Excavator Rental in Keystone Heights, FL

Three machines: sized by tree diameter and acreage

We don’t carry one excavator in three sizes for the sake of options. Each machine covers a specific band of work defined by the largest trees on the property and the total area being cleared. Go too small and the machine stalls on material it can’t handle. Go too large and you’re paying for capability you don’t need.

Hitachi ZX75: 7.5 tons | The crossover machine

This is where mini excavators end and full-size work begins. The ZX75 handles tree stems up to 12–14 inches in diameter on properties up to about 1–2 acres. It has a lot more reach, breakout force, and swing torque than a 5-ton mini, but it’s still compact enough to work on residential lots without destroying everything around the dig.

The ZX75 is also the only full-size excavator in our fleet that customers can haul themselves with the right truck and trailer setup, a 1-ton truck (F-350, 3500, or larger) and a tandem axle equipment trailer rated at 18–20,000 lb GVWR.

For Keystone Heights properties with moderate-diameter pine and hardwood on a lot or two, this machine hits the sweet spot between capability and cost.

Best for: homesite clearing on 1–2 acre lots with trees up to 12–14 inches, pond bank work, heavy root removal, large drainage projects.

View the ZX75 on our rental storefront →

Hitachi ZX135: 13.5 tons | The workhorse

The ZX135 is the machine that handles the majority of serious land clearing jobs we support. It takes on tree stems up to 14–16 inches in diameter and properties up to about 5 acres. The additional weight, reach, and hydraulic power let it push through mature pine and hardwood root systems that would slow or stall the ZX75.

This is a delivery-only machine, we bring it to your site on our equipment hauler and pick it up when the job is done.

If you’re clearing a multi-acre parcel with mature timber for a homesite, barn, or outbuilding complex, the ZX135 is likely the right starting point.

Best for: land clearing on 2–5 acre properties with trees up to 14–16 inches, pond construction, large-scale site prep, commercial excavation.

View the ZX135 on our rental storefront →

John Deere 210G / Hitachi Zaxis 210: 21 tons | The big iron

When the timber is over 16 inches in diameter or the property is larger than 5 acres, this is the machine. The 210G has the reach, the weight, and the hydraulic capacity to handle anything you’ll encounter on a Keystone Heights clearing job, mature live oaks, large-diameter pines, dense root systems, and deep excavation.

There’s no acreage limit on this machine. If the project is 10, 20, or 40 acres of heavy timber, the 210G is the only excavator in our fleet that won’t slow down as the work scales up.

Delivery only. We bring it, you work it, we pick it up.

Best for: clearing properties with trees over 16 inches in diameter, large-acreage land clearing with no upper limit, deep pond construction, heavy commercial site work.

View the 210G / Zaxis 210 on our rental storefront →

How we size the machine to your property

When you call about an excavator, we ask two things before anything else: what are the largest trees on the property, and how many acres are you clearing? Those two answers determine the machine.

Tree diameter is the hard constraint. Each excavator has a maximum stem diameter it can safely handle. Exceeding it risks equipment damage and turns a productive day into a dangerous one. Pine is the baseline, hardwoods like oak are denser at the same diameter, so the effective threshold is about 2 inches lower for hardwood than for pine.

Acreage determines efficiency. A ZX75 can physically clear 3 acres, but it will take a lot longer than a ZX135 doing the same work. When the property is larger, the bigger machine doesn’t just handle bigger trees, it covers more ground per hour because of the longer reach, larger bucket, and faster cycle times.

When you don’t need a full-size excavator at all: If the largest trees on your property are under 8–10 inches and the area is under half an acre, one of our mini excavators (3.5-ton or 5.0-ton) is probably the right tool. We’ll tell you if that’s the case rather than putting you in a larger machine you don’t need.

We’d rather spend a few minutes on the phone getting the sizing right than have you find out on-site that the machine can’t handle the material, or that you’re paying for 21 tons of iron when 7.5 would have done it.

Common full-size excavator projects in Keystone Heights

Large-lot homesite prep – The most common reason for a full-size excavator call from Keystone Heights. Buyers purchasing multi-acre wooded parcels near the lakes or along SR-21 and the surrounding county roads need mature timber cleared, stumps and root balls removed, and a building pad established before construction can begin. The ZX135 handles the majority of these jobs. Properties with exceptionally large oaks or dense hardwood stands move to the 210G.

Pond construction – Keystone Heights is lake country, and property owners building stock ponds, retention ponds, or aesthetic water features on their land need an excavator with the reach and bucket capacity to move serious volume. Pond depth and diameter determine whether the ZX75, ZX135, or 210G is the right fit, deeper and wider ponds require more reach and more bucket capacity to excavate quickly.

Large-scale land clearing for agricultural or recreational use – Converting wooded acreage to pasture, establishing a hobby farm, or opening up a hunting property. Multi-acre clearing jobs with mature timber need the ZX135 or 210G to maintain productivity across the full area.

Deep drainage and water management – Properties with persistent drainage issues that require channels deeper or wider than a mini excavator can handle. The additional reach of a full-size machine lets you cut deeper channels from a stable position without driving the machine into the work area.

Commercial site excavation – Foundation work, utility installation, and site grading for commercial construction in the Keystone Heights and Clay County area.

A note about burning debris: If you plan to burn brush piles or cleared vegetation on-site, proof of insurance coverage is required before the rental can proceed. This is a firm requirement, no exceptions. Let us know during your initial call if burning is part of your plan so we can address it before scheduling equipment.

Delivery, pickup, and rental periods

ZX75, pickup or delivery. If you have a 1-ton truck and a properly rated trailer (18–20k GVWR tandem axle or gooseneck), you can pick up the ZX75 from our Starke yard. We walk you through the machine before you load. Delivery to Keystone Heights is also available at an additional charge.

ZX135 and 210G, delivery only. These machines require our equipment hauler. We deliver to your Keystone Heights job site and pick up when you’re done. Delivery is an additional charge, call for current pricing to your specific property.

Rental periods – Half-day, daily, and weekly rentals available, plus our 4-for-2 option (four days for the price of two). Large clearing jobs often run a full week. We’ll help you estimate duration based on the acreage and vegetation you describe. Call or fill out the form for current pricing.

Full-size excavators vs. mini excavators: when to step up

If you’ve already looked at our mini excavator rental page for Keystone Heights, here’s the simple dividing line:

Mini excavators (1.7-ton, 3.5-ton, 5.0-ton) handle trees up to about 8–10 inches in diameter on areas under half an acre. Septic work, drainage, stump removal on smaller trees, and utility trenching are their domain.

Full-size excavators (ZX75, ZX135, 210G) take over when the trees are bigger, the acreage is larger, or the depth of excavation exceeds what a mini can reach. If you’re clearing a multi-acre lot with mature timber for a homesite, you’re in full-size territory.

Not sure which you need? Call us. We’ll ask about the trees and the acreage and tell you exactly which machine fits, even if that means recommending a mini and saving you money.

Why rent from T.E.S.

The right machine, not just the biggest machine. We carry six excavators from 1.7 tons to 21 tons. The recommendation is based on your trees, your acreage, and your project, not on what generates the highest rental fee.

Owner-operated. Every call goes to Zeb. No dispatch queue, no rotating sales desk. The person who recommends the machine is the same person who inspects it and answers the phone if something comes up on-site.

Maintained between every rental. Full-size excavators take a beating. Ours are serviced, greased, and inspected before they leave the yard, hydraulic systems, undercarriage, buckets, and thumbs.

“We recently rented a John Deere 50G excavator from T.E.S. Rentals, and the experience was excellent. The equipment was clean, well maintained, and ran exactly how it should. We will definitely continue renting from them when we are working in that area.”

Carrie S.