How to make leaf removals quicker and more profitable?

[Darryl G]

A big backpack blower gets leaves out of beds pretty easily. What I do is remove one or 2 tubes so that I can give it a lot of throttle...makes it easier to maneuver in tight spots, puts out lots of air and doesn't blast the mulch out.

I don't find much use for a wheel blower...wears me out and most of the self propelled ones only have forward, so you're pulling it backwards half the time anyway. Briggs did have some problematic engines...I have one, but the new updated head hasn't failed (yet). Again...big backpack blower.

[McFarland_Lawn_Care]

oh ya, forgot to mention, use the biggest backpacks you can get. Stihl 600 or Redmax - we have some straight tubes and some with elbows on the bottom to help direct the leaves a bit better.

[RSK Property Maintenance]

Originally Posted by recycledsole

RSK- how do you sell a whole year maintenance contract to the customers with whom you work for the first time? Do you hand them the forms, fill in the details and done? I am having a difficult time getting contract customers. I am not exaclty sure the best way to bring up the subject.
thanks!

I have no forms, or contracts for lawn customers, I use my contracts for for landscaping jobs if its over 6-700 which most are in the thousands so a contract is good to have. I really don't sell customers on whole year maintenance, They either want their property to look excellent or they want just the lawn and leaves or just lawn. any of my customers who have me do their leaves will have me doing their lawn, every fall clean up i do the customers always comment on how quick and clean i made their yard, and then they bring up spring time and lawn mowing and a spring clean up, I really don't have to sell much, once i get my foot in the door I know i'm golden, my attention to detail speaks for its self.

[brianslawncare]

i have been doing leaves for a long time (20yrs)and i always bagged them.but the last 2yrs i have been mulching them saves time and looks great.i bought mulching blades for my machines and the side plates i made.one job i have takes 3.5 hours with 2 guys thats 1on the machine and 1 with the blower. this year we did the job in 1.5hrs with 2 guys blowing and 1 on the machine mulching them up. the customer came out and couldnt believe how fast we did it and said we did a great job.

[kyles landscape]

Isn't it bad too mulch them too much besause it won't properly break down and it'll fall through the grass now allowing new growth? I usually will chop once and then bag them
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[brianslawncare]

i dont think so it puts nutrients back into the soil.

[kyles landscape]

When your doin normAl amount but if ur doing a heavy leafed lawn I heard its too much either way I like to pick them up I think it looks a bit sharper and cleaner looking
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[Gold Leaf Lawnscapes]

I always clean as much as I can off of the lawn once the beds are done and then I mow with high lift blades as my very last step. The yards look immaculate when I pull away.
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[JLSLLC]

Originally Posted by Rescue Lawn Co.

I always clean as much as I can off of the lawn once the beds are done and then I mow with high lift blades as my very last step. The yards look immaculate when I pull away.
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ive been doing the same, seems to work out well

[yardguy28]

the way I do it is to mulch on the first pass and bag on the second pass.

the only time the mulched leaves are a problem is if they are thick or wet then when the mower mulches them you get clumps like when you get clumps of grass in the spring or summer. then I blast them apart with the blower before making the bagging pass.