first of all, this site is a godsend. i learned more info in five minutes on this site than i learned talking to people in the biz i know since i decided to do this about 3 mos. ago. i have a few small questions. i don't have any equipment yet. none! right now i'm looking at trailers. should i get a treated wood floor, mesh floor, or diamond plate. the diamond plate is the more expensive. since it's just me, should i get just one of everything (wb, trimmer, blower, etc.) or multiples of some? is now the best time to buy a mower/trimmer/blower since its the end of the season and model year or is spring better? i've pretty much decided on a 36" exmark since its the prevailing brand of equipment on this site and the prices around here are pretty fair. i've also pretty much decided on new equipment due to the reliability factor (and no standby equip.), but i'm still checking the classifieds every day. thanks in advance guys and wish me luck.
Trailer floors, I have mesh but the next one will be wood. Mesh is nice because grass and dirt fall through and don't build up on the floor but I doesn't hold up and the welds at the edge break up. I hae one spot where the mower wheel always sat that is broke through. Like I said the next one will be wood.
Mowers, you might want to wait a bit until you see what type and size of lawns you will be mowing. Keep your eys open for some deals and try to demo a few. I just upgraded to a 48" hustler super walkbehind. this machine is well worth the money. the controls are very natural. You can pick out your trimmer already and ad an EDGIT to it (www.edgit.com) It will help yor trimming and edging. do a search to find out more on that. I just use handheld blowers. they are lighter and I don't need the power of a big backpack to just blow gras off of drives and walks. I have one that gets switched to a vac for spring and fall cleanups.
This is my first year. Not one for great advice, only personal experience. I was so excited to buy a trailor from a friend that never used it anymore. The wood was rotten and we replaced it with new pressure treated lumber. I wire brushed it and painted it also and it looks great. I've used it without any problems. But:
It is a single axle 12 x 6 ft. trailor. It feels every bump, railroad track, speed bump and so forth. My equipment bounces around something awful. I don't plan on being new next spring and I want something better already. Since this is my first year, I am happy with what I have. I spent $500 on the trailor, plus another $120 on lumber and paint, gorilla locks, and new light kits. I am going to sell it for at least cost and get another next spring. I am not snobby nor do I need something out of my league, but I have used dual axle trailors with brakes and it makes all the difference in the world. My current trailor now for sale is not a bad deal compared to many "new" trailors more expensive at half the size, but I plan on growing into my next purchase as I hope you do as well. If you have not yet purchased a trailor, look into those factors and choose wisely. Any trailor is better than none at all, of course, but large single axle trailors can be frustrating. If you can afford it, dual axle w/ brakes will bring more benefits vs. cost in the long run. Anybody want to buy a trailor?
my thought on trailers and equipment right now is that i'll get what i can afford now, even if it is small and if i need to i'll upgrade later. i figure if i feel the need to upgrade, then i'll be able to afford to. my situation is that i'm a full-time firefighter/paramedic and i only work nine days a month which leaves me with at least 20 full days a month to have a part-time job. i'm really not out there to make a whole lot of money because fightin' fires pretty much pays the bills, but with all that extra time, i figured i'd use it to start my own business on the side and i've always wanted to do this. no one answered my question about the best time to buy equipment. i talked to someone today and he said that the early springtime is when a lot of dealers have sales. i also thought about putting a piece of oxboard or treated plywood over the mesh trailer bed (if i get one). any replies?
Many dealers have spring "shows", usually in March, and that is a good time to buy equipment if you want really new, 2004 mowers. Right now may be a good time to look at equipment because some dealers probably want to get rid of some of their 2003 equipment.
I would go with a wood plank floored trailer. It is easier to repair. Also, if you want to modify the trailer the wood floor gives you an easy place to drill or attach stuff.
If you are working alone, you only need one piece of each equipment. The problem is breakdowns. If possible, try to get "backups" for your main equipment, even if it is old. It doesn't have to work great, just until you get your "main" equipment fixed.
what about my choice of exmark? is john deere or toro any better or just more expensive? what about size? i've noticed that upgrading up to a 48" from 36" is only a few hundred dollars. i've read the threads about getting into fenced yards, but i can use my 22" craftsman push mower for those. any ideas?
firedog, i was in your same situation. 20 days a month to mow lawns, but soon you will find you have no time off. i started in may -bought new shindaiwa trimmer, edger, backpack blower , 48" metro hp and 16' landscape trailer. --within 1 month i was busy enough i needed help a couple a days a week--in july i added a 60" lazer to the line. you at least want a trailer big enough to carry a rider and a w/b.
in my opinion toro is much better than exmark or john deere. the deeres are a little pricey and some friends of mine who are in the business as well say they're not worth the money and they don't last the long haul. personally i've never owned an exmark but i hear they're all right for the price. now on to the size, personally i use 36''s for the backyard because they fit into all most any gate. i have yet to find a gate that my 36''s won't fit through.
Hey Firedog, hopefully I will be able to help answer a couple questions for you. First off I would get a wood floor on your trailer. I am not sure what size you want or what you are pulling it with, but if you are doing strictly mowing and not bagging the grass I would get a 6x12. However, if you do a lot of bagging, leaf clean up, pruning, mulching, etc. I would get a 16' trailer, just be sure it has brakes. As far as the mower is concerned I would go with the one that is serviced by the best dealer in your town. From what I have heard exmarks are great, however in my market the exmark dealer is small, doesnt have the parts in stock etc. so I wont use those mowers. Visit a couple dealers, get a feel for the people you will be dealing with and make your decision based on that. I like John Deere because they offer such easy financing options, and my dealer is easy to work with. One thing I wish I did when I first started out was finance all of my equipment instead of buying outright. However, it sounds like this is not a business that you want to grow a whole lot so if you have the cash go ahead and buy. If you do want to grow keep all the cash you can in the bank, and finance everything (as long as the interest rates are reasonable.) You can let the money you have work for you by using it for marketing etc. Also, if it is just you, start out with 1 of everything, no need to buy backups. I would wait until something breaks, and if it cant be fixed in time buy another one and use the old one as a back up when it is fixed. also, I would go with a 48" mower(no need to go bigger) unless the yards you will be servicing are small with a lot of gates etc. I would also go with a hydro mower instead of belt drive.
firedog, looked over your thread, i started earlier this year , i bought one of everything , my net purchase will probably be a z-rider. The only thing is that its been slow getting new accounts, i have use signs and door hangers, and even have door signs on my truck. Being that i don't do it full time i consider that another reason why i don't have so many accounts. I invested about 4000 in equipment including trailer. Good luck to you
firedog, looked over your thread, i started earlier this year , i bought one of everything , my net purchase will probably be a z-rider. The only thing is that its been slow getting new accounts, i have use signs and door hangers, and even have door signs on my truck. Being that i don't do it full time i consider that another reason why i don't have so many accounts. I invested about 4000 in equipment including trailer. Good luck to you
firedog, looked over your thread, i started earlier this year , i bought one of everything , my net purchase will probably be a z-rider. The only thing is that its been slow getting new accounts, i have use signs and door hangers, and even have door signs on my truck. Being that i don't do it full time i consider that another reason why i don't have so many accounts. I invested about 4000 in equipment including trailer. Good luck to you
GUys sorry about my reply my computer was left unlocked and i guess someone here at the firestation decide to be funny. again sorry about all the repeated post.
i have $4000 to invest and it's all pretty much spoken for in equipment including a 5X10 trailer. there might be a little left for advertising. this weekend i talked to a toro dealer and if the price is right, i think i'm gonna to buy form him. i do plan on strictly mowing, not bagging, unless someone insists (then i figure i'll charge almost double to discourage it). i am pulling with a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with a class III hitch. my local dealer also told me that toro owns exmark (thay do look an awful lot alike. there is a good dealer to service any make of lawnmower around here, so it is really a matter of who can give me the best deal. my backups right now will be my 22" craftsman push mower and my poulan gas trimmer (my home equipment). i am alsoo having trouble trying to figure out what to charge. i thought i'd try calling a few companies around here and asking what they charge for a typical yard like mine (1/2 acre, level front, downhill rear and sides) and going from there. btw, what does everybody think about redmax trimmers and blowers, thanks again for the help guys.
well, i finally bought some equipment. i now own a redmax BC225DL trimmer, a redmax HB2300 blower, and a toro 48" belt-drive WB with a fixed deck and a 15 hp kawasaki pulling a two-wheel velke. i'm not picking up the mower until after halloween because i don't have a trailer yet and we are having a huge halloween party and need the garage space. what do you guys think?
while i was thinking about it i wanted to know what you guys thought i should get for spares and supplies. i already have an extra set of blades, reel of trimmer line, extra trimmer head, spark plugs, fuel cans, and 2-cycle oil worked into my budget. what do you guys think about trimmertrap and/or jungle gym equipment racks? my dealer sells both. thanks in advance everyone.
Firedog,who did you get your equipment from I'm looking at either Millbrandt lawn equipment (next to C.C.F.D.) or Harvester small engine. P. S. Thanks for keeping St L burn free.
Having specialty services can help expand the customer base and increase income. It is a sure way to get your foot in the door to offer follow up or maintainence services too. You can make more per hour power raking/aerating than mowing/trimming.
The LCO's here tell me that they are able to pay off an aerator in less than a months work - even less time for a power rake! These services are also an impulse buy so they are able to get away with charging a higher price. Mowing is not the same.
at this point, i don't want to, in a sense, overexpand. this is a sole proprietership. i will not have any employees, so i will be the only one doing any work. even though i haven't cut one lawn with my toro yet, i am not opposed to purchasing a power rake and/or aerator if any of my future customers ask about them. the other thing is the cost. the equipment i listed below (exc. for the truck) was purchased with cash because i don't want to have to go out and pay off a loan. this also means that most of the money i make will be profit (exc. fuel, insurance, etc.), so some additional equipment could be in my future.
I just bought myself a HONDA COMMERCIAL - HRC216KHXC mowER. This mower is impressive, I like it
I will be buying a Honda trimmer, Stihl backpack-blower, and shindawia hedge trimmers.
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