As the boss, how do you handle leaf cleanups

[sven1277]

This year I am running a 5 person crew, up from 3 last year. We use a truck loader, ztr w/jrco leaf plow for pushing piles, a bagging ztr, 4 backpacks and a w/b blower. I am always on a bp. It allows me better ability to direct everyone. Plus, if someone misses some leaves I can hit it quick. We use the blowers and plow to get as much to the curb as possible. Once we have a good line of leaves, two guys will break off and start sucking up with the loader. Two guys (including me) stay on backpacks and the third guy will either use the bagging mower, w/b blower or bp depending on the property. We have really developed a good system. Just curious how you work it.

[mdlwn1]

Sounds like your way ahead of most guys.....You have to run it like a football game..just as you said. Without knowing your situation, just make sure you're training or explaining to someone why you are making those adjustments during the job so you can make the next transition as smooth as possible.

[MikeKle]

Everytime I make detailed plans for dealing with leaves, It is super windy the next day and we cant even work! Ive tried doing leaves while it was windy and it is a loosing battle! better to just wait for a calm day, and hopefully most of the leaves will have blown into someone elses yard by then!!! I have no place to dump leaves this year, so I have been chewing them up with my big ferris, it is better for the lawn anyway to grind them up, or most cities have curb-side leaf pick up so all I have to do is get them to the curb!

[DmaxHeavy]

Originally Posted by MikeKle

Everytime I make detailed plans for dealing with leaves, It is super windy the next day and we cant even work! Ive tried doing leaves while it was windy and it is a loosing battle! better to just wait for a calm day, and hopefully most of the leaves will have blown into someone elses yard by then!!! I have no place to dump leaves this year, so I have been chewing them up with my big ferris, it is better for the lawn anyway to grind them up, or most cities have curb-side leaf pick up so all I have to do is get them to the curb!

Same here, hate the wind!!!!

[STIHL GUY]

i cant stand the wind. on one account the other day everytime i tried blowing leaves the wind would pick up and everytime i turned the BP blower off the wind would die down. doing leaves in the wind is almost impossible unless you can work into the wind

[jbell36]

that's why i collect the leaves barrel by barrel with a trac-vac, the wind is not as much of an issue this way...blowing the leaves to a pile by the curb seems very aggravating on a windy day, especially if you are coming from the backyard as well...ultimately the goal is to collect the leaves, mulch them, then load them...both methods work but i think the collection system on a mower is much more effective

[corey4671]

Three man crew. Me myself and I

[ALC-GregH]

Originally Posted by sven1277

This year I am running a 5 person crew, up from 3 last year. We use a truck loader, ztr w/jrco leaf plow for pushing piles, a bagging ztr, 4 backpacks and a w/b blower. I am always on a bp. It allows me better ability to direct everyone. Plus, if someone misses some leaves I can hit it quick. We use the blowers and plow to get as much to the curb as possible. Once we have a good line of leaves, two guys will break off and start sucking up with the loader. Two guys (including me) stay on backpacks and the third guy will either use the bagging mower, w/b blower or bp depending on the property. We have really developed a good system. Just curious how you work it.

With that many guys, what would you charge for a 2 acre property with say 70+ leaf dropping trees? BIG trees.

[jbell36]

oh and we usually have a two man crew working

[topsites]

I play it by ear as well, weather wise...

But I can tell you one thing...
Them folks who like to come around EVERY single year, you know the kind,
in short wanting their leaves cleaned up for FREE?
Can feel super free to join the KMA club, yeah, membership there is free, too.

Man I hate that
The grass needs cutting, leaves everywhere...
They won't pay a dime to have them cleaned, now they won't clean them either.
Somehow they think I can just mow the lawn and the leaves will miraculously vanish?

Sometimes I see it coming, other times I don't, but yet they come outside wanting to hand me a check
for the exact amount (the usual) so don't tell me they didn't know it would cost extra!
Yeah because usually I would leave a bill, so now they're heading me off at the pass or how goes it...

And if I skip the yard because it can't be mowed due to the leaves, it's still that way in spring.
Then they call me, I tell them the news and I'm the bad guy.

Oh, yeah...
How one learns to be "too busy" for these folks.

Sorry about that lol, as you can tell it was one of them days for me.