TIPS, Do's and Don'ts tips for the new guy

[retrodog]

Double check your straps on your mower's and make sure they are strapped to right placeI forgot and my Brand new $7500 Bad Boy went flipping down the highway end over end at about 65mphI thought my wife would have the pistol out when I got home!! Turned out okay cause it really didn't hurt the mower and what it did damage the factory helped fix itcould have been really worse!

[IXR]

Holy crapola!
I bet you were just sick to see your new mower doing acrobats down the hiway.
Thank God for good safety chains... I pulled out of my driveway and my trailer hitch had come loose.
Dented my bumper but could have been WAY worse!
Scared the poop out of me, I ALWAYS check it now.
Now is the time for rutine maintenance.
Keep mowin' and growin'

Jim

[Stillwater]

Originally Posted by dfor

Keep a fire extinguisher and a spare tire on your trailer.

2 years ago during a clean up with a exmark laser I got off the machine for something, turned around and saw 8 foot flames shooting out the back. quick thinking I ran to my worker ripped the bg85 out of his hands and bolted to the machine blowing the fire out. almost had a stroke, leaves built up around the muffler when pushing huge piles of leafs and caught fire. so mount a category ABC extinguisher on the mower

[retrodog]

Its actually kinda funny now. Honest, I had just got gas at Wal-Mart, and 3 people stopped to talk to me about the mower. Asking me all kinda questions about it. I sat in the truck on the side of the road for a while before I got out. I was scared to see what happened to the mower. It ripped my bagger to shreds, but not one piece came off the mower. Me and another guy that stopped to help, flipped the mower over and I cranked it up and drove it back on the trailer. The deck was bent a little, hydros were off a bit, e-brake bent, and the front fork was toast. I called the factory to get the front piece, and they asked me to drive it up, and they actually fixed it, new deck even! I have actually become a dealer now for them, pretty much because of my experience with the factory and the price points.

[cman3899]

IXR, if you have a few spare minutes, I would like to pick your brain about the Wichita market. Email me at prolawnks@hotmail.com

[Stillwater]

Originally Posted by retrodog

Its actually kinda funny now. Honest, I had just got gas at Wal-Mart, and 3 people stopped to talk to me about the mower. Asking me all kinda questions about it. I sat in the truck on the side of the road for a while before I got out. I was scared to see what happened to the mower. It ripped my bagger to shreds, but not one piece came off the mower. Me and another guy that stopped to help, flipped the mower over and I cranked it up and drove it back on the trailer. The deck was bent a little, hydros were off a bit, e-brake bent, and the front fork was toast. I called the factory to get the front piece, and they asked me to drive it up, and they actually fixed it, new deck even! I have actually become a dealer now for them, pretty much because of my experience with the factory and the price points.

what did it cost to get it back together?

[retrodog]

I ended up being out about $1500 bucks out of the deal, because they couldn't fix the bagger system. Oh well, I found out after I had gotten it that I really didn't need it anyway. I thought that all mowers left trails and clumps of grass. I had been leaving the bagger chute off and actually throwing grass out, because it dispersed it so good anyway. You win some and you lose some, but this deal could have been alot worse. I hadn't even gotten insurance on the mower yet, and I was going to have to squirrel it up a little to get it covered (I was very uncomfortable with that). After having my insurance man come out and look at it, he suggested just bending the deck back and getting a new front piece welded on and rolling on. I had actually contacted my dealer to get the piece, and he made a call to the factory and told them what happened. Next thing I know a factory rep called me and asked for photos, then asked if we could drive it up and let them take a look at it. We came home with an awesome mower with a little history and a couple of bruises and scratches!

[MnDLawn]

Originally Posted by Mark

Everyone seems to have just about covered the all the dos,and don'ts.I always carry a homemade spring device i made out of a piece on cable to grab the springs easy off and on. Eric what Double D was saying about his Snapper Hydro is the same thing in my manual i always engage them a full throttle,have been doing this for over 8yrs now never had a problem,When this one goes ill be getting another just like it.Cuts so much better than my scag it unreal. Even a friend of mine who is a lawnmower mechanic said to engage them at full throttle,and he is a very fine mechanic. But i do it different with my Z-Master i engage a least throttle possible. Marks Mowing Service

I agree, every service/owners manual you will find says engage it a full throttle. And also a bell drive blade is nothing like a dropping the clutch in a 9000lb truck.

Great tips keep them coming!

[tennmow]

Originally Posted by pgiambat

All,
I've been mowing for 6 years and have incorporated all the previous postings' advice. You learn quickly from errors and downtime.

My piece of advice is more philosophical. I make a point to introduce myself to all the neighbors of my customer(s). I don't knock on doors, I just go up and talk to them when I see them, and this is after I have already given them a wave and a smile in previous weeks.

I introduce myself.. Hi, I'm Pat. I cut for Betty over there. I'm here every Thursday, if there is anything I can do for you just let me know. (Hand them a card, 1000 plain cards at Office Depot is about $12-$13) Then I chew that fat for about 1 - 2 minutes, thank them for their time and excuse myself.

This shows them that you are friendly and efficient. I get SO DARN MANY jobs this way. Many times they cut their own but like the way I trim/edge so I'll hit their sidewalks every two weeks, takes me 5 minutes and I charge 'em $5 per trim and get $10 from them once a month. Then... the other neighbors see you cutting and trimming two of the neighbors and they start looking at your work and thinking...

If it's 105 degrees outside and I see a lady cutting her grass I go over straight away and ask her if I can cut her grass for free. I get the usual guff but they ALWAYS let me. They try to pay me but I'll tell them they can buy me a soda some day, they will be a future customer and they WILL tell all their friends about you for a week!!!

That's only 1 of 100 things I do that only help me. If you want to grow your business always think how others perceive you, perception is reality.

I think those are some really, really good principles and i would seriously be interested in some more of your insight

[IXR]

That is very true...
If a neighbor is out while I am doing service next door, I always try to make it a point to stop and say hello or make a comment on their lawn.
I have an ad in the phone book but I get more referrals than from the book.
Also, working together makes a lot of sense... if I run across a lot to big for what I have, I refer it to a lawn company that has bigger equipment. And in turn he refers work to me.
Here in Wichita, there is a lot of competition... some good, some not.

I figure we can all be friends and all make money, there is more than enough work for everyone.

Anyhow... hope everyone has a fun day today!

Jim