By David Crary
In September, HindSite Software conducted a survey of more than 150 green industry contractors to answer a simple question: What equipment brands do they prefer, and why? We compiled the results in a 25-page report – The Green Industry Equipment Report – that is available to download at http://www.hindsitesoftware.com/2013-green-industry-equipment-report.cfm.
Below are five things we learned from the Green Industry Equipment Report:
- There are clear winners in almost every product category.
We asked questions about trucks, skid-steers, irrigation equipment, trenching equipment, mowing equipment, property maintenance equipment and snow removal equipment. In almost every product category there was a clear favorite. Brands like Ford, Rain Bird, Ditch Witch, eXmark, Bobcat and Stihl were clear winners in their respective product categories, with many of those brands being favored by nearly half of respondents.
The only categories where this wasn’t the case included salt spreaders, where 7 brands earned at least 9% of the vote, with none cracking more than 16%. The other anomalies:
- Rain Bird and Hunter were #1 and #2 in most of the irrigation supply categories, though Hunter did earn the nod for favorite rotary nozzle brand, besting Rain Bird by 7%
- In lawn mowers, eXmark was the clear favorite for nearly every type of lawn mower – stand on and front and mid-mount zero-turn, though Toro won for their commercial walk mower.
- And for snow plow blades, Boss was the clear favorite for their V snow plow blade, while Western was the favored straight snow plow blade.
- Rain Bird and Hunter were #1 and #2 in most of the irrigation supply categories, though Hunter did earn the nod for favorite rotary nozzle brand, besting Rain Bird by 7%
- Green industry contractors are looking for durable, long-lasting products.
After each question, we asked why contractors chose a specific brand. And almost invariably, the response was that it was the most durable or reliable product on the market. This was particularly noticeable in the truck category, where no matter the brand, the contractor said their choice was the most reliable, durable truck on the market.
And it makes a lot of sense that green industry professionals prefer equipment that’s durable. They’re willing to pay more for something that won’t break down as quickly or easily because every minute of downtime hurts their business. - Distributor and dealer relationships matter.
Another interesting finding is that distributor relationships play a role in the equipment that green industry businesses use. Many respondents said they chose a product because they had a great relationship with the local distributor or dealer. In fact, more than one indicated that they weren’t convinced that the product they were using was the best on the market, but they had such a great relationship with the person they were buying it from that they chose not to look at another option.
And, realistically, in some categories like irrigation, where Rain Bird was the clear favorite, but Hunter also polled well, the differences between the top products are insignificant enough that the reputation of the local distributor will play a significant role. - GPS tracking and propane haven’t been heavily adopted.
Though there has been a lot of discussion about GPS tracking and replacing gasoline-powered equipment with propane, neither of these options have gained wide acceptance. GPS tracking has certainly fared better than propane, with 25% of respondents indicating their business has implemented GPS tracking. Those using GPS tracking cite improved efficiency and accountability as the main reasons they’ve invested in the technology. On the flip side, those not using GPS tracking cite the cost and a limited return on investment as the primary reasons they haven’t taken the plunge and implemented GPS tracking.
For propane-powered equipment, just 8% of respondents claim to have converted or plan to convert their equipment to propane. The small percentage that have converted claim that fuel cost savings and environmental concerns are the primary benefits of propane. Those that haven’t converted indicate that the high cost of converting their equipment and a general lack of knowledge about propane powered equipment are their reasons for sticking with gasoline-powered equipment. - Irrigation contractors are actively promoting smart irrigation.
Unlike GPS tracking and propane, smart irrigation is a trend that’s taking the irrigation industry by storm. 74% of irrigation contractors surveyed are promoting smart irrigation techniques to reduce water consumption. Which makes a lot of sense because smart irrigation systems are a win/win proposition, saving consumers money in the long-term, saving a finite resource, and enabling irrigation contractors to sell profitable system upgrades.
Want to learn more about the equipment contractors prefer and why? Download the Green Industry Equipment Report at http://www.hindsitesoftware.com/2013-green-industry-equipment-report.cfm today.