Hey guys. Now I want to improve my time by as much as possible while still doing a great job so. What are the tips and secrets and all that you have learned to improve your time besides better equipment, leave leave equipment out of this one. I'm talking about the other stuff...
Vibe Ray
Sharp blades. When my 14 year old son is using the mower he will tell me when the blades have dulled just on how productive the mower becomes. Once you get used to good sharp blades the difference will be obvious.
Sharp blades of course.
If you have help explain to them how to work smart ie. make every step count - no back tracking
If you are working alone sometimes it quicker to trim first so you can blow off large areas with the mower.
For large apartments I carry a trimmer with me on the ZTR so I can trim areas that are out of the way without having to take a hike.
If you have help explain to them how to work smart ie. make every step count - no back tracking
If you are working alone sometimes it quicker to trim first so you can blow off large areas with the mower.
For large apartments I carry a trimmer with me on the ZTR so I can trim areas that are out of the way without having to take a hike.
Not to sound redundant, but sharp blades!
Last week, I got so busy I let this slide a couple days and paid for it with double cuts that still didn't look right. I made a vow to myself not to let that slide again, and ordered four sets of new blades this weekend to help in that effort. New blades everyday, a spare set with me at all times & sharpen every one of them every weekend.
It's just smart mowing.
-TGC
Last week, I got so busy I let this slide a couple days and paid for it with double cuts that still didn't look right. I made a vow to myself not to let that slide again, and ordered four sets of new blades this weekend to help in that effort. New blades everyday, a spare set with me at all times & sharpen every one of them every weekend.
It's just smart mowing.
-TGC
Only bag clippings when absolutely necessary. Even then it's often faster to discharge and then rake the clippings onto a tarp, rather than use a bagger. A secondary benefit is you'll have fewer clippings collected this way. With the right equipment you can make a discharged lawn look as good as a bagged lawn 95% of the time.
Use your WB or rider to get as close as possible to fences and obstacles in the middle of the lawn. Then use your string trimmer, thus eliminating a "trim mower" in most cases. Take your time when cutting and do it right, then go like a bat out of hell with the trimmer and blower. This time of season, and in the dry season of july/august (of a normal summer) cut back on edge trimming and only do "obstacle trimming". The edges have been trimmed every single week and are the first areas to dry out.
Use the biggest piece of equipment you can get on the property. We've got a number of 5000 sq.ft. houses we are able to cut with a 54" WB.
Take your time to train your employees (if you have any) the right way. If you're looking to expand in maintenance you'll need well trained employees. If I can tell the difference between a lawn cut by one of our employees compared to one cut by me, then I haven't properly trained them.
Eat well, drink lots of fluids, get plenty of sleep, go like hell!
Use your WB or rider to get as close as possible to fences and obstacles in the middle of the lawn. Then use your string trimmer, thus eliminating a "trim mower" in most cases. Take your time when cutting and do it right, then go like a bat out of hell with the trimmer and blower. This time of season, and in the dry season of july/august (of a normal summer) cut back on edge trimming and only do "obstacle trimming". The edges have been trimmed every single week and are the first areas to dry out.
Use the biggest piece of equipment you can get on the property. We've got a number of 5000 sq.ft. houses we are able to cut with a 54" WB.
Take your time to train your employees (if you have any) the right way. If you're looking to expand in maintenance you'll need well trained employees. If I can tell the difference between a lawn cut by one of our employees compared to one cut by me, then I haven't properly trained them.
Eat well, drink lots of fluids, get plenty of sleep, go like hell!
Thanks for the replies guys! I got the picture with the sharp blades now so dont mention it again! Just to let you know I am a one man show. So keep that in mind. What about order??? Trim first, mow next, edge, then blow??? What order is the quickest and what is the most efficient. I am slow at blowing and trimming.
Most of the time it's cut, trim, and blow. When I trim, I find the most efficient pattern possible. Some times I'll do an outside perimeter of the yard, then I'll trim around the house. Try not to back-track. I have a large restuarant that I cut. When blowing clippings, one of us does an outside perimeter path and the other an inside path. Make a simple plan for every property.
A lot of emphasis is usually put on efficient mowing, but once you have squeezed all the time out of that, you will find that the trimming operation can be surprisingly refined.
Use top quality line. (cuts better, lasts longer).
Get rid of the guard.
Learn to keep moving: a sweeping rythem as you continue to walk along.
If there is only a small amount of edging, I often "cheat" by using the line trimmer, rather than walking back to the trailer for the stick edger.
I usually divide the property into quadrants: right side, back, left side, front. I move clockwise around each of these areas, starting along the house, then moving out around the perimeter, then catch whats in between, ending up at the beginning of my next quadrant. I end up in the
front, near my truck (if I can).
Don"t look back, it will never be perfect anyway (just glance at a general area when its done).
My attitude is that I am more critical than my customer; if it doesn't look like it needs trimming from a few feet away, it doesn't need trimming.
By being less than a perfectionist, I have cut my trimming time in half from the early days.
Finally, I am a proponent of mow, then trim (I work alone). You don't know how little you may have to trim if you do i first. The 21" is never used for trimming. You can cover a lot of ground when you have to with the trimmer, especially when you let out the line.
Above is my approach, I'm sure everyone has their own best way.
Use top quality line. (cuts better, lasts longer).
Get rid of the guard.
Learn to keep moving: a sweeping rythem as you continue to walk along.
If there is only a small amount of edging, I often "cheat" by using the line trimmer, rather than walking back to the trailer for the stick edger.
I usually divide the property into quadrants: right side, back, left side, front. I move clockwise around each of these areas, starting along the house, then moving out around the perimeter, then catch whats in between, ending up at the beginning of my next quadrant. I end up in the
front, near my truck (if I can).
Don"t look back, it will never be perfect anyway (just glance at a general area when its done).
My attitude is that I am more critical than my customer; if it doesn't look like it needs trimming from a few feet away, it doesn't need trimming.
By being less than a perfectionist, I have cut my trimming time in half from the early days.
Finally, I am a proponent of mow, then trim (I work alone). You don't know how little you may have to trim if you do i first. The 21" is never used for trimming. You can cover a lot of ground when you have to with the trimmer, especially when you let out the line.
Above is my approach, I'm sure everyone has their own best way.
I am a solo operator sharp blades should go without saying,
we are profesionals,a butcher never has a dule knife.my routine on every yard after the first and second cut once i know where trimming is need (and its not much with my walker) is to run the string trimmer,then the edger ,just so i could mulch up or vacume up the clippings mainly from edgeing,then mow and blow .if i trim bushes on a job the smae day as a cut i'll also mow next to last from the same reason, i think it just looks better, and may even cut a second or to off blowing time .but thats just me,
we are profesionals,a butcher never has a dule knife.my routine on every yard after the first and second cut once i know where trimming is need (and its not much with my walker) is to run the string trimmer,then the edger ,just so i could mulch up or vacume up the clippings mainly from edgeing,then mow and blow .if i trim bushes on a job the smae day as a cut i'll also mow next to last from the same reason, i think it just looks better, and may even cut a second or to off blowing time .but thats just me,
Well everybody else got their say so i want mine.
I always edge, trim, mow, then blow. My theory is if you create the mess first and get all your curbs full of debris blown onto the lawn that $6-$10,000.00 mower should take care of the rest. I cannot see mowing first, trimming and then throwing debris back onto a freshly manicured lawn just to have to blow it off again! I average, with help, 20-35 min per yard doing it this way and this time of year if you didn't you would be raking................I don't rake very much. Maybe it's the region you live in or something but for me I've found it to be very eficient this way. When your done mowing, your done.
My .02, for what it's worth.
Homer
I always edge, trim, mow, then blow. My theory is if you create the mess first and get all your curbs full of debris blown onto the lawn that $6-$10,000.00 mower should take care of the rest. I cannot see mowing first, trimming and then throwing debris back onto a freshly manicured lawn just to have to blow it off again! I average, with help, 20-35 min per yard doing it this way and this time of year if you didn't you would be raking................I don't rake very much. Maybe it's the region you live in or something but for me I've found it to be very eficient this way. When your done mowing, your done.
My .02, for what it's worth.
Homer
Never remove more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the grass blade.
IOW don't let the grass get high.
Also, minimize your load/unload times. I can unload anything off my trailer withougt moving any other mower. Well, to get the one WB off, a 21" has to be moved. (not a big deal since it can be pushed around and does not require the engine to be rinning to be moved)
After the last mower is loaded, I walk off the gate on the drivers side, close the gate, latch the drivers side, walk to the pass side, latch that side. I then take two steps to the side of the trailer, and grab a trimmer. I "follow the edge" while trimming. I start at the truck, and end up at the truck. I put the trimmer back on the rack, and take another 1.5 steps foreward, and grab a blower.
All accessories are mounted on the Pass side of the trailer, so that I do not have to walk around the rig to access anything.
ALso, when I pull into a fueling station, I can purchase up to 40 gallons of fuel without moving the rig. My gas cans are parked on the same side of the truck as the truck tank, and I can also fuel the two mowers on the trailer. I only have to stop for fuel one time per week.
IOW don't let the grass get high.
Also, minimize your load/unload times. I can unload anything off my trailer withougt moving any other mower. Well, to get the one WB off, a 21" has to be moved. (not a big deal since it can be pushed around and does not require the engine to be rinning to be moved)
After the last mower is loaded, I walk off the gate on the drivers side, close the gate, latch the drivers side, walk to the pass side, latch that side. I then take two steps to the side of the trailer, and grab a trimmer. I "follow the edge" while trimming. I start at the truck, and end up at the truck. I put the trimmer back on the rack, and take another 1.5 steps foreward, and grab a blower.
All accessories are mounted on the Pass side of the trailer, so that I do not have to walk around the rig to access anything.
ALso, when I pull into a fueling station, I can purchase up to 40 gallons of fuel without moving the rig. My gas cans are parked on the same side of the truck as the truck tank, and I can also fuel the two mowers on the trailer. I only have to stop for fuel one time per week.
I mow first, only because if you trim first there is a tendency to not be the same height as the mower. Then I need to go back to the same spot again.
Just remember always have a game plan when you pull up to a lawn,follow the same process every time you go there. That
dose'nt mean you have to mow the same pattern every time it just means knowing what your next step is before you take it. Once you lose your train of thought about what your doing you'll start losing time,always stay on track!
Good Luck!
jerryslawnservice@home.com
dose'nt mean you have to mow the same pattern every time it just means knowing what your next step is before you take it. Once you lose your train of thought about what your doing you'll start losing time,always stay on track!
Good Luck!
jerryslawnservice@home.com
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