How GROW Uses a John Deere 35P, Engcon Tiltrotator and 3D Grade Control to Work Smarter

For landscape contractors, getting more productivity out of a compact machine can mean completing more work with less repositioning, less handwork and greater precision. Boulder, Colorado-based GROW is putting that idea into practice with a John Deere 35P Compact Excavator equipped with an Engcon tiltrotator and Topcon 3D grade control, combining versatile equipment with technology and support from 4Rivers Equipment and Foursight Solutions.

For GROW owner Adam Grove, it's a setup that helps his team take on everything from tree handling and trenching to grading and detail work, all while making the most of one compact excavator.

How Is GROW Tackling Landscape Construction Differently?

GROW is a landscape design, build and maintenance company working in Boulder, Colorado. One of the company's recent projects involves a major landscape redevelopment at a property that hasn't received a significant landscape update since the 1980s.

The goal is about more than giving the property a fresh look. GROW is working to create a more polished landscape while reducing water requirements and delivering a finished product that complements the quality of the property's premier restaurant tenant, Blackbelly.

Getting there requires equipment that can handle a wide variety of tasks without sacrificing accuracy or efficiency. That's where GROW's John Deere 35P Compact Excavator comes in.

Why Does GROW Use the John Deere 35P Compact Excavator?

On a landscape jobsite, versatility matters. Space can be limited, conditions can change quickly, and crews often need to transition from digging and material handling to detailed finish work.

For GROW, the John Deere 35P has become a go-to machine capable of handling multiple stages of a project, including:

• Handling and positioning trees
• Scraping and removing turf
• Digging trenches
• Grading and finish work
• Working around tight or hard-to-access areas
• Using multiple attachments for different applications

Rather than bringing in a different machine for every step of the job, GROW can configure its 35P to take on a broader range of work.

That's an important consideration for landscape contractors evaluating compact excavators. The right machine isn't necessarily just about how much it can dig. It's about how many jobs it can help your crew accomplish efficiently.

What Does an Engcon Tiltrotator Add to a Compact Excavator?

A key part of GROW's setup is its Engcon tiltrotator system. The tiltrotator gives the operator greater ability to angle and position attachments, creating additional flexibility beyond the traditional movement of an excavator boom and bucket.

For GROW, that versatility helps the crew:

• Reach tight and difficult areas
• Reduce unnecessary machine repositioning
• Complete more tasks with one machine
• Reduce manual handwork
• Improve efficiency during detailed landscape work
• Handle materials using integrated grapple functionality
• Make better use of different attachments throughout a project

That can be especially valuable on established properties where contractors are working around buildings, hardscapes, trees, utilities and other existing features.

Instead of simply asking, "What can this excavator dig?" GROW's setup demonstrates a better question for contractors to consider: How many different jobs can I accomplish with the same machine?

How Does Topcon 3D Grade Control Improve Accuracy?

Hardware is only one part of GROW's approach. The company is also incorporating Topcon 3D grade control installed by Foursight Solutions into its workflow.

The technology provides operators with real-time grade information to help them understand where they are in relation to the project design. That can make layout and grading work more straightforward while helping crews achieve consistent results.

For GROW, 3D grade control helps operators:

• View grade information while they work
• Work toward target grades with greater confidence
• Simplify jobsite layout
• Maintain more consistent grading results
• Create digital records of completed work

For landscape contractors, excavation companies and other contractors performing precision dirt work, that information can help remove some of the guesswork from grading.

And when you're working on a finished landscape where inches matter, having better information in the cab can make a significant difference.

Why Does Dealer Support Matter for Compact Equipment?

Buying the right machine is important. Keeping it productive is just as important.

That's where GROW's relationship with 4Rivers Equipment comes into the picture. As an authorized John Deere dealer, our role doesn't stop when a piece of equipment leaves the dealership.

We work with customers to help identify equipment for their applications and continue supporting that equipment through its working life. For GROW, that relationship has included support with:

• Equipment selection
• Financing
• Parts availability
• Rental equipment
• Field service
• Equipment technology

Our teams work around John Deere construction equipment every day, so we understand that downtime isn't an abstract number on a spreadsheet. When a contractor's machine isn't working, there's a crew and a job behind it that still need to keep moving.

GROW has experienced that support firsthand, highlighting instances when our service team has been able to get a technician onsite the same day when equipment issues arise.

How Can the Right Equipment Setup Help Landscape Contractors?

GROW's 35P provides a good example of why equipment selection isn't just about choosing a machine model. The configuration matters, too.

Pairing a compact excavator with the right attachments and technology can help contractors build a machine around the work they actually perform.

For GROW, that combination includes:

• John Deere 35P Compact Excavator: The foundation for digging, grading, handling and other jobsite tasks.
• Engcon Tiltrotator: Adds flexibility and attachment positioning for complex and confined work.
• Engcon Grapple and Attachment Solutions: Expands what the excavator can accomplish without relying as heavily on manual handling.
• Topcon 3D Grade Control: Provides real-time information for more precise grading and jobsite execution.
• 4Rivers Equipment Support: Helps keep the machine working through parts, service, rentals and equipment expertise.
• Foursight Solutions Technology Support: Helps integrate grade-control technology into the equipment and jobsite workflow.

The result isn't simply a more technologically advanced excavator. It's a machine configured around the needs of GROW's business.

Building a Better Equipment Partnership

At 4Rivers Equipment, we've spent years working alongside contractors who make their living with their equipment. That hands-on experience has taught us that there isn't a single machine or technology package that's right for every customer.

The better approach is to understand the work first.

What jobs does the machine need to perform? Where is productivity being lost? How much time is spent repositioning equipment or doing work by hand? Would attachments or grade-control technology help eliminate some of those bottlenecks?

Those are the kinds of conversations our team can have with contractors when they're evaluating equipment.

GROW's John Deere 35P is a good example of what can happen when the machine, attachments, technology and dealer support are considered together. It's not technology for technology's sake. It's about finding practical ways to help a crew work more efficiently and confidently.

Featured Equipment and Technology

Customer: GROW, Landscape Design, Build & Maintenance
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Equipment: John Deere 35P Compact Excavator
Attachments: Engcon tiltrotator and grapple solutions
Technology: Topcon 3D grade control
John Deere Dealer: 4Rivers Equipment
Technology Installation: Foursight Solutions

If you're looking for a compact excavator or exploring how attachments and grade-control technology could help improve productivity on your jobsites, the team at 4Rivers Equipment can help you evaluate options based on the work you actually do.

Explore John Deere equipment and solutions from 4Rivers Equipment.

Common Questions About Compact Excavators, Tiltrotators and 3D Grade Control

What is a tiltrotator on a compact excavator?

A tiltrotator allows an excavator operator to angle and position an attachment beyond the conventional movement of the excavator itself. For contractors like GROW, that added flexibility can make it easier to work around obstacles, reach confined areas and complete detailed work with less machine repositioning.

What types of work can GROW perform with its John Deere 35P?

GROW uses its John Deere 35P for a range of landscape construction applications, including tree handling, turf removal, trenching, grading and work in confined areas. Its Engcon attachment setup gives the company additional flexibility to handle multiple tasks with the same machine.

What does 3D grade control do on an excavator?

3D grade control gives an operator digital grade information that can be referenced while performing excavation or grading work. GROW uses Topcon 3D grade control to help simplify layout, work toward target grades and maintain digital records of completed work.

Is a compact excavator useful for landscape construction?

Yes. GROW's experience demonstrates how a compact excavator can handle several landscape construction tasks, particularly where maneuverability, versatility and precise work are important.

Why pair a compact excavator with a tiltrotator?

A tiltrotator can expand the ways an operator positions and uses excavator attachments. For GROW, that means reaching difficult areas, reducing handwork and using its John Deere 35P for a wider range of tasks.

Where can contractors get support for John Deere compact excavators?

4Rivers Equipment supports John Deere construction equipment customers with equipment selection, parts, service, rentals, financing and other dealership resources. Customers interested in incorporating technologies such as Topcon 3D grade control can also explore solutions through Foursight Solutions.