Newly formed mini plant equipment hire outfit Kaspar Hire has seen first-hand the benefit of adding Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) equipment to its fleet after purchasing a Huski skid steer loader which has already become a hit with customers.
Kaspar Hire director Paul Kasparsons is no stranger to material handling and excavation equipment, having worked in the civil construction industry for 20 years before starting Kaspar Hire in the second half of 2023.
Based in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs, Kaspar Hire added a Toyota Huski 4SDK4 Skid Steer Loader to its burgeoning fleet late last year, which has impressed both Mr Kasparsons and customers alike with its compact and powerful performance.
Mr Kasparsons said the Huski Skid Steer packs a considerable punch in a diminutive package.
“At least two, maybe three clients have come back were quite surprised at how effective the machine was,” Mr Kasparsons said.
“They made comments like, ‘it's a little beast of a machine’, so that was pleasing to hear. And then I’ve used it a few times, and I've managed to, dig up or excavate a few backyards with actual machine and I was able to dig a good 200-250mm into the ground with no issues at all into the clay, and that was quite impressive as well,” he said.
Mr Kasparsons said that out of the five machines currently on his fleet, the Huski has been the most popular, with its narrow dimensions perfectly suited to residential and domestic landscaping which require the ability for machinery to move in and out of tight spaces.
When choosing a skid steer loader for his business, Mr Kasparsons said the Huski was not only keenly priced next to its competitors, he has years of first-hand experience with the reliability of Toyota products.
Kaspar Hire currently uses a Toyota HiLux to tow and deliver his hire equipment to customers, while the first vehicle he ever owned was a 60 Series LandCruiser.
Due to its popularity with customers, the Huski skid steer has already chalked up 130 hours of operation, with the first service performed by TMHA’s knowledgeable service and repair team, who were also able to fix some minor damage caused by a customer.
“Yeah, had the 50-hour service a little while ago, through Toyota Material Handling, and that was no issue,” Mr Kasparsons said.
“The service itself was fine. The fellow that came out was good and knowledgeable. At the time the 4-in-1 bucket wasn’t closing properly – I think someone had dented the underside of the bucket – and the technician just adjusted it and delivered a grinding here and there, and fixed it,” Mr Kasparsons continued.
“That was good as well. So anything that had to get done could get done.”
TMHA offers an extensive network of over 350 service technicians across the country, ensuring customers are able to access fast and reliable service and repairs when needed to minimise equipment downtime.
The purchase of the Huski skid steer loader was facilitated by TMHA area sales manager Mick Holohan, who has provided comprehensive support for Kaspar Hire through the sales and ownership process.
“I dealt predominantly with Mick Holohan, and he was great throughout the whole process – I was shopping around, had a couple of questions and, you know, bits and pieces,” Mr Kasparsons said.
“For him it would have been quite challenging, because I'm one of many clients that he's probably trying to sort out, and it was great. And he's still great today, even if I’ve got the odd question about something. So he's still responding to my questions even to this day. So that's great,” he said.
Kaspar Hire has plans to continue slowly expanding its business, and with the popularity of the Huski skid steer, Mr Kasparsons was keen to add another one to the fleet.
“I've said this before that the next machine that I buy will probably be another little skid steer because they are so popular. The machine has been great, and I don't think I'd choose another machine at this stage,” he said.
“There's nothing wrong with the Toyota Huski, I'd recommend it and my next machine will probably be the same machine.”
