EQUIPMENT FOCUS a simple learning curve. And weighing around 3,000 pounds, it can be towed easily on a sturdy utility trailer. A regular compact loader will weigh three times as much.
By Glenn Hansen
WHEN KUBOTA SAID I COULD BORROW its new stand-on loader, I knew now was the time to begin my backyard landscaping project. As a DIY homeowner, I enjoy getting into projects of all kinds( except plumbing). My backyard project started with removing grass and prepping a few hundred square feet for a new native-plants garden. I am sure there are better attachments for this type of project, but I had a bucket. And in old racing lingo, you run what ya brung.
Did it work? Yes, it worked well— once I got the hang of the machine’ s controls, size and bucket angles. There is no doubt this machine saved me hours of labor and saved my aging back from the pain of otherwise manual labor. I still needed to work by hand near a couple of trees. But with practice over a couple days, I got better and manipulating the Kubota to do what I needed. And several of my neighbors were scrambling to find heavy things to move and jobs to get done.
I left the machine outside during the weekends I was working in my yard. Otherwise, this mini machine fit nicely in my third garage stall. At 36-inches wide, even with the attachment on, the Kubota easily slipped into my standard-size garage, and I could still access my bicycles, kayaks, workbench and all my tools.
Would I buy one? No, because I just don’ t need one as a homeowner. But I will certainly rent one in the future. For maybe $ 1,000 a week I could get loads of work done and still store a mini machine safely in the garage. A machine like the Kubota has
Accessibility for pros
When I was done removing grass in my yard, I let my friends at Steiner Landscaping use the Kubota for a few projects. They had rocks and dirt to move, and a few stumps to remove. Owner Andy Steiner and his partner Rylan Lord have been in business just a couple years; they’ re young and growing a business combining design and build work, plus some mowing and maintenance. Steiner owns a traditional Bobcat loader, a couple zero-turn mowers, and a mini skid-steer built by AGT International, which they purchased online for about $ 6,000.
They bought that mini machine for the low price alone.“ We have issues with it,” said Lord.“ It is slow, can’ t lift much, and the tracks come off sometimes, but we could afford it.” Lord added that they will sometimes rent other mini loaders depending on the project. And they were eager to test the Kubota.
The Steiner team appreciated several features and characteristics of the Kubota, which easily outclassed the inexpensive AGT. This is not intended to be a comparison; that wouldn’ t even be fair as the Kubota retails for around $ 42,000, seven times as much as the AGT.
20 OPE + December 2025 www. OPE-Plus. com