To all the new guys

[Spring Valley Lawn Service]

This my second year and I am still learning. A lot of people in the lawn buisneess have given me great advice. The only thing I wasn't told is I neededmechanical skills and a place to work on mowers. Bought a new mower and thought it breaks and dealer fixes it. There are still oil changes, blade sharpenings, and cleaning equipment. I'm not saying you have to have a big shop or a lot of tools just saying make sure you got some were to work. There is a lot of up keep.

[Patriot Services]

I've tried to tell this to new guys before and always got flamed. They all think new stuff doesn't break. Home Depot will give me a new one. A day doesn't go by I don't have to pick up a tool. If you don't have repair skills you better have multiple backups and a good amount of money for the repair shop.
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[clydebusa]

The part I love is I make ......... doing the lawn. It usually takes a couple of years for a newb to figure they spend after hours and Saturdays/Sundays doing maintennance. Then the light comes on to figure for every 1 hour in the field to add 15 minute for upkeep, drive, estimate times. Then instead of averaging ** dollars an hour it is much less.

[Spring Valley Lawn Service]

What saved me is I already had a shop and tools. So days it rains I work on my equipment and don't get behind. Maybe we need a rule list for new guys. Being new maybe I'll make one or a list of my mistakes.

[flyingdutch16]

This is a very good thread. Especially for new guys who think equipment is not gonna break. Also for the younger guys out there in their teens who think that their equipment will just last. It won't. You need to take care of it and maintenance the hell out it especially uses equipment.
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[1ATony]

If you need to make a repair to a mower but are unsure of where to begin, check out YouTube there are a lot of great repair videos out there that will get you out of a jamb.

My snow blower last year ate a carrier bearing, so I looked on YouTube learned how to split the maching in two, and heat the bearing with a torch so that I could remove the fly wheel from it.

Was quoted 250.00 by the small engine repair shop, did it myself for $53.00. I used http://www.partstree.com/parts/ to order the parts. It worked out awesome.

[iand]

it doesn't take long to realize that taking equipment to the repair shop everytime something needs repairing is the fast way to go broke and that a lot of the repairs are easy but it is a good idea to check youtube for instructions,as i said to one guy about a repair i did it took me about 1.5 hours to do the repair the 1st time next time i think it should take about 10 minutes wish I'd checked youtube for the easy way

[cgaengineer]

Originally Posted by Patriot Services

I've tried to tell this to new guys before and always got flamed. They all think new stuff doesn't break. Home Depot will give me a new one. A day doesn't go by I don't have to pick up a tool. If you don't have repair skills you better have multiple backups and a good amount of money for the repair shop.
Posted via Mobile Device

This is so true...I keep extra stuff on truck for repairs and rigging...I think if you are part time and don't know how to repair you will never profit much. I don't take anything in for service unless its warranty work...and sometimes I even do that myself because the cost is less than the down time. We've been blessed, no major breakdowns or failures...just some small stuff here and there...belts, springs, carb kits....

[1ATony]

Originally Posted by iand

it doesn't take long to realize that taking equipment to the repair shop everytime something needs repairing is the fast way to go broke and that a lot of the repairs are easy but it is a good idea to check youtube for instructions,as i said to one guy about a repair i did it took me about 1.5 hours to do the repair the 1st time next time i think it should take about 10 minutes wish I'd checked youtube for the easy way

My next door neighbor gave me a brand new 1989 Toro 824 Snow Blower when he moved out about 2 years ago.

After I tossed new belts on, changed the oil and did the carrier bearring it runs like it's brand new.

[Spring Valley Lawn Service]

Also if you don't know how to fix sometimes a dealer will let you watch a repair made. It helped me out