As a college student working part-time at a tool rental company, Greg Barreto was frustrated by the amount of time he spent fixing the tillers that were constantly breaking down. He knew there had to be a way to make a better tiller. One that could withstand the abuse of the industry.

Greg knew the tiller parts most often needing repair were the belts, chains, and gears. If he could eliminate these high maintenance mechanical components, the tiller would be more reliable by design and more efficient for the owner and operator. He experimented with hydraulic power and found he could make a rental duty tiller – without belts, chains, or gears.

In 1982, Greg designed and built the industry’s first all-hydraulic tiller. He sold that first tiller to his employer at the rental yard, who rented it for over 20 years. Greg and his wife, Chris, founded Barreto Manufacturing, Inc. in January of 1984. Customers, eager to save the cost and hassle of frequent repairs, gave the new tiller a try and came back with glowing reviews. Word of the revolutionary new all-hydraulic tiller spread and Barreto Manufacturing grew. In 1986, Greg and Chris moved their family to La Grande, Oregon, and set up manufacturing operations for all-hydraulic tillers.

Customers were so impressed with the performance and reliability of the Barreto tiller, Greg began looking for innovative ways to grow the product line and meet customer needs. This desire for innovation paved the way for Barreto Manufacturing to be an industry leader with a long line of firsts in the hydraulic equipment available on the market today:

– The first all-hydraulic walk behind tiller in 1982
– The first all-hydraulic walk behind trencher in 1995
– The first all-hydraulic self-propelled mini walk behind trencher in 2005
– The first all-hydraulic steerable walk behind trencher in 2007
– The first all-hydraulic automatic-drive micro trencher in 2010
– The first full cab-over designed mini-skid steer in 2020

Barreto Manufacturing’s operations are still headed by Greg Barreto. Greg believes innovation in design and quality in manufacturing are key to helping his customers enjoy the greatest return on investment. Each piece of Barreto equipment is designed to excel in the most difficult conditions, without the downtime often experienced in harsh rental and industrial environments. 

Backed by the philosophy that in order for a company to be successful, its customers must be successful, Barreto strives to provide the best quality and service possible.