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TIPS, Do's and Don'ts tips for the new guy

1M views 752 replies 466 participants last post by  OakNut 
#1 ·
1) Engage your clutch at the lowest possible rpm's and still not kill your engine. I have seen so many guys start their engines and rev them wide open and engage their clutches. Big no no unless you like to replace them. Basically operate it like your truck. Can you imagine dropping it in gear at full rpm's? Or dropping the clutch at full rpm's? This stretches out the belts on mowers with hand clutch machines or electric clutches.

2) Disengage your clutch at an idle, most electric clutches act as a brake.

3) Let your engine warm up a bit before running it at full rpm's.

4) Let it cool down a bit before shutting down.

5) Don't shut it off at full rpm's.

6) Keep an extra set of belts and blades with you at all times, sure saves a trip to the shop or dealer. Down time sucks.

7) Don't slide a gas can across a plastic bed liner. It causes static electricity.

8) Be safe and keep safety features in place.

This is a few, but does anyone have other things to add?
 
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#556 ·
When working in the city where people can be walking by on the sidewalk, shut down your mower, or at a minimum, stop moving until the pretty lady walking her dog passes. Tip you hat, smile and nod. They appreciate your concern for their safety and there's your truck sitting right there with your name on it. Your truck DOES have your name on it, right?

If not, she has no idea who that considerate guy is that always stops mowing for her to walk by safely.

The positive reactions I get - I swear I'm the only one who does this.
 
#557 ·
Buy quality locks for your gear. Assa owns everthing. Assa abloy protec 2 is a top lock available. . Sargent and greenleef make amazing "body" with various keyway options including protec. Mul t lock has a lock with gps and other features. Medeco is also a good brand. Dont protect your thousands of dollars of equipment with a lock from the box store. You can get amazing quality and lock pick resistance for 80 to 1000. Key control security. They can be master keyed . Lots of options. Talk to a reputable locksmith. Medeco and ruby key protec 2 you cannot have a duplicate made without being an authorized person and it can only be produced at the locksmith who originally created the key...for those of u with employees. Protec 2 diamond keys have to be sent in from assa no locksmith can create one with their keyways, meaning no authorized dealer can dupe it.
 
#566 ·
Biweekly cuts. OK, you're new - you think you "need" to take them on.
You don't, but you don't know any better. Been there - done that.
Nobody listens, so I'm not going to try and convince you that you don't want to cut overgrown lawns - I'm here to tell you that if you DO want to cut overgrown lawns you had better like stepping in dog poop.

I mean REALLY like stepping in it - because you will - every time.
The clients may be the nicest people ever who tell you that they will clean up before you arrive, and they just may be telling the truth, BUT the grass is so tall they can't FIND all the poop.

No worries. YOU will find it. Every freaking turd. :mad:

Tall grass and dog poop. No thank you.
 
#569 · (Edited)
more things i've learned in the few years i've been doing this:
i think it was said earlier, but tailor your yards to your equipment, not the other way around. you do not need to buy a piece of equipment to mow this one yard. not cost efffective.
every other week yards suck, and they're a dime a dozen, and the homeowner generally does not keep their place up as well as weekly cuts.
keep pull rope in the truck. i swear once you break the orginal pull rope, the aftermarket stuff won't last near as long. para cord will work in a pinch.
know how to break down your equipment, do not hope for the best and get caught with a breakdown to end your day.
ZTR's will find a way to get stuck. a come along and strap are vital. i'm working on making up a boat winch setup now.
WALK NEW LAWNS!! found a turnbuckle and dog leash the other day in a new yard, got lucky with nothing broke.
keep spare blades and tools to change them.
run your mower up the side of the tailgate to get under the mower for servicing.
sharp/new blades are wonderful
learn to say NO. you're the one with the most to loose.
dog poop SUCKS. charge more if they have a dog, and even more if its a big dog. big dog = big poop. one of my yards has 3 dogs, the smallest is a german shepard. the back yard grows 5x faster due to the amount of poop back there. i hate that yard.
more to come...
 
#573 ·
Heres one for the new guys. Watch out for cars! Nobody cares how close they get to you, or your vehicle!

I was on a busy street working. My cones (that were inches from my truck) kept getting knocked over. After the third of fourth time i stuck a screwdriver into them, non handle end sticking out. Sure enough they didnt get knocked over again..

Edit: glad my mirror was tucked in.
 
#574 ·
The new method of keeping folks away.

Today I was working near a busy street 5 lanes. I was using my bobcat removing soil. Now would you think people when they are the only one heading down the road could move over one lane ???// NO NO NO OH NO too much to think about. I could see it on their faces as they drove by. LIke I am an inconvience to them. Not just one but many.

So I guess it is my fault huh.
 
#575 ·
I wonder if they would get the hint if I placed a boulder in the road...now that would be my fault.

Perhaps one of those chalk drawings of a hole in their lane that would swallow a car. Hmmm...I can see it now he caused me to have an accident. But what if they hit me ??? He was in the way... :)
 
#576 ·
Maybe you guys should invest in one of these
 
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#577 ·
Ive got a couple signs like that and I've got cones and a few of those round things. They are worth the money since people stay away from your working aread
 
#578 ·
Okay I wish I had a photo to share.

One of my spray rigs is a 7500 International with all kinds of lights we are followed by a arrow board. So now you would think no one would have problems seeing you right.....but you would be wrong !!!!!

We had one lady on a cell phone almost whipe out the arrow borad truck another guy....passed up the arrow board and just about took use outon an exit ramp he stopped and started flippin us off calling us all kinds of names....I made the mistake of flipping him back....the about came unglued. Then we had another who on a two lane off ramp flying about 80 just about took out the arrow board slide sideways and flipped us both off......Idiots


morons should not drive
 
#581 ·
Best tips I have to offer:

-Get a pair of noise cancelling earbuds such as the Bose QC20's. Put them under your earmuffs to listen to music at lower volumes. Or even if you don't want music, the earmuffs combined with active noise cancelling is bliss.

-Having a 34" ZT makes pushing a mower obsolete. I have 25 accounts and can fit that mower through every single gate

-I prefer trimmers with a large swatch, the Shindaiwa T235 is the biggest I've found and it eliminates wasting line by trying to get the line out as far as possible

-Tying down the mower between jobs was always the worst part of the work, I hated fighting with ratchet straps. Get some CargoBuckle retractable ratchet straps (The G3 for example) and weld them into Etrack attachable loops. Then attach swiveling tie down points to mower. This lets you move the CargoBuckles anywhere along the etrack and you can change location of ZT in the trailer.

-Invest $30 in a husqvarna gutter cleaning kit. Its made for the handheld blowers but fits some of the mid sized backpack models such as the 350BT. If the eaves aren't too clogged it can clean them as fast as you can walk, it'll pay for itself in less than a minute and is probably the best example of efficiency I've ever seen
 
#582 ·
as a new guy I've completed all 59 pages of responses and now I'm a seasoned new guy:)....

I have found that cleaning the pre-filters after each route is critical to equipment longevity. Just the pre filter, wash it off and re-oil and slap it back in = worry free

The other thing that I don't think was mentioned was to network your small business into the industry. I know a bunch of my competitors in my area and I have reached out to them (medium companies 2-man crews..) with some sales leads on jobs I don't do (tree trimming, year around maintance contracts for 2-4 acre lots as I< I don't do snow or trees)...as a result of being open to passing along business they have sent me some leads as well with-in my niche properties that were out of their main route and/or to small for them and their equipment set up (I love fenced in yards). We've also covered for one-another in a pinch when equipment is broken or the rain is just to much.....

<< This goes for materials too as this year we struck a legal agreement on bulk mulch between the three of us.

I can't put a price on the value I learned from them this past year in regards to contract bids, market valuations and such. There is what you read on the internet; then there is what goes on in real life.
 
#586 ·
I cant stress it enough,,,,Network Network Network Network..even if its competition...Example im building my route to just my town in Conroe for Lawn maintenance everything close by I pass it on to other business i network with, in return I get most of the Sprinkler jobs, which is my bread n butter
 
#583 ·
The 2016 season was my first year running a mowing business. I started this year with $400 in my bank account and a truck, a push mower, a trimmer and blower. If you canstart your business without taking out a loan, do it! I focussed on customer service and quality work and saw my busines grow exponentially and saw my account balance also rise. Show your clients that they are the #1 priority and do good work.
Do's:
1. Show up 5 minutes early to appointments. This shows you keep a good schedule
2. Keep your equipment clean. Even if its not the nicest or newest, clean equipment shows that you care and tske pride in your work.
3. Be polite. Show up to the door with a smile on your face and wave to your clients and their neighbors.
4. Take pride in your work. This is self-explanatory, good work gets good reviews. Happy clients will talk to their friends and family about you. Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising!
5. Have fun. When clients see you having fun doing the work you do, it can help to make their day better. If they see you having fun while still looking professional, they know that they have hired someone who loves what they do. When you love what you do, you tend to do great work!
6. Look back at the finished product, would you pay for that work? If not, fix it, if so get your money and tell yourself you did a good job.
7. Appreciate picky clients, many of us hate the ones that want the yard cut shorter or the hedges trimmed a little smaller. These are the clients you should want, heres why: if you do a good job, they will keep you, if you miss something that you don't even notice, they will make you aware of it.
8. Never give estimates over the phone or from the truck. Get out and walk the property like you are mowing it. This will get you the best estimate.
9. Be confident in yourself, nothing is worse than telling a client you have no idea what they are saying.
10. Get a good pair of boots, not shoes but boots. Youre on your feet all day, be confortable.

Dont's:
1. Don't do mow and go yards, if potential clients see you doing crappy work, they will think you are a hack.
2. Don't yell to employees while on a job site, walk over to them and talk.
3. Don't work for people who want to negotiate $5 off the price of weekly mowing, they will never hire you for upselling or any side work.
4. Don't go buying equipment you don't need just to look like a pro, your business will most likely fail if you have $30,000 in equipment and only gross $25,000 your first year.
 
#720 ·
The 2016 season was my first year running a mowing business. I started this year with $400 in my bank account and a truck, a push mower, a trimmer and blower. If you canstart your business without taking out a loan, do it! I focussed on customer service and quality work and saw my busines grow exponentially and saw my account balance also rise. Show your clients that they are the #1 priority and do good work.
Do's:
1. Show up 5 minutes early to appointments. This shows you keep a good schedule
2. Keep your equipment clean. Even if its not the nicest or newest, clean equipment shows that you care and tske pride in your work.
3. Be polite. Show up to the door with a smile on your face and wave to your clients and their neighbors.
4. Take pride in your work. This is self-explanatory, good work gets good reviews. Happy clients will talk to their friends and family about you. Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising!
5. Have fun. When clients see you having fun doing the work you do, it can help to make their day better. If they see you having fun while still looking professional, they know that they have hired someone who loves what they do. When you love what you do, you tend to do great work!
6. Look back at the finished product, would you pay for that work? If not, fix it, if so get your money and tell yourself you did a good job.
7. Appreciate picky clients, many of us hate the ones that want the yard cut shorter or the hedges trimmed a little smaller. These are the clients you should want, heres why: if you do a good job, they will keep you, if you miss something that you don't even notice, they will make you aware of it.
8. Never give estimates over the phone or from the truck. Get out and walk the property like you are mowing it. This will get you the best estimate.
9. Be confident in yourself, nothing is worse than telling a client you have no idea what they are saying.
10. Get a good pair of boots, not shoes but boots. Youre on your feet all day, be confortable.

Dont's:
1. Don't do mow and go yards, if potential clients see you doing crappy work, they will think you are a hack.
2. Don't yell to employees while on a job site, walk over to them and talk.
3. Don't work for people who want to negotiate $5 off the price of weekly mowing, they will never hire you for upselling or any side work.
4. Don't go buying equipment you don't need just to look like a pro, your business will most likely fail if you have $30,000 in equipment and only gross $25,000 your first year.
Still at it?
 
#584 ·
Best tips I have to offer:

-Get a pair of noise cancelling earbuds such as the Bose QC20's. Put them under your earmuffs to listen to music at lower volumes. Or even if you don't want music, the earmuffs combined with active noise cancelling is bliss.

-Having a 34" ZT makes pushing a mower obsolete. I have 25 accounts and can fit that mower through every single gate

-I prefer trimmers with a large swatch, the Shindaiwa T235 is the biggest I've found and it eliminates wasting line by trying to get the line out as far as possible

-Tying down the mower between jobs was always the worst part of the work, I hated fighting with ratchet straps. Get some CargoBuckle retractable ratchet straps (The G3 for example) and weld them into Etrack attachable loops. Then attach swiveling tie down points to mower. This lets you move the CargoBuckles anywhere along the etrack and you can change location of ZT in the trailer.

-Invest $30 in a husqvarna gutter cleaning kit. Its made for the handheld blowers but fits some of the mid sized backpack models such as the 350BT. If the eaves aren't too clogged it can clean them as fast as you can walk, it'll pay for itself in less than a minute and is probably the best example of efficiency I've ever seen
good point, here in texas you hardly find 34"s
i seetle with a metro 32"
 
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