The Green Industry's Resource Center

Mrcrowley · #**341** 06-12-2008, 08:25 PM

You do a price quote remember when you calculate how much loam you need for a job you figure depth of loam into equation...DOH.... OH and find a good loam calculator on-line for loam fill mulch so on...

brianhanson37 · #**342** 06-15-2008, 03:48 AM

I'm just getting started, but I only have two ~20" push mowers and a trimmer. I would like to take all the money I make and put it towards a rider. Should I bid cheaper because it will take longer? What would you suggest.

Also, I mulch all my grass at home, but I wonder if others will mind it. What do you people out there do? Bag? Rake? Mulch?

Thanks for the help! Great thread!

bradfordmick · #**343** 06-16-2008, 10:11 PM

Keep hydrated cheaper than spending loads on gas station refills. Fill your cooler up with water mill water and ad the Fitness and sports powder mix drinks to it. Saves you allot over the summer and gets the sodium back in you that the heat takes out.
Keep your route tight I got some close together accounts on http://www.tradeyouraccounts.com that saves me a pretty penny in gas.

JacksonLawns · #**344** 06-23-2008, 08:31 AM

I just finished reading through all 35 pages. I practice a lot of these tips and learned even more good practices. I didn't think I would be able to add anything, but here are a couple more things that I do.

It is very easy to "zone out" while trimming. Try to scan ahead of where you are going periodically (even back where you came from) to make sure there are not people walking towards you while you are kicking up grass and debris. People appreciate this. This is mostly for when you are trimming sidewalks.

While I am blowing I try to get the sidewalks first but if for some reason I start somewhere else (the street or driveway) if I see people walking towards the house I am at I will jump to the sidewalk and blow it off before they get there (when possible...I don't take off in a sprint around the house to get to them). People seem to appreciate that. It may be small, but if they are thinking about hiring someone, they will remember friendly gestures like that....you were going to blow the sidewalk anyway.

Always wave and say hi to neighbors.

If a neighbor asks if you can help them out one time while they are on vacation, do it like it is your prized yard. I just got a new full time customer this way last month.

topsites · #**345** 06-23-2008, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacksonLawns

It is very easy to "zone out" while trimming. Try to scan ahead of where you are going periodically (even back where you came from) to make sure there are not people walking towards you while you are kicking up grass and debris. People appreciate this. This is mostly for when you are trimming sidewalks.

The Ztr too, how I ended up in a cement culvert last week, I'm guessing I just got lazy on the sticks. The worst part was I did stop myself, sitting at a stand still on top of the culvert looking down, and knowing that was the only way out of the predicament.

I found that mentally draining, to have to put the Z down in there, then go get the truck to pull it out the other side, all for a few seconds of dozing...

Stay alert.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacksonLawns

I just finished reading through all 35 pages. I practice a lot of these tips and learned even more good practices. I didn't think I would be able to add anything, but here are a couple more things that I do.

Interesting.

RECESSION PROOF MOWING · #**346** 06-24-2008, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianhanson37

I'm just getting started, but I only have two ~20" push mowers and a trimmer. I would like to take all the money I make and put it towards a rider. Should I bid cheaper because it will take longer? What would you suggest.

Also, I mulch all my grass at home, but I wonder if others will mind it. What do you people out there do? Bag? Rake? Mulch?

Thanks for the help! Great thread!

Any lawn I mow is done "mulch only". Don't have time to bag, not worth the extra few dollars a homeowner will pay. And it wears a guy out, then you have to take it somewhere...don't bag. Mulch it on high level and it will look spectacular. As for the rider, I advise buying a smaller stand-on instead of the rider. Stand-ons are the way to go these days, wouldn't work without one. Faster on and off the trailer, takes up less space, more versatile, cut quality is equal to the ZTR, there's really no reasonable argument not to purchase stand-on commercial mowers these days. I'd look for 32" or 36" in order to get through residential gates. Then, when you amass a small fortune, and larger lawns, it makes sense to keep the stand-on and add a larger ZTR. But if I had just one mower to own...it would be a stand-on.

Wideopen · #**347** 06-24-2008, 05:59 PM

By stand on do you mean walk behind with a sulky?

RECESSION PROOF MOWING · #**348** 06-25-2008, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wideopen

By stand on do you mean walk behind with a sulky?

No, that's a walk-behind with sulky. I'm talking about a Wright Stander or John Deere Quik Trak or Great Dane Super Surfer type mower. Handlebar mowers are going the way of the dinosaur.