Just getting going

[NewbieOwner]

Hello everyone,

I've just moved to a new town, due to family reasons. I spent the last 5 years working for a big Landscape maintenance outfit. I've got my CCHT in landscape maintenance.

Now I'm in a smaller town, with almost no lawn care companies. But there is a high demand for lawn care services. Meanwhile I can't find a job that will pay my bills.

I've already gone out and gotten my buisness license, I've got insurance. I own a SUV, buying a truck will have to wait for a while.

What I really want to know is, what equipment to buy? I'm on a very limited budget. Things are getting REALLY tight after forking out for insurance. I can't afford the good commercial equipment I'm used to. So I've been looking at the residential stuff (unfortunately I can't find much used equipment)

I know I'm going to need a mower, trimmer and blower. But like I mentioned above, I need to keep the costs down. Are there some residential equipment that will get me through the next few months until I can afford to buy better equipment?

I can find lots of Poulan stuff, some homelite, weed eater, MTD mowers, yardworks (canadian tire brand) I also found some stanley mowers those are what I've found for now. I might be able to find more by traveling to other towns, but that will get pretty expensive!

I have searched the site, I realize you guys mostly recomend to avoid the homeowner stuff. And I understand why, but I can't afford the good stuff right now.

Looking forward to your help.

Andrew

[KDJ]

Get what you can and get to WORK.

[Nelson]

Ditto on the last post......:D

[1MajorTom]

Maybe try to buy some good used Commercial equipment.
If it hasn't been beaten to death, it will give you more life than homeowners stuff.

[2 man crew]

I hate having to buy stuff twice.
What equipment do you still need to purchase?

[2 man crew]

OOPS (mower, trimmer, blower)

I think you should shell out a little more and get a commercial Trimmer and blower.

If you are thinking about home owner equipment then you are probably looking at 21" mowers. That 21" will soon be a trim mower so I don't think it's that big of a deal.

[Runner]

Not to get personal, or anything, but how much do you have to work with? This will really give me an idea of what we can do without for the meantime, and what's important. For instance, no matter WHAT you get for a mower, whether it be a handmower, tractor, or whatever, you definitely need a good blower. This is an essential piece of equipment, and is always used. This is the kind of thing that I am talking about. I'm sure we can advise you on a decent little package, and give you reasons for doing, and not doing certain things.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Welcome to Lawnsite.

[Barkleymut]

Do you have a commercial equipment dealer in your area? If so then finance the equipment and don't put much down. That way when you get a few extra bucks you can put them towards the principle in the loan. It's not easy getting started but I think credit is your best avenue.

[lavan]

Do what I lucked and did. I was driving by a mower repair shop and found a Toro commercial 21" for $300. Of course I talked him down to $250. Check your local newspapers and mower shops for used equiptment. It will help you get back into the business a whole lot cheapier.

[Liquid Cooled Exmark]

You should maybe try Bargain news online and see who is getting rid of stuff, right now it is kinda hard with the season really starting to get going. Good luck with your search.
A friend on mine found a scag 48" belt for a good price last week, not sure how much though, he said it was a good deal.

We are buying a new exmark 52" hydro, but keeping our other mower, sorry i cant help anymore.


Marshall

[Runner]

Here's a site that's really cool. You can dial it right in to your area. www.machinefinder.com .

[Krimick]

it really depends on what your planning to do. If your just thinking of residential then a couple of 21" should get you through your first year, if your doing large residential then I would suggest you look for a "lightly" used w/b.

If your planning on getting into commercial right away then 21" just aren't going to cut it.

If the money is tight then I would stay away from the ztr's right now......they're just too expensive and you don't want to get sunk your first year. Like I said, if your planning on residential then just go with a couple of 21" lawnboys .

I think it's pretty hard to make equipment suggestions when were not quite sure what you will be cutting.

[NewbieOwner]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, I can already tell you are a great bunch of guys (and gals?)!

Unfortunately there's only a couple department stores in the area, no lawnmower shop. There's a John Deere dealer, we've got a quad/bike shop that says Honda Power equipment, but a trip there revealed they don't carry anything landscaping related. I've checked the pawn shop, nothing useable there a few chainsaws a couple homelight bent shaft trimmers (I can't trim with those bent shafts) and some ??? blower, I wouldn't touch the blower with a 10' pole, it was tiny and looked like it had been really well (ab)used.

Budget is pretty small! I've been living off what I make at the grocery store (barely more than minimum wage) and what I've made mowing lawns with the home owners equipment... Old folks who'll give me 25$ to cut their yard with their own equipment. And I have to support the family off of this!

Budget is the 1000$ limit credit card that I paid off and froze, litterally its in a block of ice. Thats 1000$ canadian, for you americans, take your price and double it, then you're in the ballpark to Canadian prices. Thats about all I can afford to put forward, anything else, and I have no gas $, no food... Etc, wife and daughter wouldn't like that so much!

I doubt I'd qualify for credit right now, I'm surprised my other visa hasn't been canceled yet, but after putting the moving costs on it, its up at its limit.

A good Stihl BR400 (or is it 440 now?) costs around 450-500$ And I'd have to order away for it. No local stihl dealer, but I think there is a husqvarna dealer in town, I saw a sign on a empty building. Maybe they've moved!

I plan to do mostly residential work, at least I can do a couple of those an hour, better than spending half a day pushmowing a huge property...

Thanks again, you guys are the best.

Andrew

[Krimick]

I don't think you need to spend the money on the Sthil BR 420 right now. I just bought mine last fall, but I got by fine the first 3 years I was in the business by using the Homelite hand-held blowers. They cost about $175 (CDN)

The Sthil is a great, great machine! But if you've only got 1000 to work with I certainly wouldn't spend 50% of my start-up income on a blower.

[SLS]

I agree with Krimick:

If $$$ is the issue and getting started quickly is your plan then work up to the "good stuff".

Do buy good, commercial-grade, equipment when you can afford it.

The pros here laugh at (and bash) homeowner equipment (with valid reasons) as it was not designed to be run for HOURS upon HOURS a day...especially by crew members who abuse (beat) it.

I was in the same boat as you 3 years ago when I started (lack of funds). I was using my John Deere built Scotts 1642 tractor (brand new) and 25cc Homelite straight-shaft trimmers (Mod.# UT20769...$125 US) and a used Homelight hand-held blower. After the first couple of months I 'splurged' and bought a Homelite "Backpacker" (150 MPH).

I no longer use the riding tractor as I now have a Lazer Z (paid for)...but that Homelite equipment is STILL running strong! I am going to replace each piece with REDMAX as it dies (to go with my Redmax hedge trimmers). The only piece that is starting to weaken is the "Backpacker" (HOORAH!!!) and I want to keep it as a 'spare', so a REDMAX Backpack is coming home next week. Unfortunately, the trimmers still work like I bought them yesterday...and I do 35 one-acre residentials a week with them. I replaced the head ($25) on the primary one this spring and the only other thing that I have replaced is the little "Tap & Go" buttons ($5) every 4 or 5 weeks. Oh yeah, and the spark plugs...last year. One of them is a "spare" and is in almost new condition. 3 years is darn good for CHEAP equipment...and it breaks down to PENNIES a day on an investment level.

Lack of abuse, proper maintenance, and quality 2-cycle oil (I use Opti-2), I believe, is the reason they still work nicely. I also dissassemble the shafts and gear boxes and pack them with grease and check/clean the spark arrestors every 3 months or so. I think being a 'solo operator' keeps you stuff 'alive' a lot longer. ;)

I can't believe that stuff is STILL working...and does not smoke! Thousands of lawns trimmed & edged with a Homelite string trimmer??? Guiness 'Book Of World Records' material???:D

You do not have to spend all your dough on a blower or trimmer right off the bat....get decent (new) stuff, get out there making some scratch, and buy the good stuff as the money starts coming in.

Welcome to LawnSite, Andrew...and good luck getting started in your new area! :)

[Runner]

These guys are exactly right on. With what you have to worh with, hold off on the backpack, and go for like a handheld blower. I would most certainly keep looking for a decent pushmower, and make SURE it's a comfortable one! In other words, one that you aren't going to be bent way over on. As far as a trimmer goes, well, there are more options out there now than what were 10 years ago for lower priced straight shaft trimmers. Scottie (SLS) was pretty much right on the mark. Good luck with it! Oh, and if it's any consolation, I started out with a pushmower, and an old beat up van.

[RV_Landscaping]

first of all...good luck....hope it all works out.... I'd just echo what everyone else said.... This is my first year with anything but 22/21 inchers for mowing...so it can be done:-)
The blower is important...but you don't need anything big....I've seen a lot of decent string trimmers (residential) going for under $90 state side...i've used one, because i needed something quick....wasn't bad....

but if you have the extra cash look into either a bigger mower....or a small tractor or something... $25 to use their equipment...i would guess u can bumpe prices at least up to $30(?) maybe a bit higher with your own....so....other advantage of some sort of tractor...is, you will proly have options come fall (or even now) adding a little trailer for cleanups and such.... only problem is....tractor won't fit in SUV...and mower could....but.... check eBay too....its not the best option...but you might be ablt to find an old(er) mower or something for sale on the Canadian part of eBay.....

[chicks-dig-lawn-guys]

Why dont you talk to one of the old people you cut yards for and ask them if you can rent their equipment. Free cuts for equipment use. When I started I used my grandma's Ryobi trimmer and a 3 wheel edger, my dads craftsman 21' and electric blower. I slowly bought what I thought was needed over time. So what I usually did was I replaced whatever broke first. I even owned a couple pawn shop weedeaters at one time. If you are doing residentials then the 21' wont be to bad. I have a 36' Exmark now and boy it cuts so much faster but the 21' did me good for 3 years. I still however use the weed-eater handheld blower. It hasn't broke yet and I have never had to service it. It cost me $80. It has more then paid for itself. So just remember that over time you will be making enough money to upgrade and here's something an old man told me once.......

"It doesnt matter what you choose to do in life....if you are a hard worker there will always be food on the table"

[FrankenScagMachines]

Andrew, I commend you for your willingness to work! As 'chicks-dig-lawn-guys' said, "It doesnt matter what you choose to do in life....if you are a hard worker there will always be food on the table"
I think that that is true.
I recently priced a Stihl FS55R trimmer, that's the cheapest straight shaft (commercial duty I think?) string trimmer they have. It was $199 U.S. $$.
I work on small engines and power equipment, part time, and I can tell you that practically the most expensive thing to repair will be an ignition module, which can cost anywhere from $15-75, US, depending on brand of equipment. Some Stihls cost upto 80 I think and some Homelite's can be had for $15 (15 is dealer price, 80 is customer price at my parts store, so it really varies alot). A Homelite should do nicely, i've not heard any bad about them, and their ignitions are only about $40, but can be had for 15 if you're a dealer or have a really good friend who's one. Labor wouldn't run too high on replacing that, and they hardly ever wear out before the rest of the trimmer/blower, in which case, you should get a new one, but my point is is you do not have a whole lot to worry about something breaking down on them, keep them maintained and use the right mixture and 2 cycles can last a long time. Maybe one of the residentials you mow for has a 'quality' setup of equipment they would sell you for a good price? Sometimes dealers such as your JD dealer has trade-in equipment that is decent, but watch out you don't get burned on that, ask about the dealer before buying from them. Then that way you'll have financing at least. On many "lower end" push mowers, that is about 5hp and under, department store brand and entry level quality brand push mowers usually there isn't alot of difference in them except service, and maybe a small amount of cut quality, because think about it, they all have the same engine , or very similar (Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh, both pretty good at least to start with) and that's about all there is to a push mower! Try to work hard for your wages, but don't overwork yourself, you know? Give the customer what they pay for, but enjoy life while you can, it's only so long - on earth that is.
I think that most homeowner stuff will work fine until you can get better stuff.
Best of luck Andrew! :)

Eric

[NewbieOwner]

Thanks for all the suggestions folks!

The old folks I've been doing maintenance services (mostly non-mowing, grass hasn't greened up yet) don't have any worthwhile equipment... Mostly electric mowers/trimmers from the 70s.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement, you have no idea how much your support has helped!

I do have one final question, since it was one of my original, but maybe I didn't make it clear... Is there any manufacturer I should avoid like the plague? I was about to buy a poulan pro trimmer last night, but I've never heard of them, the plastic looked very cheap and brittle... I can't afford to waste my money right now!

Thanks again, Now its time for me to go to the buisness forums and figure out that side of this buisness!

Andrew

[Brickman]

Hey SLS if you are getting that kind of action out of a Homelite, I think that some body screwed up at the factory, and put Homelite stickers on a Redmax . :D I have seen tons of Homelite stuff where I grew up, and used some of my own when first starting this biz. Never have I heard of that kind of life out of one.

Andrew one thing that you might check out it JD's purchase/finance programs. From what I have seen they are hard to beat. Especially if they are pretty much the only dealer in town. Go with as much of a mower from them as you can afford. I love my JX75s and JX85, power is great, and fuel consumtion is very low. If they would let you finance then you would have your money to buy a blower and trimmer. I started in this biz 7 years ago with $500 of Wal Mart special equip. (Homelite, and MTD) Today I have around $15,000 in commercial equipment and drive a 2000 F 250 PS. It isn't all paid for, but you get the picture.


Welcome to LS.