D2Scapes Finds Success Amid Workforce Shortage by Using Versatile Stand-on Skid Steers

Despite difficulty finding new landscaping workers, D2Scapes has been able to take on multiple jobs at once with the help of their Ditch Witch stand-on skid steers

It’s not easy to get 90% of people to agree to anything, but in 2020 almost 90% of landscapers agreed that it was difficult to find good employees in their industry, according to the 2020 Green Industry Benchmark Report.

The workforce shortage has been a year-over-year problem in the landscaping industry, but it hasn’t stopped the demand for work from increasing. In fact, demand for work is at an all-time high in many areas. To make sure supply keeps up with demand, landscaping companies are getting get creative and relying more on their machines than ever.

D2Scapes, based in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is one company that amid the labor shortage has relied more on machines, particularly its Ditch Witch SK750 and SK3000 stand-on skid steers.

“I consider my Ditch Witch stand-on skid steers to be employees,” said Darrel Anderson, owner and CEO of D2Scapes. “It’s a hard time to find workers in the landscape industry right now, so I’m running much smaller crews than I’m used to. With my SKs, I’m still able to get jobs done on-time and on-budget. Sometimes I’m even getting jobs done faster than I have in years past.”

D2Scapes offers a wide range of landscaping services but specializes in large, high-end residential yards. These jobs often have multiple tasks and require powerful, versatile solutions. Because stand-on skid steer machines have top-of-the-line operating capacities, offer a wide assortment of attachment options and have an easy hop-on, hop-off operator platform, D2Scapes has been able to operate with crews as small as one worker and still finish jobs on time.

Two with the Efficiency of One

One example of this was in the fall of 2020 when D2Scapes was able to take on two separate residential landscaping projects in Hot Springs at the same time.

The larger project was recreation of a natural setting in a residential area. The job required adding large boulders, creating pathways to a nearby lake, adding irrigation and drainage systems and substantial mulching to preserve a natural look and feel around the house.

The other job required irrigation installation, adding storm and water drainage systems, sodding around the house and recreating a slope to a nearby lake by adding topsoil. When working on this smaller job, D2Scapes’ crew had to contend with a space-restricted suburban area.

Both jobs were also complicated by the hilly Arkansas terrain.

“Before I had the stand-on skid steers, I wouldn’t have had the equipment or manpower to take on both jobs at the same time,” Anderson said. “And because of that I likely would have lost one of the jobs because the customer didn’t want to wait. With the SKs I knew I could make both work at the same time, even with a smaller crew.”

One of the biggest challenges of the larger landscaping job was a formidable mulching task. A task that Anderson said would typically be an all-day project with his other tractor, due to the slope of the jobsite and size of the area that needed mulching. With the SK3000, the job took half that time.

“I actually started the mulching alone with just the machine and I onsite,” he said. “I wanted to get the job started and have the crew join me later, but the SK3000 was much more efficient than I expected. I ended up completing a majority of the mulching in 2 hours, not the entire day that I was expecting – and that was without anyone else onsite.”

The biggest benefit of the Ditch Witch stand-on skid steers that contributed to Anderson’s efficiency was the hop-on, hop-off operator platform.

“I’m off and on a machine multiple times throughout a day, so it would drive me nuts – and limit my productivity – if I had to open a door, climb over the bucket and put on my seatbelt every time I wanted to get on and off a machine,” Anderson said. “In fact, when we used traditional machines in the past, the operator would just stay in the tractor or skid steer all day while others did the hand work. Now, stand-on skid steers make it very easy for our workers to change tasks and keep moving throughout the day – and that’s a big part of how we work.”

Another reason Anderson and his crew were able to efficiently complete two big jobs at the same time was because of the skid-steer’s versatile attachment options. Anderson Landscape owns forks, buckets, a trencher and a power brush, which they use for jobsite cleanup.

“Being able to easily switch attachments is key in helping us to accomplish a variety of jobs with just the one machine,” Anderson said. “Since many of our jobs are in residential areas that already have multiple vehicles taking up jobsite space, the ability to bring just one machine to a jobsite is a huge plus. In the future I definitely plan to continue looking into new attachments that can help my crew take on new jobs. I believe that will be the future of how we work.”

Additionally, Anderson said the simple transportability of both machines allowed his crew to easily shuffle machines between jobsites and that the stand-on platform significantly increased visibility – especially when the operator is in reverse.

Transforming the Future of Landscaping

Looking ahead, Anderson is confident that he will continue to succeed in the landscaping industry with his SK3000 and SK750 – despite the current shortage of workers.

“If workers continue to be difficult to find, landscapers will need to rely more and more on their equipment, and in my industry, stand-on skid steers are perfect,” Anderson said. “The first time I drove my stand-on skid steer, the machine just felt like an extension of me. With ease, I could move material, change attachments and hop off and on. I turned into the ideal landscaping machine.”

HYDRAULIC BREAKER
Used for construction and demolition, our breakers can be used to break up asphalt, concrete or even clay. The hydraulic hammer is perfect for any small or medium job you might have. More up-time in the field is always the goal, and with only two moving parts and a few seals, there’s no reason for down-time.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

ROCK SAW

Best suited for irrigation and fiber installation, the Rock Saw attachment can effortlessly cut through rock, concrete, and other tough materials with unmatched precision. 

Compatible Models

SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

BACKHOE
Easily move materials for rebuilds, new construction, footings, utility repairs and more with this compact and versatile attachment.
Compatible Models

SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

STUMP GRINDERS
Featuring a heavy-duty boom design, powerful stump grinding attachments quickly shred stumps down to nothing. Easy maneuvering from stump to stump and increased visibility turns more ground stumps into more profit.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

MULTITASK TOOL
Your multipurpose tool for the ultimate multi-tasker is here. Engineered to grab tight to heavy materials and move them with ease and precision, the multi-task tool is your go-to for heavy applications. Easy to operate with convenient, functional levers.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

CORE DRILL
With the MC-450 coring attachment, utility maintenance is simple and less disruptive. Featuring intuitive controls and an integrated water tank, the MC-450 is the perfect choice for quick cuts and a more productive coring process. A fully adjustable 0 to 280 rpm speed allows for enhanced control and greater productivity.
Compatible Models

SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

SOIL CULTIVATOR
Prepare food plots, gardens, and landscaping projects with a soil cultivator. It gets land ready by stirring organic material back in the soil for a healthier, more stable lawn. Buries the biggest of rocks for a looser topsoil.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

BLADES
Whether you’re looking to increase dump height or digging depth, attaching a backfill blade is an easy way to save manpower on your jobsite while working with precision and timeliness. Available in various widths.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

AUGER DRIVER
Ideal for landscaping and tree care, an auger attachment will expedite hole creation and allow operators to quickly plant trees or install fence posts than if they were hand-digging or relying on a hand-held auger. Available in 6" to 30" diameters.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

TILLER
Tough and effective tillers prepare your garden by breaking up tough soil and removing unwanted weeds. Available in 4' width.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

GRAPPLES
Tree grapples come with 48" or 57" openings to efficiently remove logs and debris from the jobsite. It has an excavator style boom design with a powder coat finish and a cylinder lock for increased safety. Brush grapples available with a gap opening of 29" and widths of 42" or 54".
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

CARRY ALL LEVELER
One of our most simple yet versatile attachments, the Carry-All Leveler is perfect for carrying bulky material, leveling soil and adding a flat, smooth finish to your project. Available in 49" width.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

BUCKETS

From landscaping and hardscapes to tree care and construction-grade tasks, your stand-on skid steer can take on more than you think. We've got you covered with a variety of buckets from 4-in-1 to heavy and light material buckets. Widths range from 34" to 66".

Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

PALLET FORKS
Take on your heaviest loads with precision and dependability with Ditch Witch pallet forks. They easily attach to any of our skid steers and can easily accessorize with hay spikes, brick guards, and much more to add even more ROI. Available in widths ranging from 36-48.75" and lengths from 36-48".
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

MICROTRENCHER
Fiber installation and other street-located work is rapidly growing. A microtrenching attachment is key for operators looking to get into fiber installation at the street level. They cut both concrete and asphalt in controlled increments so contractors don't need to stop traffic. Maximum width options are 0.5-1.5” or 2” with maximum depths of 12” or 16”.
Compatible Models

SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

ROTO WITCH®
The Ditch Witch Roto Witch® attachment is used for short bores underneath sidewalks, driveways and other obstacles. It offers great digging performance while minimizing jobsite restoration. Compatible with numerous Ditch Witch stand-on skid steers, the Roto Witch attachment can bore and backream up to 12" (300 mm) in diameter.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

PLOW
Install fiber and other utilities quickly with a vibratory plow attachment for your skid steer. It creates less ground disruption and cleanup than traditional trenching to get the job done faster. Available in maximum depths of 14" and 24".
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

POWER RAKE
Clean, level and prep jobsites or smooth and loosen soil for sodding with a rake attachment. Most rake attachments require 10 to 14 gpm, but the higher horsepower creates even more drum torque to tear through the most demanding soil types. Width measures 4'.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

MICROTRENCHERS
Fiber installation and other street-located work is rapidly growing. A microtrenching attachment is key for operators looking to get into fiber installation at the street level. They cut both concrete and asphalt in controlled increments so contractors don't need to stop traffic. Maximum width options are 0.5-1.5” or 2” with maximum depths of 12” or 16”.
Compatible Models

SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

ROTO WITCH®
The Ditch Witch Roto Witch® attachment is used for short bores underneath sidewalks, driveways and other obstacles. It offers great digging performance while minimizing jobsite restoration. Compatible with numerous Ditch Witch stand-on skid steers, the Roto Witch attachment can bore and backream up to 12" (300 mm) in diameter.
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750

PLOWS
Install fiber and other utilities quickly with a vibratory plow attachment for your skid steer. It creates less ground disruption and cleanup than traditional trenching to get the job done faster. Available in maximum depths of 14" and 24".
Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000

TRENCHER

Stay efficient on large jobsites with a trencher attachment for your skid steer. It’s a smart alternative to large, specialized equipment for utility installation and landscaping jobs. Available in standard 6”, 8” and 12” maximum widths with maximum depths of 36", 38", 48” and 55.5”.

Compatible Models

SK600, SK800, SK900, SK1050, SK1550, SK1750, SK3000