Challenge, Help setup equipment

What would you setup on a 12' trailer for mowers/trimmers/blower(s) and hand tools for as little money as possible. Brand and model please. This will be an all around setup for doing various sized property under an 1/4 acre to 3/4 acre with some gates so a 36" will be needed. 2 mowers and maybe a 21 trim, 2 trimmers....and?

I am tossed between Lesco and Toro belt drives the Lesco 36 is $2195 and the Toro fixed with T bar is $2400 I think the extra $200 would be worth the T bar upgrade.

 

I would get a 36" belt and a 48" hydro walkbehind, if money was tight. I would also get two Stihl Fs110's. Out of the two 36" you listed I would go with the Toro. We have a 37" Toro belt drive floating deck with 2000hrs, we like the way the T-Bar handles.

Adam,
Lovell's Lawn Care

 

Go with the TORO!! I'm not sure what other question you are asking... are you asking what type of mower, trimmer, blower you would go with?

 

This would be a setup for a second crew, I use Walker GHS on the main crew and love it but real steep hills and gated yards should be left for walkbehinds. Also these machines will be only used by employees, not me so plush and ease of operation is not the greatest concern. I like the T bar because it is easy to teach. And yes, what brands and models of trimmers and such. Just one blower is the norm, probably a PB-650 2 trimmers (?brand and model) and maybe a 48 and a 36 Toro fixed deck belt drive?

 

For those size properties I would consider just a 36" hydro WB. I feel sometimes to much time is wasted swapping mowers. I found that the amount of time it takes me to go back to the trailer get off my 48" WB and get on my 61" ZTR and start back cutting is to much wasted time to recoupe on the bigger faster mower. I can keep cutting with the WB and finish in the same amount of time.
The new Gravely 34" ZTR might be a good consideration for you. You will have the speed of a Z with the ability to get through small gates. All you will need then is a 21" mower for real tight areas.
As far as trimmers, edgers, and blowers the only advise I can give is:
1) What ever trimmer you buy get the "Edgit" for it. www.edgit.com
2) Buy one with pleanty of power. ie: Echo 260, Stihl FS85, etc
3) As far as Blowers go either Redmax 7001 or Echo PB 650

Remember there is no substitute for Horsepower except for more of it!

 

Cut----- This would be a 2 guy crew, 2 guys mow then both trim. It seems 2 guy crews with a guy dedicated to mowing and other to trimming has the trim guy waiting on fairly large props. Bad enough with travel time I don't need one guy watching the other finish mowing.

 

I think that i would get

1. 36'' w.b.
1. 48'' w.b. (both belt drive)
2. fs85
1 redmax 7001

only one blower because 2 on the same area will get the stuff mixed up in all the wind and while 1 is blowing the other is loading.

 

Sorry missed the part where it is a 2 man crew.
I would look at the Gravely Pro G 32" to go through gates and Pro H 52" for larger areas. I demoed a Pro H 48 a few months ago and love it. I would have bought it over the Exmark but the distributer really dropped the ball when getting me a demo unit. He never did bring the unit I wanted to try plus he never brought a mulch kit for the unit he did bring me. I went round and round with him for 3 weeks.
Regardless the Gravely is an excellent unit. The new Pro Steer is really easy to use.

 

I see, you also seemed to miss the part of as cheap as possible, Hydro would not qualify as cheap. And the Rider isn't good on hills (missed that part too) But thanks for the input, those gravely mowers have always cought my eye.

 

The Gravely Pro G is a belt drive. Price tag around $2100 here for 32". The 36" is around $2500. They are also very easy to change the height of cut on the fix deck models.