How many lawns could you handle

[DBALLARD]

If you were a one man show, doing only Residential work. Cut, trim, edge and blow (with a 36" WB). How many lawns accounts would you want to have (or could handle). Most lawns around here are 1/4 to 3/4 acre lots. How many days a week would you work to get that number of lawn done?

[Keith]

First of all I wouldn't be doing that many residential lawns of 1/4 to 3/4 acres with a 36". LOL. A 52" or so would be so much more productive.

Sticking with your 1/2 acre average, I would say 40 a week is a good number. If they are pretty close you could do them in 4 to 4 1/2 days and that would leave time to do other services like hedges. That would also leave you time to catch up after rains. That would be with a 52 inch mower or so. And if they are scattered out, you really need to think about narrowing your territory.

[Richard Martin]

I do 30 a week and they are in the size range that you describe. I work 7 to 8 hrs. a day, 5 days a week. Since this was an especially difficult year to cut grass due to the persistant rains my 50" didn't come off the trailer very often and my 36" cut probably 80% of the grass. Last year because of the drought my 50" cut probably 80% of the grass and I spent about 6 to 7 hrs. a day, 4 days a week cutting grass. It varies from year to year and in 6 years of doing this I have seen no 2 years that were alike.

[MIDSOUTH]

I do between 40 to 45 yards a week,by myself-but this is with a 61" turf tiger and 36" metro.

[LoneStarLawn]

Are you solo....30- 40 week depending on number of days
two-man.........40- 70 week depending on number of days
3-man...........70- 100 week depending on number of days.

[accuratelawn]

Solo with only a 36 walk? Try to find another larger 52+ walk. FAR more productive.
10 per day tops
I had my rider go down my second year, had to do 65 in 5 long days with a 36 belt drive...no fun!

[thelawnguy]

OK, my lots range from 1/4 ac to 1 1/2 ac. the majority are 1/3, with a 52 in TT hydro I do 59 lawns solo in 4 days, cut trim edge blow and go, maybe 30 hours/week, 50 during the spring rush, including travel time and load/unload time. Your time may vary depending on inseam, fitness, desire to pay bills, etc.

[cutntrim]

50 per week - with the equipment you currently own.

[DBALLARD]

Thanks all .... I know the 36" is not the best thing to have. I needed something to start with and the 36" would fit thru the fence gates. I will get a large rider when I can. As of now, I cut part time after my day job. I just wanted a good idea of what it would take to go full time. Thanks again.

[TGCummings]

I used to do 70 a week with my 21", but I always skipped lunch and worked overtime daily and on Saturday. Now I cut 45-50 a week with my 36 and have time to spare on side work, lunch, business errands, etc.

Leaving yourself time to catch up from rain is very important, too. In my 70 lawns/week days, a day and a half of rain would mean leaving 22 or more customers through the weekend. Imagine getting that many calls on a Saturday night... ;)

-TGC

[Keith]

Originally posted by DBALLARD
Thanks all .... I know the 36" is not the best thing to have. I needed something to start with and the 36" would fit thru the fence gates.

Get yards without fences. :)

When I bought my first walkbehind I was also going to buy a 36" thinking that was perfect. Well, I found a deal on a used 54" Bobcat that I couldn't pass up. I wouldn't have been happy with the 36". For the few fenced in back yards I could have gotten into, I would have been wasting time at 90% of my accounts.

I went against my own belief a few years ago, however. My Grasshopper broke and I thought I had better go get a walk behind to use while it was broken. So I decided a 36" was the way to go. I would use it for a short time while the Grasshopper was down and then I would have a 36" to get in fenced areas. Guess what, the Grasshopper was broken longer than expected. Now I did save around 1 1/2 hours a week or so cutting lawns with the 36" that I would have cut with a 21", but I wasted 15 + hours cutting with a 36" what could have ben cut with a 52".

[lawnboy11]

I do 103 per week. Solo. Very tight residential route and average house is less than 1/4 acre.

[Richard Martin]

Did I say 30? I meant 300... and then I go to work at my full time DAY job. Puh-leaze.

[LoneStarLawn]

103 a week solo???? 5 days a week???? Are you superman????

[thelawnguy]

Could be done. I have 5 adjacent postage stamp lawns which take under an hour to do @22 each. I believe travel and load time is what really eats into productivity.

[LoneStarLawn]

under an hour ok lets say 45 min. for 21 lawns a day...that would be 15 hrs 45 min...(not including travel time) ..is there enough light in the day...????

[thelawnguy]

I meant under an hour for all 5 total. If he has his route filled with this type, takes an hour per 5, allow 15 min for load/travel and he can maybe do 25 per 6 1/2 hour day.

[LoneStarLawn]

I understand that someone could just cut grass at that rate..but there is other variables that need to be taken care of...estimates, billing..that take up time...landscaping...trimming hedges/shrubs...I still think thats pretty fast. He must be rolling in the dough...

[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 10-13-2000 at 02:57 AM]

[Richard Martin]

I think that any further claims to mowing production should include: size and type of mowers used, conditions of lawn (are they usually wet?, type of grass, how infested with weeds are they? etc.), size of lawns, amount of trimming per lawn, amount of edging per lawn, amount of blowing needed, height of cut, how much grass you're cutting off, amount of money you make per cut, distance traveled between cuts, type of cut (are you roundy rounding, stripeing square, stripeing on an angle?) and (and this is an important one) quality of cut when finished. Are your lines straight? Did you leave sprigs of grass sticking up everywhere?

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by LoneStarLawn
103 a week solo???? 5 days a week???? Are you superman????

One better, in an older thread I had started Stone said he and a partner mow 40 a day, he never said how many days a week he does this.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=177

[thelawnguy]

"I understand that someone could just cut grass at that rate..but there is other variables that need to be taken care of...estimates, billing..that take up time...landscaping...trimming hedges/shrubs...I still think thats pretty fast. He must be rolling in the dough..."

If I were doing 100+ postage stamp lawns, 1) why bother with estimates if you have a quality clientele that makes you money, 2) I do billing while Im on Lawnsite 3)see #1 I wouldnt bother with landscaping and the capital investment it requires, 4) hedges and shrubs, at least in the northeast, are what drought periods are here for.

If I werent so darn lazy Id be doing 100+ lawns but Id prefer to work "part-time" and stick with my 59.

[darryl]

When I started I cut 18 per week part time 2 days a week. I had a 36 rider and a 21 walk behind. At the time I had some large accounts that I should'nt have picked up. Now I use a 36 walk behind and wish I had bought it then. I think an walk behind 36" or larger is better than going with a high end residential rider. My experience is : the walk behind is less expensive to purchase and maintain, practical for small yards, and more durable. the 36 walk behind is faster to cut with than the 42" Cub tractor. I do all residential 1/2 acre or less.
I admit this addresses starting up a business. Again my experience is ,when buying equipment , buy COMMERCIAL DUTY. That means professional 40+ hr.s a week. Even if you are small and part-time.

[slingshot]

Out of all of our lawns one 3 man crew cuts 129 lawns in 3 days thur,fri,sat, .they are under a 1/2 acre and are close so it is posible .so kirby and mr martin just because you cant do it doesnt mean someone else cant

[LoneStarLawn]

Can't compare a three man team to a solo operator..the productivity rate of a three-man crew is alot more than a solo

[lawnboy11]

It's true (sorry, been awhile). I do 103 lawns/week alone. And its true that I have many stops that are 3,4, 5, or 7 houses at a time. Each lawn averages under 20 minutes including travel time (almost every next stop is around the block). So 3/hour is 34 hours for 102, but I usally move faster than that average anyway. Last weds I did 21 lawns between 8:30 and 12:00 with one guy mowing also, but that should give you an idea. I have a 36"JD walk behind w/jungle wheels plus 21" comm. toros and in some, not all cases can do 4-5 houses an hour. I also have a McDonald's and large property homes that take up to 45 min each alone. Includes all edging, weedwacking, beds, hardscape blow off, etc. Professional and at pro prices. I have 15 yrs experience so I can work very fast. I have a aas in development/design and BA in ag. so I educate my clients and they will for the most part buy all services I recommend so the route is 85% full service (certified pest. applicator), 2X aeration, pruning, computer design, etc. etc. I can do all of them in 3 and 1/2 days if needed, but usaully I work 5 days a week when I need to do applications, hedges, etc. I also work on saturdays sometimes, but never mowing (I hate when everyone is home on the wknds.) So, bottom line is that it can be done, no problemo. If you have any questions let me know. Oh yeah, I live on Long Island (NY) and it is suburbia land.

[Lawn Cruiser]

I do 23 lawns per week ranging anywhere from 1/2 arce to 3-1/2 acre and do this in two days typically. I use a 48" Toro 355 ZRT and a 44" walk behind. I do most of these by myself, I have a nephew that helps me out and if he is with me we can do all of them in one day with time to spare. Most are close together and so we don't have alot of drive time.

[MRPLOW]

Solo operator here. I do 58 lawns a week in five days. Takes about 30 to 35 hours a week of actual work, plus figure about 5 hours a week for office work, maintenance and other miscellaneous things. 100 lawns a week is possible if you have a lot of smaller lawns, a tight tight route with many 3,4, and 5 lawns stops, plus very efficient equipment in good working order. I have one stop where I do 4 lawns in an hour including edging and trimming, these are each $22.00 lawns. So like has been said above with the right conditions it can be done. Equipment I use 52 inch Wright Stander, 48 inch scag for a couple back yards, Sthil trimmer and blower, and Mclane edger.

[curlawngreen]

You have a helper now. Please let us know how you do 100+ residential by yourself in 4 days. How far behind do you get, so far the last month hedges are your next goal?
I do 37 residential full service and if you know how to do 100 full service I would like to know. PLEASE ADVISE.
Thanks Tim

[bdemir]

I know a crew of two that cut 40 lawns in one day. They dont play around. They get to work quick. No lunch or puf puff breaks. Thats a close route all 40 in one subdivision. They dont leave the sub. He claims it took him 4 years to get this many in one area.

[lawnboy11]

I only had help for the morning on that day and had 21 done before lunch. After lunch I did another 12 houses (3/hr for 4hrs) slightly larger homes (maybe 60*80 give or take, some 100*120). So I did 33 total for that day. That would get me done in 3 days plus with help. You asked about solo though and I can and do 103/week alone. If it rains lightly I'll keep going, but usually I keep a close eye on the weather and plan ahead, like shifting lawns up to mon and tues if it's supposed to rain on weds so I don't get too far behind. I explain this possibility to clients before the season begins so I get no whining. I try to avoid whining at all costs. I have a system set up so that I can do my billing in 5 hours on one sunday per month including all addressed envelopes and return envelopes as well as a letter to clients about plans for next month, news, sales letters, etc. So I do work about 55-60 hours per week usually with all the extra work to do and I will usually need help for spring clean ups. Also, not every client has me do hedges, and I'm glad. The money is good in trimming/pruning, but it's the worst. I've strayed, but like said b4, it can be done, and this route took a few years to establish.

[Acute Cut]

These claims are not all that unbelievable at all. I do 20 a day easily. Most of my lawns are residential and very few are very close. I only have three that are in the same neighborhood.

I mow with one guy and can do 20 lawns by noon to two depending on the length of the route that day. Solo i can do 20 lawns, but i work much later than i want to. My "off" time is too important to me to work till all hours of the night. "Time equals money" Remember that saying?

I do all my lawns with a 52" Exmark WB and a 36" Exmark WB belt drive. Easier than pie!