Durability Counts When Choosing Right Utility Vehicle

While green issues and attachments might get a great deal of attention from managers specifying utility vehicles, long-term maintenance and durability also should get careful consideration.

"With maintenance considerations, we have very few problems," Bolick says. "We get a good deal of support (from manufacturers), and that's the reason I go that route. The vehicles have proven themselves, and no matter what brand you have, get a good deal behind you. If I have problems, I can get them taken care of."

Durability is a major consideration because the tasks grounds crews must perform often take them off paved paths, and their vehicles must be prepared to handle rugged terrain.

"We've had some issues with some of the front ends," Burns says. "Being an urban campus, we jump a lot of curbs. The education department, athletics department, utilities, everyone has carts. Most of those folks don't need to jump curbs, because they don't have to maintain the grass that's behind those curbs. We're jumping curbs all the time, and we were losing the front-ends on some of our vehicles very often."

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