Just starting out.

[Kends]

Okay, I'm in the process of starting a lawn cutting service. Can you guys give me some advise? I'm learning a lot on this site so far, but at this point, every little bit helps. I'm looking at starting out next spring (obviously) and have some questions. I'm going to concentrate on residential for now and grow into the commercial as time goes.

What's a good brand mower? I like the Deere's. I've heard a lot good things on parts and service.

Mulch or bag? I have a place to dump grass for free.

Trimmers and blowers? What brands are the best?

What's a good price to quote? I'm in a suburb of Chicago, and most of lots 1/4 to 1/2 acre. Do you charge more for people with fences?

That's it for now. Any helpful advise would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[Administrator]

I would suggest reading all the threads in this forum. There are over 28,000 discussions in the commercial section alone. By spring you should have them all read and ready for success.

At the top right you will see a box that says Show Threads From: click down to show all threads, then click go. Then go to the bottom and you will see page numbers. There are like 80 pages of discussion to click through.

Have fun!

[bob]

Kends, Welcome to the forum. Thats a pretty broad question, but I'm sure you'll find all the answers here. The moderator of the forum is Eric, who also lives in the Chicago suburbs. He's his web site http://www.elmlawnsite.com/

[BRL]

Chuck's advise is great. To get to the bottom of your specific questions faster use the Search button in the top right corner of the page. All of your questions have extensive discussions already here. Try Mowers, Blowers, Trimmers, Pricing, Bagging, Fences, etc. That will keep you busy for a while, then come back with more specific questions based on what you've learned from those threads. Good luck!

[BUSHMASTER]

You have come top the right place complied within these eletronic walls are countless hoards of the right info to get you started .from mowers to how tpo handle cutomers. boy I wish i was in your shoes you get to learn from our mistakes and that will put you that much head of your competion...come and break bread with us and absorb the sea of knowlege.. your off to a excelent start just being here.
enjoy

[Kends]

Thanks for the help. I've been doing a lot of reading and learning here.

Take care,

[SMB]

As far as Deere parts and service goes, (I've never had one, though) it depends on your dealer! You need to make sure you like your dealer and that he keeps things like blades, belts, filters, and such in stock or can get it in a couple of days. We have a local dealer in Bob-Cat, Shindaiwa, Toro and Snapper, and we like them a lot, we've got a Bob-Cat and plan to get a Toro push and possibly a Shindaiwa, so he's perfect! It's so great to have a dealer like this, especially since we live in the "sticks"! (Well, maybe not the sticks, but in a county of 16,000.)
Choose your dealer wisely.

[Eric ELM]

Welcome aboard Kends!!! Yes you have come to the right spot to learn. There is so much information already posted here, it will give you a big advantage that most of us never had. I started out with JD's too, but found out later, that green paint is expensive and also found out there are lots better machines out there for mowing lawns. My biggest mistake was buying a tractor type mower and found out that a dedicated mower with Zero Turn is the way to mow. What you need to do when you get ready to buy a mower is DEMO them all and see which one you like best and the guys here would think I lost my mind if I didn't tell you to make sure you try a Dixie Chopper out too. :) I've had great luck with them and they do cut a lawn nice and make decent stripes. If you want to see lawns cut with DC's, check out my site. Other guys have websites too, so you can see how their mowers cut. If you ever want to chat, I have a Chat Room for Lawnsite on my website so come and join us. You need AOL Instant Messenger to chat there and if you have any questions on how to set it up, email me and I'll be glad to help you out. You have all winter to read all these posts and learn as much as possible, so enjoy. As I said before, welcome aboard.

[Scag48]

Kends-Heres what I would buy if I were you:

Mowers-Exmark Turf Tracer 36" (Hydro's are a little easier handling)
21" Toro
Deere's suck-too expensive, not very good quality cut on some models.

Mulching is best-I mulch all of my lawns because it actually helps the lawn. Sort of a fertilizer if you will.

Blowers-I've got a Stihl but Shindaiwa or Redmax would be alright. You can't really beat the Sthil though.

Trimmers-I've got a Homelite that runs great but I will probably get a Stihl next year. Look at the FS80. Great trimmer.

As for charging, look at the lawn and see how many little things that slow you down: trees, beds, etc.. Then figure out how long it will take and make your bid that way. I would only charge by the hour on like specialized jobs. I think bidding by job is best. I hope this helps and good luck!:)

[Kends]

Hey guys, thanks again. Sorry to say...I just bought a JD. An HD45 with the 36" deck. I'd figured I'd get one for now to practice with on my lawn.

Eric,
Been to your site...Cool. Did I read that you are some where in the Chicago area too? (I know...click on the profile button, but just thought of that). But, do you think the DC. is the way to go for the size lawns that I'll be cutting to start out with? I've seen some of the lawns you cut on your page....I can only hope for accounts like that at this point. Let me know...

Advertising.
I'm just about done setting up the Corporation stuff now. I'm going to start out with the yellow pages and A LOT of flyers on mail boxes. I really think the flyers will work, I don't see that a lot in my area. What do you guys think? I was thinking about giving one free cut if you sign a contract b/4 the end of year deal. That way I'll have an idea on how much equipment and employees I need.

SCAG48,
Thanks for the info. on the blowers and trimmers. I see a lot of companys with the Stihl's. Even the park districts use them. (I've been doing a lot of stalking latley) I think that's the way I'm going to go.

Take care guys.

[LoneStarLawn]

What ever you do don't put flyers on mailboxes...the United Staes Post Office can fine you for that...put them on the doors

[greenflag]

Dittos on the flyers.
Also, if you are mowing small residential, look into a 32" mower. You can get through most any gate with one, and you don't have to cut the back yard with a 21.

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

screw sthil...what u want to get as far as a blower goes is a Red-max EB6200, its the most powerful blower on the market for clearing leaves to puting the finishing touches on a perfect lawn nothing can even compete with it.....and as far as trimmers go the Shindawia T-230 is a great choice, lightweight, powerful plus limited vibrations....as far as advertising goes the door to door flyers is a fool-proof method cant beat it.

[Scag48]

Fivestr-You don't even need all that power on the Redmax! My Stihl has plenty of power and the BR400 has a little more. I just don't see why you need so much power.

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

just go out and demo one and see what u think...i garante u will he praying to the Red-max god

[LoneStarLawn]

Try the Shindaiwa EB630...good power backpack blower...we have a couple work great!!!

[Eric ELM]

Skag48, wait until you start mowing in wet conditions and have to blow off clippings on a drive way that is 1/4 to 1/2 mile long. You will wish you had a Redmax EB6200. I realize your just starting out, but until you have seen all conditions, you just won't understand why we need the big blowers. I know a little hand blower will do the job, but it will take forever and time is money in this business.

Fivestr19, I agree that the Shindiawa is a good choice for trimmers. We have been using them for years.

[geogunn]

kends--good luck to you in your decision to enter the business.

as you are noticing in the above posts, everyone has an opinion. and none of those expressed will likely mirror your own in a years time.

do like my father told me many years ago, regardless what my endeavor was,..."work hard, study hard and make them a good man". and later, when faced with an opportunity, my father was quick to remind me that "opportunity was my reward".

just do the right thing and you'll do fine in this business,

GEO

[accuratelawn]

You will be happy with your purchase of the JD.

I have an older GS 25 - 36". The cut is great and the machine is very reliable. Belts, filters, and blades only replacement parts in 4 years. Parts for JD are high. look into some online companies for parts. Buy what your need now for all next season. This will same you time and money!
I think the biggest mistake new guys make is that they don't charge enough. When you start getting accounts REAL quick, you need to up your prices. Talk to people for a while before you give them your bid. They will tell you what they were paying and how unhappy they were with the service. This will help you test the market.
Know your costs... equipment, fuel, maintenance, INSURANCE, etc. Don't start out making X amount of money per week and think you struck it rich. You need to reinvest alot of you income for the first few years and you need to eat in the winter. Spend time reading posts here and give your calculator a work out before you go at this full time.
Good Luck