Kelbe Brothers Guides
Equipment Resources
Straight answers about the machines we sell, rent, and service. Hitachi machines take the Landcros name in April 2027, so you will see both names here. Pick a category.
Since 1953a fourth-generation family run business
3 locationsMilwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay
Partsany make, any model: genuine, aftermarket, or remanufactured
Excavators 6 guides
Start HereExcavator Sizes and How Deep Each One DigsEvery full-size excavator in our rental fleet by weight, with dig depth, reach, and what it takes to haul it.Read the guide →
Excavator Guides
Compact and full-size machines. Which size digs deep enough, fits the opening, and travels on the trailer you have.
Compact excavators, 1 to 10 tons
Mini Excavator Sizes, Weights, and Dig DepthsEvery compact excavator we rent, from 2,535 to 19,200 pounds.→
The 2-Ton Mini Excavator: What It Digs and Where It FitsWhat a 2-ton machine does well, and when to step up a size.→
Mini Excavator or Backhoe: How to ChooseA mini excavator is built for tight job sites. A backhoe digs with the arm and loads with the bucket, on one machine. Which one is best for the job.→
Takeuchi Compact Excavators: Which Model for Which JobThirteen models in our rental fleet, from 2,535 to 18,810 pounds, and the work each one is built for.→
Full-size excavators, 10 tons and up
Link-Belt Excavators We Sell and RentThe eleven in our rental fleet, the rest of the line, and the 5-year, 5,000-hour warranty.→
Wheel Loaders 4 guides
Start HereWheel Loader Sizes: How to Choose the Right OneBuckets from half a cubic yard to 9.25 cubic yards, and how to match one to the truck and the material.Read the guide →
Wheel Loader Guides
Hitachi/Landcros ZW loaders, compact through large. How to match the loader and bucket to your trucks and the material you move.
Hitachi/Landcros Wheel Loaders, Compact to LargeThe April 2027 Landcros name change, and the ZW line beyond our rental fleet.→
Compact Wheel Loader or Track Loader: How to ChooseA track loader for soft ground and attachment work, a wheel loader for loading trucks all day on pavement.→
Wheel Loaders for Snow Removal: How to Choose the Right MachineWheel loader, skid steer, or track loader for the parking lot you're clearing, the SnowWolf attachments, and the winter checklist.→
Track Loaders and Skid Steers 4 guides
Start HereSkid Steer or Track Loader: How to ChooseTracks for soft ground and slopes, tires for pavement, and which one to buy when your jobs have both.Read the guide →
Track Loader and Skid Steer Guides
Tires or tracks for what you're driving on, what size, and which Takeuchi or New Holland model.
Skid Steer and Track Loader Sizes: How Much Each One LiftsEvery skid steer and track loader we rent by capacity, and how to compare the two ratings.→
Takeuchi Track Loaders: Which Model for Which JobSix models grouped by job, and what the R and V in the names mean.→
New Holland Skid Steers and Track Loaders We Sell and RentThree skid steers and three track loader lines in our rental fleet, and the compact wheel loaders and backhoes we sell.→
Attachments 5 guides
Start HereAttachments: How to Tell Which Ones Fit Your MachineMachine weight, the coupler or plate, and hydraulic flow: the three checks before you hook one up.Read the guide →
Attachment Guides
Breakers, compactors, thumbs, grapples, and loader attachments. What fits your machine, what we rent, and which size breaker for your excavator.
Excavator Attachments: Which One Is Best for the JobGeith buckets and thumbs, grapple buckets for rent, and the Genesis shear and demolition tools for a 350.→
Mini Excavator Attachments: How to ChooseWhich breaker and compactor go on each mini excavator we rent, and what a thumb adds.→
Loader Attachments: Which One Is Best for the JobThe fourteen skid steer and track loader attachments we rent, and forks for wheel loaders.→
Hydraulic Breaker Sizing: Which Breaker Fits Your ExcavatorThe eleven FRD/Kent breakers and four compactor sizes we rent, each by the excavator weight it fits.→
Rentals 6 guides
Start HereHow Renting Works: Hours, Fuel, Insurance, and ReturnsA rental day is 8 machine hours. What you insure, what you're charged for, and the terms that apply to every machine.Read the guide →
Rental Guides
How renting works here, which size to rent, and what's in the fleet. Rates for every machine are in the 2026 Rental Rate Guide.
Renting a Mini Excavator: What to Ask When You ReserveTwenty-two machines in the fleet: what is on the machine, what to name, and the Diggers Hotline call.→
Renting a Skid Steer or Track Loader: What to Ask When You ReserveTwelve machines in the rental fleet, the attachments that rent with them, and what to ask before you reserve.→
Job Site Rentals: Trench Boxes, Compactors, Stone Boxes, Road Plates, Poly Mats, and LasersFifteen trench boxes rated for type C soil, four sizes of vibratory compactor, stone boxes, road plates, poly mats, and Spectra lasers.→
Rent, Lease, or Buy: How to DecideWhen it pays to own a machine, when a lease fits, and when to keep renting.→
How to Get Ready for a RentalAccount and insurance first, the Diggers Hotline call, the site, and the walkaround that protects you at return.→
Parts and Service 7 guides
Start HereOrdering Parts: What to Have Ready When You CallThe serial number first. Then genuine, aftermarket, or remanufactured, and what to tell us when the machine is down on the job.Read the guide →
Parts and Service Guides
Order the right part the first time. When a remanufactured part makes sense, and when to call for a service truck.
Takeuchi Parts: What Wears First and What to Keep on HandGenuine parts from stock, the teeth, tracks, pins, and hoses to check on the walkaround, and the wear parts to keep on the shelf.→
Remanufactured Parts or New: When Each One Makes SenseOften 25 to 45 percent less than new, usually with the same warranty. Which parts get rebuilt and which never do.→
Undercarriage Wear and Track Tension: What to Check and WhenToo tight wears everything faster. Too loose and they come off. Daily checks, how you run the machine, and the yearly measurements.→
DEF and Tier 4 Engines in a Wisconsin Winter: How to Keep the Machine RunningSwitch to winter diesel before it clouds, keep DEF where it will pour, and never ignore a regen alert.→
Preventive Maintenance and Fluid Analysis: What the Program CoversOil, filters, inspections, and fluid analysis on a schedule at a fixed price, and what a sample catches before it becomes a repair.→
Shop or Field Service: When the Truck Comes to YouBreakdowns, scheduled maintenance, and the work that needs a shop floor.→
Buying 2 guides
Start HereNew, Used, or Rental Purchase: How to DecideWhen to buy new, when used does the job, and when to rent it first.Read the guide →
Buying Guides
New, used, or rental purchase, and how to inspect a used machine before you buy.
Used Equipment Inspection ChecklistFrame, undercarriage, hydraulics, engine, pins, and cab checks, a run test, and the checklist to carry around the machine.→
Lower Equipment Operating CostsFrom our Best Practices library: telematics, remanufactured parts, maintenance contracts, and daily inspections.→
Best Practices
43 short articles from our service team: maintenance and service, machine operation, equipment management, and seasonal tips.
Three Wisconsin locations, one parts and service network
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Madison
Green Bay
Kelbe Brothers Equipment
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