Most manufacturers offer a number of different models.  Many of them come with a variety of attachments, including a trencher, backhoe, auger, snow plow, rake, etc.  These attachments can be purchased individually, or you can put together an assortment combining them into a total system.  Buying the system is more economical and gives the contractor a machine that meets all of his or her needs right from the start. 

Contractors also purchase new equipment to take advantage of the greater capacity and other features that new models offer.  Brian Koenig, owner of Custom Landscaping Service in Shakopee, Minnesota, owns two Power Trac compact utility tractors  He got the second one when the company came out with new models that had a greater lifting capacity.  His company continues to keep both machines busy.

"Getting a Power Trac basically allowed me to do things much more efficiently," says Koening.  "It lets me go places that I can't go with skid steer machines.  The articulated steering allows you to go over lawns without tearing them up.  It save so many headaches on repair work because it does virtually no damage."

Eric Hart, of Hartscapes in Eldersburg, Maryland, couldn't agree more.  Hartscapes, a residential landscape company owned and solely operated by Eric and MaryAnn Hart, owns four Power Tracs.  "These machines have increased productivity by at least 100 percent," says Hart.  "Since our first unit, our company's revenues have almost tripled.  In many cases, we do jobs that we would probably not attempt if we didn't own these machines.  We started out like most companies, with a skid steer, but on most landscape jobs we're working finished surfaces and need to transport heavy material, like pavers and stone.  With the Power Tracs, we can take a 3,000 lb load across a finished lawn with virtually no damage to the surface.  This saves countless hours that would be spent reseeding the lawn."