Easy Question for those who know...

[RhettMan]

Where is the best web address to quickly locate rotor & spray head retail prices?

Controllers as well if you happen to know

Thanks

[AI Inc]

Do you deal with a supply house yet? If so , they probably have a retail list they can email you. If you cant get one let me know , Ill email ya one from my supplier. But being in a seasonal climate , It may be higher then what is considered retail in your area.

[Stuttering Stan]

What A1 said. Talk to your supplier.

[EagleLandscape]

Rhett, go visit Ewing. I think they are over in the Rock Prairie, Greens Prarie (Hwy 40) area and wellborn Rd.

Make friends with them, they will be 10x greater value to your success than this website.

have them print you off a retail price sheet, and have them tell you what your discount is. or just straight up have them print you your prices on certain items.

[RhettMan]

thanks for the tips

I went into ewing a few weeks ago to buy some rainbird and hunter heads, their staff is really helpful, i liked JDLandscapes but ewing I think will replace them for my irrigation needs.

John I have set aside some cash to stock up on rainbird and hunter rotors so that I dont have to run to the supplier for every service call....

I dont know if the majority of existing college station systems use 4" or 6" heads, would you happen to know?

[RhettMan]

stuttering stan, is that mike leary in your avatar?

[bcg]

You're probably going to see 4" rotors everywhere as standard. If you're going to run service, you really need to set aside about $4k - $5k to properly stock a vehicle. My vans carry a case each of PGP and 5004+, case of 1804, at least 12 each of 1806 and 1812 at all times, 12 each of every valve I see (SRV, DV100, 205, 2400, POS Toro), a box of every fitting in 1/2, 3/4 and 1", reducer bushings for all of these as well, a bundle of class pipe in all 3 sizes, 60' or more of Sch 40 in 3/4 and 1", roll of funny pipe and the associated fittings, 100' of drip and the associated fittings and solid pipe, at least 1 PC300i, PC300, ESP-6 (the cheap one), ESP4-SMT, 4 or so rain sensors and so on. Then you have the wire and wire nuts, cur off risers, Sch 80 risers, nozzles (1 bag of everything RainBird makes - this alone will get you for about $1k), shrub head adapters, slip fixes, couple of DCVA, couple of PVBs, usually have an RP. Need pipe insulation and pipe wrap. Then you have the tools. Minimum is a multi-meter, 521A, stub wrench, set of screw drivers, wire cutters/strippers, channel locks, meter key, pipe cutters, hack saw, cordless drill and Sawzall, socket set. I also have a TRC in each of the vans. Oh, don't forget valve boxes. I usually keep a couple of Add-A-Zones as well. There's more I'm forgetting, I'm sure.

I just love going to Longhorn to outfit a new van, the guys are always happy to see me when it happens also... :)

[Stuttering Stan]

stuttering stan, is that mike leary in your avatar?
Sure is! He ragged me about Orbit and Krain avatars so I put a pic of Leary as my avatar. He hasn't said much about it....yet!!!
Posted via Mobile Device

[RhettMan]

I just love going to Longhorn to outfit a new van, the guys are always happy to see me when it happens also... :)

The instructor for the mandatory class i attended actually works for longhorn.
Supposedly they offer free shipping on part orders.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

I don't think Longhorn is going to set up shop in Aggieland. They should have thought of that in the beginning. Lloyd really did own a few Longhorns though so he gets a break from this Aggie at least.

[AI Inc]

Sure is! He ragged me about Orbit and Krain avatars so I put a pic of Leary as my avatar. He hasn't said much about it....yet!!!
Posted via Mobile Device

Leary and his gloves , building a mani , then going to wash dishes.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

The time it took him to set up his chair and build his manny I'd have put in three valves and kept the crew going trying to keep up with my azz laying section and covering.

[AI Inc]

No inspection?

[hoskm01]

No inspection?
He's talking about his theoretical, as of yet, first system in Colorado.

Pete, FC and Loveland both have backflow inspection req's on resi systems now, be advised. Of course on comm everywhere.

[EagleLandscape]

Rhett, you will see 4" popups in turf areas, or rotors. you may see 6" or 12" popups in the flower beds, or groundcover beds.

I would buy yourself...
75 - 4" popups
25 - 6" popups
25 - 12" popups
25 - rotors

1/2 poly nipples & riser extensions
3/4 poly nipples & riser extensions

PVC fittings of all sorts.

Get in the habit quickly of keeping eveything organized. Get little divided boxes for your nozzles... and for the part-time irrigation guy milk crates work great for pvc fittings. I carry 2 milk crates in the back of my truck with various fittings, a few heads, nozzles, and a few ft of each size pipe for quick emergency repairs on my commercial properties.

dedicated service trucks are a whole 'nother story. Like someone previously said, several thousand dollars per each truck... while I think it is actually more than that.

I'll be in CS on Monday... can you help me lift a fridge and washer into the back of my truck?

[EagleLandscape]

i dont think so. i put in 20 or so in CS 2 years ago, and have 3 out of the box go bad on me.

i like weathermatic silver bullet, rainbird dv 100, and irritrol 205. all of those are solid valves.

people in CS just love hunter heads. and toro valves for some reason. granted there are only a few contractors in CS. so what they do becomes what the city is filled with,

[Wet_Boots]

Before any recent manufacturing hiccups, the original Toro 250/230 valve design with the many cover screws had a good track record, as observed in old systems we cared for.

[DanaMac]

These guys are now a sponsor here on Lawnsite. their online prices seem to be lower than your Rhettman. Still higher than mine. But you might give them a try.

lawnsprinklershq.com/ (http://www.lawnsprinklershq.com/)

[RhettMan]

thanks for clearing that up about the toro valves...interesting

lawnsprinklershq.com, i will check them out, the prices that I did see looked much better, many thanks

I have been meaning to ask this next question for a while...

I notice on the 1804 spray, there is quite a % increase in price when the PRS option is used... I was wondering if you guys stock the PRS spray (to be safe) or no PRS...

Say i were to buy twenty 1804's...is it nessesary to opt for PRS

[Kiril]

Spend money for nozzles, before getting fancy with spray bodies.

pfft. Yup, forget about reliable and predictable nozzle performance. You are a real piece of work today. Did you get up on the "lets be an ass today" side of the bed with a healthy serving of asinine for breakfast?

Ummmm, pardon me, you get up on that side of the bed every day.

[AI Inc]

THe unemployed need entertainment.

[DanaMac]

THe unemployed need entertainment.

That's why I'm here...... :)

[bicmudpuppy]

I've always charged 2.5x cost on parts. Every outfit I ever worked for, and when working for myself. The gross profit margin, before everything else is 60%. Yes, some customers will question the big items, and on a controller or large ticket part, I might make an exception, but not often. As to what to tell the customer who can quote the price from Home Cheapo.........."gee, do they install too?", if I'm in a good mood. If I've had a long day, my feet are wet, and I'm covered in mud........"then go there, install it yourself and leave me the F*** alone....." I've never had a customer let me actually pull out of the drive. I did get back in the truck and leave despite the customers protests once in Plano. A**H**** started cussing me before my foot hit the pavement because he hadn't been able to get a tech out to his house. We were like the third outfit he had called (ticket was less than 48hours old) and he had been the first two had failed to show after having been scheduled for more than a week each. He called the shop and cussed out the owner because I left and the owner told him he needed to find another irrigator too.

Get a fair price for your goods and services. Do quality work. The price is the PRICE. You let one customer beat you down and they will line up to beat you in the future. Better to let one jerk think he can not pay you, fight and lose, than to let the neighborhood know they can beat you. Experience says the guy who thinks he won't pay, will call again and have both checks ready when he needs you the next time.

[Waterlogged]

Well said bicmudpuppy, I have one other pricing method for 1" valves, 4" pop-ups, Sch 80 risers, wire connectors and other most commonly used items, I charge 4 x cost. I agree larger items are judgement calls and I make exceptions in pricing these some times.
Like I've said before, I think your cost of doing business is still very important and needs to be considered when you are deciding how much to charge for parts and your services.
You need to take the cost of your expenses to run the business, rent, phone, insurance, etc and realize how many working days there are for irrigation (avg 222 days a year) and how many hours a day are "working" hours. When you know how much it costs you each day to be in business, you will be able to price your stuff better, and make a profit.
Just my opinion.

[Mike Leary]

[QUOTE=Waterlogged;3121192 When you know how much it costs you each day to be in business, you will be able to price your stuff better, and make a profit. Just my opinion.[/QUOTE]

Not a bad opinion; something employees never understand. and hold it against you because they THINK you're raking in the big bucks.

[bicmudpuppy]

Not a bad opinion; something employees never understand. and hold it against you because they THINK you're raking in the big bucks.

The employee just doesn't get it 90+% of the time. When I count the new guy @ min wage ($7.50) as $10/hr, they look at me confused, etc.

[hoskm01]

thanks for clearing that up about the toro valves...interesting

lawnsprinklershq.com, i will check them out, the prices that I did see looked much better, many thanks

I have been meaning to ask this next question for a while...

I notice on the 1804 spray, there is quite a % increase in price when the PRS option is used... I was wondering if you guys stock the PRS spray (to be safe) or no PRS...

Say i were to buy twenty 1804's...is it nessesary to opt for PRS
We stock 4 & 6" SAM & PRS sprays as 2 of our largest properties were originally spec'd with them. Another couple bucks each means another couple bucks times 2+ when I resell them. Easy to tell the customer that you cant really get a better spray body than what you are putting in the ground for them. If they want to penny pinch for a head or two at a time, find someone with the ones from Home Depot in the truck, selling for cost.