The Kubota U17 is the machine that changed what a homeowner can do in a weekend. It fits through a three foot gate, it is light enough to drive across a lawn, and it digs in an hour what takes a day with a shovel. Here are the seven backyard jobs we rent it for most.
1. Fixing a wet yard
A French drain, a dry well or a buried downspout line is a trench eighteen to thirty inches deep sloped to an outlet. The U17 trenches it cleanly and you can backfill the same day. Our drainage guide has the details.
2. Deck footings
Footings in this region need to go at least four feet down to get below frost. Hand digging eight of them in clay is a lost weekend. The U17 digs each one in minutes and the machine can reach around an existing deck.
3. A garden pond or water feature
Shape the shelves and the deep zone in an afternoon, then line it. The U17 is ideal for ponds up to a few thousand gallons; larger dug ponds are U35 work.
4. Small stumps and shrub removal
Stumps under about a foot across, old cedar hedges and overgrown shrubs come out roots and all. Larger stumps want the U35; see our stump guide.
5. Retaining wall and patio base
Excavate the trench for a wall footing and the base for a patio, then spread gravel. The excavator's blade does light grading, and with a U17 you can work in a tight side yard where no loader fits.
6. Utility trench to a shed, garage or pool
Hydro to a workshop, water to a garden, gas or electrical to a pool heater. The U17 digs the trench; the licensed trades do the connections. Ontario One Call locates are required by law before any of it and are free, so request them at least five business days ahead.
7. A hot tub or shed pad
Strip the sod, level the base, spread and compact gravel. Our pad guide covers the layers.
Do you need experience?
No licence is required to run a compact excavator on your own property. We give a safety walk-through at drop-off, and most people are comfortable within an hour. Keep everyone out of the trench, keep the machine away from the edge of any hole, and if the job is near the house foundation or a septic system, ask about an operated rental.
The U17 is $250 a day and $400 for a weekend, delivered across Georgina, York, Durham and Kawartha Lakes. Text a photo of the backyard and the gate to 905-251-2521 and we will confirm it fits.