Disgruntal Postal Carrier

[Hobby]

Happy Holidays Everyone,
but being a mailman for the last 20 years, happy to see it
go. During the last 3 years been cutting yards on the side
for extra funds,(have Harley love to travel)and money made
cutting grass is good. Anyways tired of the postal life,
winters in OH suck and can't ride. So have decided to quit
take my retirement money move to FL. and start a grass-cutting business. To some this may sound foolish,but a lady
friend and myself both in our early 40,s think it,s worth a
shot. So we're packing up and leaving in April 01. Have done
alot of research, and talking to people down there and know
we can make this work. But enough background some questions.
1)Choice of Dixon or Ariens mower,like ZT,size,and price.
2)Price of cutting average size yard in FL.(OH $20-35 with
trimming and blowing clean.)
3)Do I need any special kind of insurance?
Have more questions, would like to ask later if thats OK.
Any information would be helpful, thanks for again. Hobby.

[LoneStarLawn]

I can't answer your questions directly, but I believe many of your questions have been already answered here. If your check out the search option at the top right and the bottom of the page you can search the many questions that you may have. Good luck in your new business.

[Lawnworks]

I would not advise buying a Dixon or Ariens mower. I had a Dixon and they are a headache. They are not commercial grade. I would go with Exmark or Dixie Chopper.

[Eric ELM]

I agree with Lawnworks. If your going into this to make money, get a commercial mower. The small Dixon or Ariens are for homeowners. A friend of mine had both and he is a homeowner. Neither one of them held up very good and he ended up buying a used Dixie Chopper from me 3 seasons ago and it's still running great and it had 2,500 hours on it when I sold it to him.

It sounds like your wanting a ZTR. Dixie Chopper makes a couple of small models, one is a 50" and one is a 42" that you can take part of the deck off real easy to get through a 36" gate and pop that part back on to mow. These small models have the quad loop hydro system just like the bigger models and I've had great luck with longevity of these bigger machines. This is the only commercial ZTR that I know of that will fit through a 36" gate and I've heard there are plenty of gates down there. I would check them out when you get there since I've never seen one up here where we have very few gates.
Another option is get a bigger ZTR for the open areas and a walk behind for the gated areas. Another option is try to talk the customer into putting in a bigger gate.

Yes, you need insurance to cover you in case of injuring someone. Good luck.

[TJLC]

Hobby, I am from Cincinnati,I know the weather sucks now I live in FL. If I can answer any questions, please let me know.

[Bassman]

Hobby,
Come on down. I started in the biz July 2000. It is a slow but steady build as far as your yearly accounts go, (which you need so you have reliable income in the off season), however, you will have as much work as you can handle in the growing season,(April - October). Invest in a good, reliable commercial grade mower, Exmark or Dixie Chopper for instance. There are a lot of gated back yards so if you can afford one, get a reliable commercial grade walk behind, hydro if possible, around 36" max. I would also recommend Shindaiwa for your line trimmer and stick edger. You definately need liability insurance. Keep an accurate ledger and have a realistic business plan with set goals to shoot for. If I can be of any help in specific areas please let me know. Most of all, take advantage of the wealth of knowledge on this forum. Use the search feature extensively. There has been an unbelievable amount of working information posted to just about every question you may have previousley. A great many of the posters on this board that have many, many years experience in this biz have contributed their hard learned knowledge. I personally put together a binder with every thing I thought would help me be succesful from the get go 8 months before I actually took the plunge.
Good luck and Happy New Year!
Bassman

[Edited by Bassman on 12-28-2000 at 09:28 PM]

[geogunn]

hobby--about the airens ZTR. what do you intend to pay for that thing?

I was by my former home depot and they have a residential return on the lot for well under $1800. looks like new for almost half the price!

BTW, I agree with the others, airens is not the way to go but I wanted you to know about this good deal.

if you want to know more--email.

good luck. I like your moxy. my pap was postmaster of a town for 20 years. I tip my hat to you guys.

GEO

[osc]

Hobby:
I live 50 miles south of you. This winter is very bitter but consider this option: build a big lawn business and vacation in Florida in the winter. I mean usually you're only talking January and February that you need to get out of here. Last 3 winters were nothing much.
But if you must go then sell your accounts to me and I'd be happy to visit the dealers with you and show you what we use.

OSC

[Schal15]

Florida is a great place to live. I was born and raised and still live in south Florida. I was in the service and have been around the world so I know. One piece of advice, get your customers under a yearly contract. I just had one of my customers who was under a verbal contract for $80.00 a month switch on me to a per cut basis when the cold finally hit us (we do have seasons here)and the grass stopped growing. A contract would have avoided this. I have certainly learned my lesson. She will learn hers when I start charging more for all the pruning and trimmimg and when summer gets here there will be no going back to the monthly or I loose her.

[mowerman90]

Hobby,

So you're gonna move to Fl. The biggest thing (other than the summer heat) that you'll have to contend with is that your paychecks will be cut almost in half. You get paid mostly in "sunshine" down here. While the national average is somewhere around $25 per cut, here in Central Fl the going rate is around $15. We've got tons of scrubs that'll do it for even less ($8-$10). Most of these scrubs are retirees that live off there pensions and just do some lawns for beer money. If you're gonna be one of those types please don't come here! However, if you intend to start an actual business please feel free to e-mail me for more info. I moved here from Pittsburgh in 1987 and never looked back. Been working full time (year round) in lawn maintenance since 1989 so there aren't many things that I haven't seen or done. I'll be glad to share my experience with you. Good Luck and have a safe move and a Happy New Year.

[jeffex]

hey hobby good luck I'm a mailman also and I'd love
to see the look on your "stupervisors" face when
you quit. I love the mowing season when I ask the
mental midgets at our station to suspend me for
something I didn't do so I can triple my income

[Ricky]

Happy to see you going into the lawn biz, instead of going "POSTAL" :)

[MJ]

Hobby - P.O. story for you. I carried mail in Omaha and St Joseph for seven years while I went to college full time nights. At the end, I transferred to St Joseph to finish grad school and had to go back to Part Time Flex. Wouldn't put up with the usual BS they give PTFs cause I knew better (I'd been a union steward in Omaha). Supervisor always hassling me. You should have seen his face when I walked in on Saturday to start work. He asked me "Are you still here?". I said "Today is my last day", quit and started my new job Monday. That was in Jan '89 and I still get a chuckle.

Good luck with the lawn business.

Mick

[osc]

And I've always heard postal jobs were great. The public must have a big misconception.

[geogunn]

as with many jobs...I suppose what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

GEO

[Hobby]

Hi Everyone,
Wow, couldn't believe all the replies I got with the first post. Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions to help get
me started with this. Writing down some more questions to ask later, want to check board, make sure they havn't already been answered. Will write to some of you separately
later. Thanks again for all tne advice, still going ahead!!
P.S. going with the DixieChopper LS42, good choice?

[scottt]

If you only want the 42" dixie chopper, I would buy a 36" walk behind for now and save a little money for a larger ztr. It would be cheaper and you can still get into most gates. I have a 50" DC and am trying to sell it so I can buy a larger DC. I wish I had bought a 60" to save time on larger properties.

[Hobby]

Happy New Year Everyone,
Its just amazing what I have learned in a few days just reading this forum. It shows what a great job Eric is doing, and how helpful and friendly the members of this forum are. Mowerman90 looking out back door and seeing 4-5 inches of snow,windchills most the week around 5-10 degrees,
and not seeing the sun in 2 weeks being paid in sunshine seems like a good check right now. Do like to drink a cold one now and then, but doing this to start a business and a dream. Pretty much like alot of the members on this forum.
Scott,thought about a walk-behind even had one for a couple
of years. But after 20years carrying mail decided I earn the
the right to sit for awhile. Bassman, would like to write to you personally later but do you have any regrets?
Thanks again for everyones help will get back later.Hobby

[Keith]

Always warm and plenty of work for everybody. BTW, there is money growing on the trees here :) Oh....nevermind they all froze last night. Seriously, I think you would be better off trying it elsewhere. http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/gizmotimetempbig/US/FL/Brooksville.gif




[Edited by Keith on 01-01-2001 at 05:03 AM]

[Keith]

If you do a good job and are fair on your prices you will likely do well. One thing you will notice in Florida, even in medium sized communities is the large number of lawn businesses. The farther south you go, the better you will be. There are areas that only attract "mow, blow and go for $20" contractors. There are also areas of Florida where you can charge double that for the same thing year round. You can make money either way, you will just have to adapt to that market.

Don't even think about equipment until you get here. St. Augustine and Bahia are nothing like what you are used to. And even then you will need to find equipment that fits what you are doing. BTW, the largest job we have is less than three acres and we have a load of 6-10000 sq ft lawns. Seems small, but we are using (2)52", and 61" mowers in these. I wish we had another 61". We use a 36" for back gated yards and try to stay away from them in the first place. These are well suited for what we need. Others may have properties that are much better suited to a Walker or something like that. My advice, buy something used until you find out what you really need. Don't rule out a large walk behind until you really figure it out.

One other thing, my thermometer on the post above probably won't make much sense at 2 pm. But at 5 am this morning it was at 22F :) We have actually had 8 nights below freezing in the past 2 months. So it does get cold here, despite popular belief :) Another good reason to go as far south as you can.

[Edited by Keith on 01-01-2001 at 07:01 AM]

[Hobby]

Keith, thanks for the weather update! Man 22degrees
is cold, but thats just 8 days. Know it gets cold down there but up here it seems forever. A few days a year I
can live with.

Planed on getting my equipment down there. Used would be good enough to start with, mainly need just a bigger mower. Have most of the equipment, trimmer/edger, blower, small mower for trimming. Figured I could pick-up what else I need when I get there.

We had planned on trying Clearwater/StPete area. Going down in Febuary to look around and see the area. Hopeing to get this started in April, Know with some hard work and patience can get this to work for us. Thanks again for all the help and ideas. Hobby

[awm]

The wordigot was that is that postal work
is good in some areas and the worst in others.

[MJ]

awm - I carried mail in Omaha, Ne and St Joseph, Mo. I now meet with a lot of people who work for several Post Offices in Maine. I have yet to meet any mailman from a larger post office (town over 20,000) and many smaller ones who wasn't trying to find another job. Problem is the pay is very good for no education beyond high school but the working conditions are terrible - mainly due to draconian supervision. Supervisors are taught to trust no one and believe no one. I was constantly threatened with being fired for anything. Daily reminders, while in probation, that I could be fired for any reason or no reason. Many weeks forced to work 100 hours/wk. If I didn't like it, I could quit. I called in since once in seven years. Supervisor told me I couldn't call in sick or I was fired (I was past probation). When I got in, he took one look at me before I got to the time clock and wouldn't let me clock in because I looked too sick. Actually passed out on the was back out the door and went to the hospital in an ambulance.

Sorry this is long and probably doesn't belong here, but just responding to awm's post. Hope this helps you understand why people want to leave such a "good job". I actually took a $12,000/yr cut to get into my field when I got my Master's degree.

Mick

[jeffex]

No one will believe some of the BS we endure
from Missmanagers. I think Hobby chassing his
dream is the original thread Maybe there should
be a forum like this for postal workers. We could
get sponsorship from TYLENOL and SMITH AND WESSON
LOL. I hope Hobby keeps us updated on the move!

[MJ]

Jeffex - I've often wondered the same thing. I would be leery, though, if I were a current employee. I would expect supervisors to take retribution on members posting to the forum. Even if they had to use tricks to find out real names or track down email addresses.

Mick

[dougmartin2003]

all of you guys putting down dixon mower what the hell dixon mowers are you using the commercial mowerrs are great the residential mowers are not made for commercial jobs the dixon commercail mowers r

[Movinfr8]

Wonder what happened to Hobby?
And as far as picking on Dixons, this post is from Jan 2001. I'd say that's looking way back to find bad comments. I would imagine dixon is a good mower, but they are largely known for residential mowers. Loke Craftsman. Great mowers, just not suited to mowing 15 yards a day 6 days a week.

Norm