Day lights savings...a part timers nightmare

[steveair]

Hello,

Just wanted to see how the rest of you, especiall the part timers, are getting ready to handle the daylight savings weekend coming up.

For your full timers, I'm sure its not anything big, as you probably have things pretty much under control.

For me, I'm hating it.

I work 6-2 M-F, and do my jobs after work. The already shorter days have already begun to hurt me, as it seems I get to a job, get everything unloaded, and then have to pack up. Losing another hour this week is really gonna make it tight.

I've been pretty much telling people that I am done for the year, as I have a solid 3-4 weeks of of work left, and hope to get that done, none the less take on more.

Do any of you guys try to push through now to try to get some extra money for winter? I purchased quite a substantial amount of equipmnet this year, so want to make sure I have enough of a nest egg to make the payments all winter. So far, I have enough, but just want to give me a some room to breath now.

steveair

[bob]

I have a daycare that has to be cut after 5:00 pm. I told the owner that starting next week I'll have to cut it on the weekend(my onty weekend job). I've got headlights on the mower but not on the trimmer!

[Rufur]

Yeah Im in there tooIm free around 4 and by the time Im at a job the sun is setting one church I cut takes 3.5 hours I leave the parts that are under the parking lot lights for last this is a difficult business to be in part time!

[Lawn Cruiser]

I'm in the same boat, although I have started working my full time job part time which helps, also installed lights on the mower but you can only mow after dark you can't trim.

[Rufur]

this is kinda stretching it Ive never used it but how about one of those miners lights fixed on forehead

[River Hill]

Since you are in NJ and I am in Maryland we are on about the same schedule. I have about 3 to 4 weeks left also but things are slowing down. I know most people try to bleed one more cut out of customers by cutting at 2.5" in late November or December. I cut 3" spring, 3.5" summer, and 3" in the fall. I try not to ever cut the week of Thanksgiving or after that. Most people could be cut until the first week in December, but what I do is cut my customer at 2.5 the first or second week in November and that finishes them for the season. I am a part timer so this is what I do because of lack of daylight.

[leeslawncare]

Hey I'am all into to hatin that daylight saveings time too!! I get of at 2:30an these next few week will sux!!! hard to do more than one job (leaves)with it getting dark so soon an i hate working weekends!! but now is the time of year were i hafta work some.

[lawnboy11]

Full time, so not too much of a problem really with maintenance, but for fall clean ups I'd like more daylight. I usually cut (I'm on Long Island) until next week at which point I cut about 2.5". The next three weeks in Novemember, up until Thanksgiving I'll clean leaves out every week (not completely, but off the turf at least) to keep up and keep houses clean and me making money. I just clean leaves instead of mowing and there's little trimming to do at this point. After Thanksgiving I start the full fall clean ups. We clean out every leaf, etc, mow shorter one last time, and lime. Then the week before Christmas is gutter time and any other (HOMERUN VENTURA!!!!!!!!!!!!!) GO METS! (uh oh, could be setting up for a side discussion here) odds and ends. MY 2 cents. Keep working until Christmas. Then time to relax and recover, do paperwork ,taxes, etc, etc, etc, blah blah blah. But keep providing service every week and make that clear from day one in the spring.

[cantoo]

Last year I had to tape a flashlight onto my trimmer. This year we have been working all weekend long and still turning down work. Next year we will be fulltime so I hope no problems. I also have a million candle power light in my truck for getting the last bit of the job done.

[Charles]

uh umm cough cough. We switching back to standard time. We just went through daylight saving time. Oh man....

[Runner]

It sounds to me like there are e few places that might have some people calling in sick! That's what I did sometimes when I worked full time. Save most of it, though. You're going to need it in the Spring!

[yardsmith]

AHH Runner you read my mind-
vacation days are great for catching up on work.
I have been part time for the last 6 yrs. This year I went full time, but still am mentally locked onto 3rd shift mindset. It's hard for me to get out of the house to mow before 10-10:30 am. With bids, bills, returning calls & etc., it's tough. I try to let my wife handle some of the easier tasks like that so I can get out & work.
I was fortunate at my previous jobs; when fall & the time change came, they would switch me to 2nd shift. It sucked, but at least I had all daylight to work in. Plus, 2nd is great for plowing. Start at 11 pm, or goto bed for a few hrs. then get up & plow, go home in am & sleep. Works great.
Since then I have mounted aftermarket driving lights on my mowers to take care of the darkness problem.

[chrisbolte]

It is gonna effect us quite a bit because some of our employees are students and it will really cut into my time. I have thought about lights on the mowers. How does that work for everyone

[jeffex]

I"m part time also! I get off work at 4 and this
is the last week of eve. work. Find everyone you
know and spend some money on them for a marathon
sunday. I have 49 lawns and this is a tough time
but if you don't satisfy the customer they will
find someone else. Thats how most of us part timers
started by picking up what the big guys couldn't
handle.

[Craig Jones]

The Daylight Savings Time will hurt us. I get home from work late and my son gets home around 3. That will leave maybe one or two lawns. A lot of our folks do not like us cutting on weekends, so it will be tough. I will have to take some leave time off. We will get in one more final cut on most of our properties and then we have the leaf cleanups. We notified our clients we will be doing cleanups on the weekend but will be taking off Sundays. We have also been having real dusty conditions in Virginia and when doing leaves, etc, can get real messy. Have been cleaning the filters each night. We will be putting lights on our trailer this weekend. All in all, a real inconvenience.

[thelawnguy]

There was a time during the 70s when Nixon decided to extend DST through the winter. Maybe Al can win some votes by promising the same.

As Charles said, we are now enjoying daylight savings time, come sunday we will revert back to standard time (boohoo).

[steveair]

About taking days off,

I had planned to take a few days off myself to make sure I get everything done, but......

My supervisor just came in and wants us to work overtime for the next 3-4 weekends, and work on a big project, so getting a day off is going to be very tough.

Go figure. All year, not a single project, then, just when I need the time, this happens.

At least the time and a half will be nice. As for the jobs, I'm gonna do what ever it takes to get finished. May walk away at the end of NOV. with a real nice hunk of change if all goes right....well, at least if most things go right!

[jeffyr]

I luck out. On the days that I work my FT job, I landscape before I go in. (Usually between 11 and 1). Although the other 2 days being shorter will be niticed.

Sorry guys !
jeffyr

[Charles]

Thanks Bill, this showed how much craig paid attention to my post correcting the original thread. It pays to read every reply

[Mowman]

Part-Time. Went back to third shift last Aug. and so far things are working out great. If it's dry I stay up in the mornings and cut till about 4:oo in the afternoon, then sleep till about 10:oo. Now that it's wet I come home and go to bed then get up at noon and hit it till dark. I know what you guy's are going through that are working till 3:00 in the afternoon. Been there done that.
Mowman

[rixtag]

Well... I am part time also and at my regular(crappy) day job I alternate shifts 1 week 7-4 next week 9-6. I am feeling kinda sick boss LOL. My contracts run out Oct 31st but with DST this last week is time to bust out some work because after the time change I am history. 2 accounts will keep me busy until Dec but for the most part I am done. DST has its advantages because it takes my wife about 2 weeks to get used to having me home before 9pm and the lack of daylight makes it easier to not feel like I gotta mow somethin' (for those of us that are addicted to smell of fresh cut grass it takes a while to get unhooked LOL)


Rick

PS. as for lights on the mower I have a pull-start eXmark 36 and I am curious as to how I would power the lights? Any ideas?.....

[Charles]

Rixtag RIXTAG RIXTAGGGGGGGGGGGG THE LAST SATURDAY OF THIS MONTH IS NOT DST NOT DST NOT DST. ERIC THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO MAKE ME START USING PROFANITY AGAIN LOL. Charles taking a deep breath again----The last saturday of this month is when we switch the clock back to standard time. DST was all summer long because we moved the clock forward---GET IT????? Eric please delete anyone who says it DST coming up---just kidding

[rixtag]

Charles are you ok? just checkin' I realize what I have said. DST is over and that is all I have to say about that!
BUSTED Daylight Standard Time LOL

Rick

[pete]

Heard about a place that you can get cheap night vision goggles, have to look it up again. But seriously, i have worked late many nights. I got one of those telescopeing halagon floodlights with the 2 lamps on top. Works well for landscapeing work. Also have a petzl headlamp, dont know what id do with out it, much better than a flashlight for anything

[TJLC]

The time change will actually help me because I have some comm. properties that the earlier I can start in the morning the better off I am. As far as it getting darker earlier, I try not to work that late anyway.

[dhicks]

Between DST and no rain for the month of October, business is about over for me. I guess I start vacation early this year :D

[landscaper3]

It is getting dark early, the 3 of us got 2 schools done in 4 hours with 3 athletic fields (regulation size) by 5:55pm got dark and finished mowing with our Walkers with lights on them. (boy glad we got them this year)

[Rodg]

Let's just say I'm glad my walker has lights! I just do the best I can and my clients seen to understand. I always print a newletter with each of my monthly billings. I expalain the logistics to them and this seems to help. This time of year I become a weekend mower only!

[steveair]

another problem:

LOST TOOLS.

I do mainly construction, and because of that, I don't have time to keep track of my tools as the jobs go on because I am too busy concentrating on getting the job done and end up with every tool in my trailer laying around the job site. Since I don't start cleaning up til its dark, I find myself 'losing' shovels, rakes, hammers, pruners, even chainsaws!

Hard to see in the dark! And with all the leaves on the ground, things get covered up quick.

I've already had to go back to 2 diff't jobs to look for tools that I realized were missing when I opened up my trailer the next day.

The joys of fall.

steveair

[Edited by steveair on 10-27-2000 at 11:06 AM]

[cantoo]

Steveair, take a roll of the reflective tape like what you use on the back of your trailer and wrap a piece around the handle of your tools. After dark you shine the flashlight around and you can see the reflective strip easily.