Starting a Landscaping Side Hustle with a Mini Skid Steer – Investment analysis and profit potential
The landscaping industry is becoming increasingly automated and powered by compact machines. Small business owners and side-hustlers used to be heavily restricted by the cost of heavy equipment or the risk of sheer exhaustion from manual labor. However, the advent of the starting a landscaping side hustle with a mini skid steer has made big changes in the market.
Starting a landscaping side hustle with a mini skid steer is now not only a viable option but also a high-margin business model even for non-experienced contractors who want to utilize the demand for residential and commercial outdoor services.
By using small units like those at Typhon Machinery, you can open up spaces that large machines cannot and, hence, get higher rates for specialized services.
Understanding the Mini Skid Steer Advantage
The main feature that a mini skid steer offers to a potential client as compared to a full-sized loader or manual labor is the perfect mix of being able to do powerful tasks and being highly movable in tight spaces. These machines are so compact that the size of the backyard gates is their limiting criteria only.
In other words, you can support your labor crew with machine power from a mini skid steer for the same number of projects as if you had five men with shovels and wheelbarrows doing the task. Thus, the rise of your profit potential lies in this great improved work speed.
- Gate access: The majority of mini units have a width of 36 to 42 inches, so the machine can be used in the backyard without the need for taking down the fence.
- Reduced labor costs: With just one person operating a mini skid steer, more soil can be moved than would be moved by a three-person crew working a full day.
- Low surface impact: The track-type mini skid steer machines distribute the weight over a larger area to minimize damage or even completely prevent damage to the lawn – this is one of the major arguments used by sellers to convince the buyer in choosing the machine over manual work.
Initial Investment Analysis: The Cost of Entry
You should have a clear idea of what kind of financial implications you are committing to before literally breaking the ground. One of the best investments that you can make to get your landscaping company off the ground is a TYPHON STOMP or a similar mini skid steer.
This investment replaces a number of manual workers and allows for much faster completion of the same amount of work, so these things which may seem costly in the beginning become extremely affordable through the model of “Starting a Landscaping Side Hustle with a Mini Skid Steer”. Such a model harnessed high-value service offerings to ensure a rapid return on investment.
| Investment Item | Estimated Cost (New) | Monthly Financing (Approx.) |
| Mini Skid Steer (e.g., TYPHON STOMP) | $12,000 – $25,000 | $250 – $500 |
| Utility Trailer (7,000 lb GVWR) | $3,500 – $6,000 | $80 – $150 |
| Core Attachments (Bucket, Forks) | $1,500 – $3,000 | Included in financing |
| Insurance & Licensing | $1,200/year | $100 |
| Total Estimated Startup | $18,200 – $35,200 | $430 – $750/mo |
- Financing vs. Cash: Most side hustles are funded either completely or partially by cash through loan authorization. The softened blow point, which is the monthly payment itself, is paid for in one or two weekend jobs.
- New vs. Used: A used machine comes at a cheaper price, however, the new TYPHON series machines provide warranties and also run on engines from Honda or Briggs & Stratton which are more reliable, thus the risk of downtime is minimal.
- Fuel Efficiency: Mini skid steers use significantly less fuel than large ones, they can typically operate for a whole day on only a few gallons of gasoline or diesel.
High-Profit Services to Offer
Implementing your mini skid steer into the landscaping services side hustle opens a wide range of opportunities for double-digit profit margins by offering high-margin services. All types of “high margin, low competition” niches need to be identified and their core problems solved to build your side hustle business volume.
In fact, versatility in mini skid steer really is an instrument to success in this kind of business where you can switch quickly from having a set of digging bits on your machine in the morning, to a land leveller work the very same day.
- Trenching and Utility Lines: Installing a trenching attachment allows one to do irrigation systems, electric fences, outdoor lighting wiring.
- Grading and Levelling: After rain, water often pools in the unlevel areas of a yard. It is such a nice and neat job that people pay for it – grading with a mini skid steer redefines the job of a handyman very fast.
- Material Handling: It is a real breeze to use pallet forks to load sod, pavers, or the heavy decorative stones which cannot be moved by you alone.
Calculating Your Profit Potential
The income that a mini skid steer produces is in a category that is significantly higher than general lawn care. Hence, mini skid steer operators can command rates of $100-$150 per hour more easily than a lawn mowing service that nets typically $40-$60 per hour. The rates vary depending on the attachment used and complexity of work.
- Hourly Rates: Include a base “machine rate” alongside an operator charge. In most markets, $125/hr is supported, at a 4-hour minimum.
- Project-Based Pricing: For some tasks like “backyard clearing,” charging $800 for a day’s work on Saturday is quite common, and the expenses (fuel/transport) usually don’t go beyond $100.
- Annual Projections: Just by working two Saturdays a month, your gross income would be $1,600 – $2,000 which is more than enough to cover the equipment loan without strain and to buy yourself a nice chunk of change as well.
Essential Attachments for Maximum Versatility
The performance of your machine depends greatly on the attachments you use with it. If you squirrel away some money from your “Starting a Landscaping Side Hustle with a Mini Skid Steer” business relatively soon, and one day combine that money to buy common home owner problem-solving attachments, then that would be a great move both business-wise and personal home renovation-wise. Besides, TYPHON Machinery is a manufacturer of attachments which are especially perfect for this kind of small but powerful construction equipment.
- Auger Drive: drilling post holes for fences and decks, or planting large-potted trees.
- 4-in-1 Bucket: This is the attachment that can do it all — it can dig, blade, backfill, and grapple objects.
- Lawn Scarifier: Normally, lawns get nourished, but here is a scarifier that can also prepare a seedbed, remove old thatch and moss to bring the lawn back to life.
Marketing Your Side Hustle
Nowadays visuals win the race. For a start, when Starting a Landscaping Side Hustle with a Mini Skid Steer? a mini skid steer brings you a wealth of pictures and video content that, when shown, become an irresistible offer for any potential customer that comes across your branding. But even without a mini skid steer, you would still want to shoot with your own phone before and after photos of every yard you grade or a lot you clear – these photos are very effective way of selling potential customers on social media.
- Google Business Profile: Register your brand name and business category to appear in local search results whenever neighbors are looking for mini skid steer services near them.
- Facebook Marketplace: design and promote a service in the form of a bundle, e.g., “Post Hole Digging – $25 per hole (10 hole minimum).”
- Contractor Partnerships: call up the landscape companies near you and let them know that you have a mini skid steer and you are ready to help them out with sub-contractor jobs.
Maintenance and Safety: Protecting Your Investment
In order for you to make good money by using your mini skid steer on the side, you will first need to stick to a program of maintenance and repair. Small and medium-sized loaders can withstand all sorts of abuses but still, an adherence to the scheduled maintenance will dramatically increase your likelihood of enjoying the full 10,000 hour lifetime of the unit.
- Daily Inspections: Besides checking the level of hydraulic fluid and greasing all the pivot points, do also take time to look at the condition and tightness (tension) of the tracks.
- Engine Care: Oil changes on the engine at exactly the intervals specified by the manufacturer is a must do for the longevity of the unit and that especially applies to the models with the Honda GX630 or Briggs & Stratton power units.
- Safety First: Operators to always consider the rated operating capacity (ROC) of their equipment before starting a job to ensure safety both of the operator as well as that of the machine.
Frequently Asked Questions – Starting a Landscaping Side Hustle with a Mini Skid Steer?
Is a mini skid steer worth it for a small landscaping business?
Yes, the employment of a mini skid steer is the easiest and quickest way to make a small company viable. It literally replaces a couple of manual workers, speeds up job completion and at the same time makes it possible for you to take on jobs that require heavy lifting in small areas.
How much can you make with a mini skid steer?
It depends largely on how much work you get but typically, an owner-operator can gross $800 – $1,200 per day. However, after deducting expenses such as fuel, insurance, and maintenance, the operator can still have a pretty high net profit because these expenses are far less than what larger construction companies have to incur.
Do I need a CDL to transport a mini skid steer?
Generally speaking, the answer is no. The combined weight of a mini skid steer and its trailer most of the time stays below 10,000 lbs, so any person driving with a regular driver’s license can do most of the transports – very handy for a side hustle.
What is the best mini skid steer for a beginner?
The TYPHON STOMP series is highly recommended for beginners due to its user-friendly hydraulic controls and reliable engine options like Honda. It offers a balance of affordability and professional-grade power.
Can a mini skid steer dig a foundation?
After all, mini skid steers are only very small excavators and hence, it is not realistic to expect anything more than a limited amount of small footings, trenching, or slab-on-grade for sheds, patios, or small ADUs from it. For a full basement excavation, you will need to go with a much larger-sized excavator.
How do I find customers for my skid steer side hustle?
Collaborate with local neighborhood Facebook groups and Nextdoor to kick-start your business. Let your prospect customers know that you specialize in tight access jobs since most of the homeowners come with backyards that big machines simply cannot enter.
How long do mini skid steers last?
Provided they are well maintained, a mini skid steer of a high standard can serve you well for up to 10,000 hours of operation. That is more than 20 years if your routine work involves only 10 hours per week.
