15 needs some advice

[dlandscaping]

i am 15 and i have about 17 yards that are 1/4 -1 acra in size and next year i am planning on taking a few larger 1 to 2 acre properties. this is my delema i have a 36 toro and it takes a long time to mow with it, during the summer it was fine but in the spring and fall with leaves and rain it was tough soi got a lesco 48. i am not happy with the lesco. i tlaked to my toro and exmark dealers which are the only decent dealers around and no there are no dc dealers around here. my toro guy said he would look fora demo and the exmark gave me 500 off a Z because of end of the season. either way it wil cost about 8500 for it with the bag. next year i get my liscence (next fall) so i need $$ for a plow truck. i can make about $10-15g plowing , so shuld i go for the z now and hope the works comes along to pay it back and then borrow from family and bank for the truck or wait and wasre 25 hrs a week with the toro????? i have looked for used and no luck and i dont know much about maintence on themso i might get ripped off. i jsut need a lil advice about what i should do. and what did other people do when they were younger.?? i also have a fellow landscaper who said he would pay me to mow some of his larger 1/2 acre accounts in a few neighborhoods with my Z until he gets his in 2 years or so. i made about 10g fom mowing and bushes etc this year and want to know if this purchase will ruin my business or not any help would be appreciated thanks

Edited by Eric ELM

[lawnboy82]

You have 17 lawns that are 1/4 to 1 acre each? Why not upgrade to a 52" walk behind with velke? I know that even brickman, they dont buy that many Z's. They go for the 61" hydro walk behinds, and they put velkes on em. Do you have anyone helping you currently with your lawns when you do them?

[dlandscaping]

i have my younger brother helping me some but he isnt always reliable. for a 52 it would cost me almost 4000 for a gear and almost 5 for a hydro and then velkies, but for these lawns that i have there is not much room for me to have such a long machine with me in the back. the landscaper who had 6 of myt lawns used a 52 exmarkz and he did them all with ease. these are my smaller lawns too, most are flat, but i dont really want to walk and even with a velkie, i think it would b too long for me to control unless it was a hydro and y not spend 1 to 2 grand more for a comfortable rider that will b used for the next 10 years to put my family through college. i dont know if my ideas are good but i know that i am beat after walking with the toro and then there is like 2hrs of trimmin and edgin for about 8 properties in a row and then blowing and cleanup so i have to walk then as well. also i have seen people use velkies on properties around me and they have fallen off. velkies arent really popular here i guess thats why most companies have a few walks 52 and under and then a 44-52 rider. i just dont know what to do thanks for your adivce tho

[fivestarlawnken]

Also consider a used mower set up espically being young still.When you get a truck dont forget a trailer,insurance and the upkeep.If you plan on plowing your insurance will be higher also.Well good luck. Keep us updated.;)

[BrandonGT]

Stick with a WB w/sulky! They look like fun to operate. :alien:

[dlandscaping]

i all ready have a large enough trailer i bought this year. rite now i rely on my father to pull it once every two weeks for about 5 hours my other jobs are in the neighborhood. i have a friend that could get me a plow truck for under 5000 or a 99 f350 for about 14grand with a plow

[fivestarlawnken]

Good golly,how are you getting a 99 f350 for 14k?????????????????????????????????????With plow!!!!!!!!

[grassyfras]

Hey I am 15 years old. I own a 36" gear wb. I worked with a guy who used 52" hydros with velkes. They are soooooooo much faster I cant stress that enough we did all my lawns with 2 of his 52"s in about an hour maybe alittle more compared to my 2 1/2 days of 3 hours mowing about so I think you just need a hydro 52 with a velke and maybe just som kid to work for 8 bucks an hour.

[BrandonGT]

I'm 13 years old and own a 12" cut Black and Decker GrassHog weedwhacker. :o Hey, I'm off to a start. :cry:

[Scag48]

If this is so much of a dilema, get a Toro Groundsmaster with a 44" or 52" deck. I've got the 44", which is very nimble around trees and plantings, plus since you can sit down, it's very comfortable with the deluxe seat. I'll get a picture of the tightest places I have to mow with it and it's not too bad. With wide open lawns, this mower is great. I hope they redesigned some of the things on the newer models, mine is a '91 :rolleyes: I've got the 18 HP Kohler Magnum, but the newer models have 20 HP Kohler I believe. These mowers go for like $5,000 brand new, I got mine for $1,000. Shop around, you'll find something.

[lawnboy82]

For 17 lawns, 5 of which are only every other week you don't need this machine from what I can assume. If you go and buy a big nine thousand dollar machine you dont only want it working 1 or 2 days a week for a couple of hours a day. You want that machine working at least 3 or 4 days a week for at least 6-8 hrs a day. There are some people who have less than 15 lawns that have several Z's. However those lawns are big acreage, and those people only cut grass most likely to keep the customers happy. To go and spend 9K now, when its the end of the season, I think is not worth it. Why not go and get a plow truck? FYI- if you get a plow truck, that money right there will be eaten up between your truck, insurance on the truck, business insurance, gas money, salt money, and breakdowns. That is if that money even lasts you that long. Then on top of that, if you are 15 now, and havent been driving yet plowing, you are gonna really do damage if you start plowing this winter. First winter plowing you dont do too good, if you are a brand new driver, forget about it. Plus also, what about school, and will you have a senior driver's liscence at that time so that you can go out at all hours and legally be on the road? These are all things to think about. Also, what's to say that if you go and get the machine now, that all your accounts wont leave you next year because you bought a big machine? Or whats guaranteeing that you will get more, and larger accounts for next year? Then if you get more and larger accounts, what is to say that they will pay or keep you? You can't legally sign a contract at 15, sorry to say :( . I dont want to rain on your parade, but that is a lot of money to be shelling out for so few lawns, at such a young age.

[65hoss]

Find some used bigger equipment. Wait a couple of years to buy a new Z. Regardless of the equipment, people will still see you as the neighborhood kid cutting grass and will expect to pay you less. Don't let your overhead go way up by getting a new Z. Keep it low and make the $$ and later down the road upgrade.

[nelsongm]

Go with a 52" or 61" ztr riding mower, it'll make your life a lot easier, that of course if you don't have lawns that have small gates. Unlike walkbehind with sulky which tend to tire you after standing on them for awhile ZTR ride-on are fast, comfortable and most of all they don't beat you up. I know from past experience using them walkbehind, at the end of the day my whole body aches. ZTR's are a bit pricey but if you are going to use them for a long time I think they are worth the price, they make your mowing time a lot more fun too. And may I recommend HUSTLER Z with a 61" deck with 23HP KAWASAKI, they're fast and gives great cut. I just bought one a month a go for $6400, they're quite a machine unlike the 61" Great Dane Chariot with 25KOHLER which is very unreliable. GOOD LUCK!

[grassyfras]

I forgot to say if you cant afford to buy a mower or a plow then you shouldnt really get it. Truthfully I think you should just get a temp. employ like I said before.

BTW He could plow at night because the law alowes you to drive to work and school.