Thinking about starting up next year....Equipment

[Blade Runners]

1. Should I buy a 52" or 60" zero turn? 60" is overkill for property but will alow me to bid on larger jobs.

I use a 52" stand-on and it will buzz through 1.5-2 acres like it's nothing and leave a very nice cut too. I also have a 36" walk behind for gates and hills.

2. Mid level BP blower starting off -(echo 500t,Husqvarna 150 bt,etc.) or should I go ahead and purchase a higher end like (stihl br550-br600,echo 755t-770) so I dont run into problems with heavy fall clean-up.

I have a BR600 magnum and it is a beast. I didn't want to buy an underpowered unit and wish I had bought a more powerful one later. I hate buying equipment only to find out later that it wasn't the best choice for the job. To me, weight is not an issue with a backpack blower so I go for the most powerful.

3. Whats a good price for a used 6x12 utility trailer with fold down ramps/gate?

If I needed a trailer I would look for a mecahanically sound used one. I already had a 7x16 when I started but it was rusting and looked pretty rough. 1 hour, and 2 qts of satin exterior paint and a small roller and brush and the thing looked just like new. I used white spray enamel on the wheels too. I am big on the appearance of my equipment but will save money wherever I can by keeping it clean and refurbishing/repainting when I can.

4. Already own a Stihl FS-55-RC trimmer,is this good enough or should I purchase a bigger stihl product? (80R,90R,100)

That trimmer is a good one and will handle light-normal trimming with no problem. I would only buy bigger when the need arises. If you need to cut heavier stuff, try buying a head (poly head, blades) for your 55 that is designed for that type of cutting before buying a new unit. I bought 2 fs-90r's and wished I had bought at least 1 lighter weight one. I later considered the 55 but went with redmax for a lighter trimmer because of overall weight.

5. Is the Stihl Kombi a better investment than having a specific tool for each job?

I have no personal experience but reviews on them are good. When I need another handheld I will probably go with the biggest Kombi system and start out using it as an edger. My 90 series edger seems too light weight for new or overgrown edging.

6. Have a Hustler dealer in my area for repairs, so if I go 60",should I look for the "Z" or opt for the "Super Z"?

I can't comment on the Hustlers other than they are fast, built like tanks, and some say the cut quality isnt that good. This is just from reading though. A 60" Super Z used to cut my lawn and I saw no difference in the cut from it vs my residential John Deere.

[Blade Runners]

Originally Posted by Deezer1

Thank you guys for your replies.
I will stick with the fs 55 and look for a higher end BP Blower.My budget is 3500-4000 for riding mower and a over all 5500. I'm on the lookout for a good honda push mower and BP blower right now on craigslist.Was just out-bid on ebay for an older Exmark 36" belt driven WB by 2$ last week that was local by 1hr, 402.00 was the winning bid ahhhhh.

I would scrap the honda push mower idea, esp. with a budget of only $5500 total. Hondas are said to be the best but what is ROI on a 1k push mower?...a long time, maybe never. I currntly use a POS homeowner model push mower and it will be the last thing I upgrade because I rarely use it. When I do upgrade, i wont spend more than 400-500 on a sp push. Some on here said the Honda push is the worst thing they ever bought due to it not getting near enough use to justify the cost. I am not trying to discourage you but when you operate for 3-4 months then run some numbers, everything will make sense. This is a low profit margin biz, period.

[Brett's Lawn Care]

I didn't see anyone mention this but:
Wait till the end of the year, you may be able to buy out an entire setup that someone bought new tried out the lawn care business and decided to get out. Also always call a dealer when buying a used mower to make sure it isn't stolen. I had mine stolen last year and haven't found it but a friend of mine had his and the guy that got busted with it had a check for $5k where he bought it, he was charged with theft by recovering and lost all the equipment too. People are gettin desperate and makes honest people have to double check everyone else so we don't get screwed in what we think is a good deal.
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[Deezer1]

Wow, they took all his equipment too. Can you finance a used mower through the dealer? Im really in no rush so I will wait to find the right deal on a big ZTR. By the way I picked up a stihl BR550 for 250.00, he says it was only a year old and it looks like it, clean, not worn down and starts with half a pull nice!!!
My next purchase might be a 36"walk behind to start out with. Still undecided on hydro or belt, both have their pros and cons, I went through the lengthy thread on here but not sure, expects exspecailly with seeing hydros as cheap as some belts. Now floating or non floating deck?
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[SVTSHOGT]

Have you thought about one size fits all for a mower? I bought an ariens zoom 34 ($2200) because it is a zero turn mower that passes through a 36” gate and I can still mow acreage property. Yes, it takes me longer to mow acreage property than with a 48” or bigger but I don’t have the cost of another mower or the maintenance. I agree with others about buying a new trailer. You cannot go wrong with a trailer from TSC, Farm & Fleet, Big R, Etc. I bought an inexpensive blower ($70 3yrs ago) because I only use it for 5 minutes on each yard to blow off driveway and sidewalks. I rent a BP blower for fall cleanups for $20 a day when I need it and save myself the money. I would buy one but cannot justify the cost at $400 only to be used in the fall for certain jobs. Sine you already have a trimmer and edger, I would keep what you have and upgrade later when you have the cash. I like to pay cash for everything so when we have a drought; I don’t have to make payments. It takes a lot of stress out of the business knowing I don’t have to make a payments. I do keep up the service on all my equipment and only run premium gas in them and I have had zero breakage/replacement equipment cost even though they are not commercial grade products. Hope you are very successful in the business.

[Kelly's Landscaping]

Is the Stihl Kombi a better investment than having a specific tool for each job

I'll let the others play with the rest of your questions but take one. We have had ours since march of 2008. We got the 90 because the 110 and 130 were back ordered at the time several months. I just used it today still treats me good. I never used it as a line trimmer nor have I ever put the edger on it but that one is tempting. We use it as a extension hedge trimmer and have the extension piece that makes it 11 feet. we also have the chain saw attachment for it and the paddle wheel. I seldom use the paddle wheel but in spring its nice to be able to move sand and it works well on nuts imbedded in the lawns. The saw attachment we bout cost 200 and change and probably made me 2000 dollars in the first 3 months. The hedge trimmer attachment is the real money maker 8-10k a year every year so the kombi is worth every cent to us and im sure you will feel the same way when you get yours.