One yard 1/3 acre with 10 very mature oak trees. The other is 1/2 acre with only 5. This was the second pick up on these properties and there is still more to come. BTW the truck is dumping at the local recycling point and yes it's free. The truck had 5 properties worth of material in it when this photo was taken. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1248301&a=9224585 [Edited by Getmow on 11-23-2000 at 04:12 PM]
Nice work. I see 35 quick bucks on the roof. It meets my 1 story criteria. About 4-12 , asphalt shingles, not wet.
All those leaves could be mulched very nicely resulting in more money in your pocket, reduced customer expense, increased customer satisfaction due to more frequent servicings and less equipment required. You look like you're doing a great job and working hard, but be prepared for your competion to use updated methods and out-compete you. Vaccuming and hauling leaves is like a prop plane in the 1950's USAF: Still had a limited future, but basically had given way to the jet. The same is true with leaf mulching today.
There is money to be made by hauling if you have the right situation. 60 an hour is more than gas money. Its not for everyone but those that are willing to pay and have the desire for leafs removed, get what they want and never complain. HAPPY HAULING
I had a pile of leaves that big when I did leaves. The only thing was I didn't have to haul them anywhere. The customer I have lives next to an orchard and they had a fence all around the yard with a gate leading into the orchard. They just told me to blow them into the orchard. I said that was fine that way I wouldn't have to bag them with my mower. It worked pretty good but the whole job took about 2 hours. P.S. Stihl Rocks!
Those leaves don't look like they had been mowed yet. Had they? It would be possible to turn that pile into a pile of dust ankle deep and and about 6 ft. around. If they were left on the lawn, they could have just disappeared altogether. I certainly remember those days of the tarps and large piles though!
Lazer, I have D/C's with mulching blades, double blades, mulching chains. When the leaves get thick on a small property you just can't do a good job. The material has to be removed. Blowing and tarping is the best way i have found. I have been doing these for 11 years so i have tried other means. If there is a better system PLEASE let me know. MowEd - the roof gets done every other visit. I do have properties that i can blow the leaves in the woods but not these. Runner, no they have not been mowed yet. Mowing dry leaves creates way too much dust for the neighborhood and my guys. The ankle deep pile could not be left on the lawn either.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT. I can mulch them into nothing but a brown dust.But it would be a lot of brown dust until it rained. With a murry no less. Some don t like the dust.
Yes they will probalby mulch into a dust but people who are picky and being such a small lot that it is it will look much nicer and impressive to the customer when taking them away. On small lots like that its good to take them away but i would still try to talk the customer into mulching them for cheaper. Like lazer said its less work and equipment. Although i must say you cant get the relusts of hauling leaves with such a small lawn.
I could mulch that down to dust in about 45minutes or so when it was still on the ground. But you have to have an enclosed mulching deck to do it that fast. Then I would bag the rest up with my Walker in about 1hr and be done. Most of my customers like to know that the leaves are ground up and going back into the soil. They do not smother the grass when I get finished either. My customers have all liked what we are doing &feel good about it, and the finished product still looks great. But thats the way I am setup. If I had a big leaf cleanup system I would use that too as long as I'm making money. Those of us that have changed to mulching have seen the light at the end of the big piles of grass. lol
