joeE
01-22-2006, 10:08 AM
Some may want to start with min envestment, while others may choose to invest a little ( or a lot ) more. If you want to try 10-20 drives, this season, buckets might be the way to go. If you are going to do more than 20, you may want to get a tank. Having a tank ( steel cylinder )
gives you the ability to grow with demand. If you start out wanting to do 20 drives, and on 1/2 of those the guy next door wants his done to (not uncommon) your up to 30. then 1/2 of that 10, now your up to 35 drives. If the avrege size is 2,000 sq ft, your looking at over 700 gal or 140 buckets. Starting with buckets is the least expencive way but it will put limitations on you. Every bucket needs to be mixed, moved twice & disposed of.
You could buy a $10 (junk) broom for every job or you could buy a nice $50 3ft & $20 18" broom and keep them all season in a $200 broom box.
BROOM VS SPRAY
I was doing a 12,000 sq ft drive in my first season when a guy asked me to give him a bid on 2 commerical lots, totaling over 100,000 sq ft. I got the job. If I did not have a sprayer I couldent have done those jobs.
Now my little brother would have done it with a broom. He would have brought his tent & sleeping bag and stayed until it was done but he is way tuffer than me.
I bought an old $800 striper for my first season and it worked pretty good until the 5hp briggs took a cr*p. So I put it in the back of the garage and bought a $3500 line lazer. I know that sounds exprnsive but it has paid for itself, and saved me a lot of time. Anyway, without that old striper I would have had to sub out the striping job.
Beleave it or not, while doing one of those lots, another guy asked for a bid on a 40,000 lot. I got that job too. I do all 3 every 2 years.
Most of us dont know what to expect when we get started, so its a tuff call on how much to invest. I chose to split the differance. I did borrow some money but I built most of my equipment. That requires a torch, welder and lots of know how. Aswell as lots of time.
Wether you use buckets or a tank I would suggest the following at least.
18" & 3ft broom...................$70
broom box..........................200
BP blower (homelite)............180
weed trimmer (hl).................60
steel broom.........................35
100ft chalk line...................40
V squeege.........................40
2ft squeege........................30
Iam sure Ive forgot something or two. I hope this is helpful.
gives you the ability to grow with demand. If you start out wanting to do 20 drives, and on 1/2 of those the guy next door wants his done to (not uncommon) your up to 30. then 1/2 of that 10, now your up to 35 drives. If the avrege size is 2,000 sq ft, your looking at over 700 gal or 140 buckets. Starting with buckets is the least expencive way but it will put limitations on you. Every bucket needs to be mixed, moved twice & disposed of.
You could buy a $10 (junk) broom for every job or you could buy a nice $50 3ft & $20 18" broom and keep them all season in a $200 broom box.
BROOM VS SPRAY
I was doing a 12,000 sq ft drive in my first season when a guy asked me to give him a bid on 2 commerical lots, totaling over 100,000 sq ft. I got the job. If I did not have a sprayer I couldent have done those jobs.
Now my little brother would have done it with a broom. He would have brought his tent & sleeping bag and stayed until it was done but he is way tuffer than me.
I bought an old $800 striper for my first season and it worked pretty good until the 5hp briggs took a cr*p. So I put it in the back of the garage and bought a $3500 line lazer. I know that sounds exprnsive but it has paid for itself, and saved me a lot of time. Anyway, without that old striper I would have had to sub out the striping job.
Beleave it or not, while doing one of those lots, another guy asked for a bid on a 40,000 lot. I got that job too. I do all 3 every 2 years.
Most of us dont know what to expect when we get started, so its a tuff call on how much to invest. I chose to split the differance. I did borrow some money but I built most of my equipment. That requires a torch, welder and lots of know how. Aswell as lots of time.
Wether you use buckets or a tank I would suggest the following at least.
18" & 3ft broom...................$70
broom box..........................200
BP blower (homelite)............180
weed trimmer (hl).................60
steel broom.........................35
100ft chalk line...................40
V squeege.........................40
2ft squeege........................30
Iam sure Ive forgot something or two. I hope this is helpful.