Minick was doing 70 houses every 10 weeks. He added the second V518 as his volume more than doubled.
"This isn't complicated work, but when speed and efficiency are important, you can't beat the VersaHandler machines," says Minick. "I'd be lost without them."