Who's the oldest of them all?

[stick9]

I'm sure that this question has been asked prior to now, but since I did not notice any comparable threads, I will ask it.

How many years have Y O U been in business?

I'm very curious about this, so please just bare with me.
Also, are Y O U the owner, crew leader, or just a measely worker bee?

Thanks.

StiCK-NINe

[Richard Martin]

6 years and I wear all of the hats.

[cos]

28 yrs old and been hacking grass for 7 years now.

[Barkleymut]

27 and finishing my 3rd season. I am the owner, crew leader, and grunt employee all rolled into one.

[Ocutter]

Im 28. I too have been juggling all the titles for the past 6 yrs. I would like to pose another question. For Rich, cos, Barkleymut, and any other 1 man operation who has been in this field for 5- 8 yrs. How many lawns do you do?

[Richard Martin]

Umm... It doesn't really matter how many lawns any one person might do because conditions vary so greatly from place to place and company to company that it would be like comparing apples to oranges. We have been down this arguement several times already.

[Ocutter]

I understand. Just wanted to compare. In my eyes peers as well as competition makes for a good motivator. If I was starting out and had a plan I would want to know where I would be in 5-8 yrs. thats all.

[Charles]

10 years

[MOW ED]

Just completing 5 years for pay.

[Dennis]

Dang I feel oldder now
42 in LC for 9

[Lawnworks]

I am 18 and have been cutting grass for myself for 6 years.

[awm]

Sometimes more sometimes less.About 23yrs
in lawncare.The trick is to make the experience
help you do a better job.Iknow a man 63yrs old
been mowing all his working yrs. He still
cuts as low as he can no matter how hot or
dry.He probably has 40 X 1yr experience.
To each his own.Mabe he knows something i
dont.

[Eric ELM]

I learned to drive the farm tractors when I was 5 and by the time I was 6, I ran them in the fields. By the time I was 7 I ran the tractor and mower to cut alfalfa. It was a Case SC narrow front end tractor with a hand clutch and a 7' sickle bar mower. My feet couldn't reach a clutch, so the hand clutch made it possible for me to run the tractors. I was helping my father make a living, so I guess I was a professional mower at 7. :) If you consider this mowing professionally, I've been mowing for 50 years. If not, I've been mowing professionally for the past 16 seasons. The original tractor I used was bought used for $1000, but looked new. How prices have changed. BTW, we used a team of Morgan horses to pull the dump rake, so I've spent lots of hours behind them. You know you were having a bad day when they were passing gas. PEEEEWWWWW

Does this make you feel younger Dennis?

[zimm4]

I have been in business for 12 years. Cutting grass
less then 1 year.

[Vibe Ray]

Hey Lawnworks, how many lawns do you do being only 18 and 6 years experience behind you? I am 17 and have only 1 season behind me.

[leeslawncare]

I'am 32 an been in the biz for 7yrs now.

[chrisbolte]

19 years old and 7 years experience.

[gorrell]

I'm 51 and am just finishing my 15th season of lawn care. Hope to have a few more before getting out of it. Thanks, Lynn

[Cutter1]

I am 24. Unfortunatley I am the one that answers the calls at night, so that makes me the owner. Have three workers and have been cutting professionally for 9 years. Two seasons as my own boss.

[Skookum]

35 years old. Operated lawncare business since 1992. I do it all. Licensed in 3 pesticide categories in my state.

Everyone is different about growth size of company. I was up to mowing 30 residentials, several of which were over 1 acre, and 12 commercial. Half of each were FULL maintenance programs. Took me at that time about 24 hours a week, by myself. Made $60,000 clear that year.

Now, I want more time at home. Best thing about self employment. I have just four commercials and 8 residentials. Average week is 6-8 hours. Will make about $20,000 this year. I have found you can go up and down when you want.

[Bluegrass Lawn Service]

52 years old and in business 4 years. Snow removal also. 4 employees.

[dylan]

I'm 22 and got my first lawn ten years ago. Still cutting it even though the property has changed hands three times. I'm the chief cook and bottle washer.

[jannan]

55 years old,first year in LC business, hope to take early retirement from local power co. next spring. Lost about 15lbs powerwalking behind wb about 15hrs.a week. Right now it feels like the best move I ever made. I hope I feel that way next year after 40hrs/week powerwalking.

[TLS]

I'm 30 years old and have been the business for 20 actual and 12 legit. Had to wait until I was 18 to file for sole proprietorship/ficticious name. At 10 y/o I was cutting 3 neighbors lawns and my lawn with my fathers 1968 Cub Cadet 125.(still running today!) It was a 12hp Kohler hydrostatic drive with a 48" deck. The thing was built like a tank and that 12hp Kohler one holer had a lot of torque and handled that 48" with ease. (Although you could spin the blades faster with your hands!!) LOL Then migrated to a JD 318 w/ 50" and a 18hp Onan. Then to a JD F935 with a 60". Then to a Dixie 60", and now to a Lazer LC 60".

I still mow 2 of my original lawns from that first year!

[Lawn Cruiser]

I am 36 Icut grass and got paid when I was 10 years old for a nieghbor. Have been selling lawn equipment and doing shop work on it for 12 years. Have been in business cutting lawns commercially for 3 years.

[Scotty]

I'm 36 and have been in the lawn cutting and snow plowing business for 17 years. The past 17 years flew by, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. Each year we evolve to a new level.

Scott

[Lawnworks]

I cut about 50-60 biweekly accounts. This includes two commercial accounts. Just got a Chopper and I love it.
How many accounts do you have and where are you located?

[gusbuster]

37 yearold, been mowing grass since age 8, always help my dad with his lawn care company, after school,weekends and summer. Except 2 1/2 years, I been pushing a mower. I've been on my own now for over 18 years.
John

[Turf Cutters]

Both my wife and I are 45. She has been helping for the past six years and I have been doing this for the past fifteen years.

[rixtag]

33 years old and been mowing for 15years (3 for pay)
Part-time and completely and happily without a doubt SOLO

Rick

[1stclasslawns]

38 years old and finishing my 15th year in all, had 6 when I was a kid (I was the 3rd biggest in town at the time)
and wrapping up my 9th so far.
Jim

[stick9]

I'm overwhelmed by the number of replies to this. Thanks. It seems evident to me that grass cutters span a very large age group. However, it appears that it's reserved for only MEN.

Are there any women landscapers out there? (If you aren't one, or don't work with one, have you seen any around?) Age doesn't seem to matter, does sex?

StICK-niNE

(btw- I don't mean your wife who stays home and deals with the inside aspect of the business, I mean the ones who are OUT in the field and doing the work.)

[Bobby]

41 years old
been mowing for twenty one years.

[landscaper3]

31 years old, owned my own company for six years now. A friend of mine 15 minutes away owns a lawn maintenance company also and his wife is a full time partner with him and talking with him about it, he siad that she was the best person he ever had working for him. Doesnt ubuse equipment and loves the trade, they have been in business for 10 years. And I bet another 10 no problem.

[Evan528]

In the area where i live there is a lady that cuts grass. She has a 2000 ford explorer pulling a trailer with a scag 48 on it. Does very nice work from what ive seen and works very hard.

[machine]

25 years old, been in business for 15 years. Since then, we have expanded in Lansdscape & Construction Management Provider for the Cincinnati Area.

[gusbuster]

stick9
I know of at least 9 female workers that do lawn care, with their husbands, or solo operators, in the region I work in(South of San Francisco).
One gal and I are good friends and help out each other every few weeks. Celeste has been in the business now for 10 years. She got the business as a divorce settlement. Her ex-husband is in the pokey for too many d.u.i's and not paying spousal support.
John

[HOMER]

I'm 99 years old, don't you young whippersnappers tell me I can't kick some grass. I'll work all of ya into the dirt you little shicks. Been mowing since I was 10 yrs old and never have felt better in all my life. Guess that makes me the oldest in the business so far, 89 years is a long time..........I can still kick all of ya's butts though, wanna try me. Need to take a nap now, got some mowin' to do later today.

Homer

P.S. ANY DAY YA LITTLE PUNKS!

[cutntrim]

I'm 31 and so is my partner. We started in 1991. Would have started earlier, but I was working on a university degree planning to teach. Glad I chose not to teach, I'm happier being my own boss.

[Ocutter]

Homer- "what, you wanna dance old man?" Drink your milk just like in the commercial and lets go! LOL

[Tomslawncare1]

I'm 39 years old, been in buss. on my own for 5 years and first year with a partner totaling 6 years. I cut 25-30 lawns a week with 1 part time helper. Make about 35-40K a year just foing lawns and cleanups Spring & Fall.

[OBRYANMAINT]

28 here, plowing for 10 yrs,mowing for 3 yrs

[mowerguy]

I'm 19 and I have been in the business for 5 years

[Twotoros]

Started when I was 36 and am just finishing my 15th year.
I hold the title of #1 whipping boy, boss, bookkeeper and taxman doormat.

[WINTER 3]

Been in the business for 11 years not including (mowing as the kid next door).
Had all the titles (laborer, ast. foreman, & foreman)
For the last 2 years now it has been (owner/ operator/ book keeper/ laborer/ foreman)

[stick9]

I'm really finding this quite engrossing. I mean, it appears that there are so MANY people who do EVERYTHING themselves .. Some have been in business for many years .. others only a few.

For the ones who have been in business for 5+ years and do the work on their own .. do you wish you had someone to assist with (or even take over) the work? Or do you love the job so much, that you WANT to do everything yourself?

For the people who have been in business for less then five years and operate the business entirely by themselves .. have you thought about hiring on some employees to help alleviate some of the burdens? Or .. like above, do you enjoy the work so much that you couldn't bear to let someone else take your fun?

SOME of you guys have REALLY been doing this a long time. Thirty ... Fourty ... we even have some guys up at our shop who have been cutting for more then FIFTY years [eh, Eric?] .. Could you even imagine doing anything else?


Just amazes me .. that's all.

StiCK-NinE

[Ocutter]

Stick- I wish I could have one or two more of me to take over the work. But since dependable help is hard to find around here it'll be just me for a while longer. Thats not to say that I will still love to get my hands dirty when get workers.

[HOMER]

Heck son..........I'm 99 and still goin'. I've been called the energizer bunny so many times I poop with every step( thank goodness for depends). I enjoy this work so much I sleep with a weedeater on one side and a backpack blower on the other. I would never ask for any help, might have to work too fast!

Homer

[SMB]

I'm 13 and this is my second (or third season or fourth, depending upon how you look at it). Mowed some for my granpa at I guess 8 or 9, and I've been on a rider since I guess 1 or 2 (Dad and nana rode around with me on his lap and I got a nap!) I've got about 8 accounts and help or sometimes completely mow 2 graveyards and 1 residential for Dad. I'm gonna take over one of the graveyards next year. We have mowed some temporary yards for people before, but I think that the yards we have now we will have next year. I plan to do this at least through college, and probably after that. I'm homeschooled, so it gives me more time to mow. Great job to have!

[awm]

Ithink getting good work outof help,must
bea talent.I see some that seem to be good
at it.I very seldom got desired results
when hiring help.Guess my talents are in other
areas.

[stick9]

"It's hard to find good help these days" --> Every single landscaper in America. People have a tendency to think that they are better workers then they really are. We have been blessed with this unfortunate problem for a couple of years, but recently have found some good help.. (lucky for us .. but they're BOTH in highschool and can only work part--time) Oh well. There should be some prerequisites to getting into this work ... (ability to hold a job for more then a week, ability to work continuously without needing a break every 10 minutes, ability to work EFFECIENTLY with ALL equipment ... Ability to understand ones own limitations in this line of work .. Ability to be HONEST in how they do the job ... etc .. etc ..)

STiCK-NInE