Starting a Lawn Care Business – Commercial Mowers, ‘Ride On’ Mowers and Other Equipment
Steve Sutherland asked:
To succeed in the lawn care business you need to have the right commercial equipment. Having the right equipment makes you more professional and productive.
While you can start out in lawn care with a basic push mower that you can cart around in a station wagon or with a small trailer, it is the operators with small trucks and commercial mowers that distinguish themselves as the ‘six figure’ operators.
This article looks at some of the basic equipment that you will need to be successful cutting grass for a living.
Your largest purchase when it comes to equipment will be your vehicle. Look at the dimensions and weight of some of the commercial mowers that you are interested in and make sure that you have a truck or van and trailer that can take the load securely as well as making packing and unpacking convenient. Once you have decided what equipment you will purchase you should consider having racks installed into the vehicle for safely storing and locking the equipment.
In terms of lawn mowers, the basic ‘walk behind’ lawn mower is an industry standard and comes in many varieties ranging from the typical consumer lawn mowers up to some quite advanced commercial types. These mowers are practical, maneuverable and good for most residential jobs. Some commercial ‘walk behind’ mowers are able to tow a small platform called a Velke which allows the operator to stand on a small platform and be slowly pulled along by the mower, thus saving on energy.
For more serious lawn care business operators ‘Ride on’ mowers are the next logical step up. While not quite as flexible as ‘walk behind’ mowers in that they are not suited to hilly terrain and smaller areas these mowers generally make the operator much more productive on an average lawn surface. ZTR (Zero Turn Radius) mowers are the best when it comes to ‘ride on’ mowers due to their power, features and maneuverability (they can turn on a dime).
For a one man operator, owning a combination of a ‘walk behind’ mower and a ‘ride on’ mower is best for maximizing productivity on all lawn shapes and contours.
Other required lawn care equipment includes trimmers and edgers, necessary for cutting grass in places that the lawn mower cannot reach such as along concrete driveway edges and around letterboxes. Blowers are also useful for removing grass clippings and leaves from paths, driveways and pavements to leave a customers property looking neat and tidy.
Lastly, you should make sure that you have the appropriate safety equipment including safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves and work boots with a steel cap in the toes.
While not all of this is essential for a new operator starting out in the grass cutting business you should aim to have a commercial lawn mower or ‘ride on’ mower sometime within your first year of business so that you are productive and distinguish yourself as a professional, giving you the best chance of making ‘six figures’ in the lawn care business.
commercial lawn mowers
To succeed in the lawn care business you need to have the right commercial equipment. Having the right equipment makes you more professional and productive.
While you can start out in lawn care with a basic push mower that you can cart around in a station wagon or with a small trailer, it is the operators with small trucks and commercial mowers that distinguish themselves as the ‘six figure’ operators.
This article looks at some of the basic equipment that you will need to be successful cutting grass for a living.
Your largest purchase when it comes to equipment will be your vehicle. Look at the dimensions and weight of some of the commercial mowers that you are interested in and make sure that you have a truck or van and trailer that can take the load securely as well as making packing and unpacking convenient. Once you have decided what equipment you will purchase you should consider having racks installed into the vehicle for safely storing and locking the equipment.
In terms of lawn mowers, the basic ‘walk behind’ lawn mower is an industry standard and comes in many varieties ranging from the typical consumer lawn mowers up to some quite advanced commercial types. These mowers are practical, maneuverable and good for most residential jobs. Some commercial ‘walk behind’ mowers are able to tow a small platform called a Velke which allows the operator to stand on a small platform and be slowly pulled along by the mower, thus saving on energy.
For more serious lawn care business operators ‘Ride on’ mowers are the next logical step up. While not quite as flexible as ‘walk behind’ mowers in that they are not suited to hilly terrain and smaller areas these mowers generally make the operator much more productive on an average lawn surface. ZTR (Zero Turn Radius) mowers are the best when it comes to ‘ride on’ mowers due to their power, features and maneuverability (they can turn on a dime).
For a one man operator, owning a combination of a ‘walk behind’ mower and a ‘ride on’ mower is best for maximizing productivity on all lawn shapes and contours.
Other required lawn care equipment includes trimmers and edgers, necessary for cutting grass in places that the lawn mower cannot reach such as along concrete driveway edges and around letterboxes. Blowers are also useful for removing grass clippings and leaves from paths, driveways and pavements to leave a customers property looking neat and tidy.
Lastly, you should make sure that you have the appropriate safety equipment including safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves and work boots with a steel cap in the toes.
While not all of this is essential for a new operator starting out in the grass cutting business you should aim to have a commercial lawn mower or ‘ride on’ mower sometime within your first year of business so that you are productive and distinguish yourself as a professional, giving you the best chance of making ‘six figures’ in the lawn care business.
commercial lawn mowers
In Search of Sponsors For Racing Lawn Mowers
JA Fisher asked:
In most types of racing, you have the chance to raise funds to help you reach your target of being a winner.
In most types of racing, you have the chance to raise funds to help you reach your target of being a winner.
Scott’s Power Equipment Commercial Lawn Mowers St. Louis
anchorstlseo asked:
www.scottspower.com http commercial lawn mower supplier St. Louis
commercial lawn mowers
lawn mowers and leaf blowers
If my car takes 10W30, can I also use the SAE30 like one uses in their Lawn Mowers.I noticed its cheaper?
emmiehemingway asked:
ok…thanks, I thought it must not be the same or people would buy it instead.
lawn mowers
ok…thanks, I thought it must not be the same or people would buy it instead.
lawn mowers
Random Lawn Mowers and Junk!
76hotrodF250 asked:
Well, I’m sorry about not having any new vids in the last week, its been raining almost everyday this last week, or I have been too busy. I have been doing some more collecting and I got another craftsman tractor, another edger(6 now), a wheelbarrow, and soon I will have two more Murray Tractors!! Sadly, I have lost the batle with the HT4213, she is no more, her motor is dead!! I have many new vids planned, its just geting the time to do it, or having my camera man around here. Its hard to film everything by myself!! Enjoy!!!!!!!!!
lawn mowers
Manual Lawn Mowers – Four Frequently Asked Questions
Brian F. Johnston asked:
The four questions that this article will address are:
How well do they cut grass? Are they expensive? Are they difficult to use? Are they the poor man’s mower? Each of these shall be dealt with in turn. Read on to find out more.
How well do they cut grass?
Manual lawn mowers cut grass much better than you may first expect. The power that turns the blades is generated by the mower being pushed around by hand. This obviously requires some effort on the part of the user to take it around the garden. As the wheels turn, they cause the blades to spin round and the blades of grass are pushed between the steel blades of the mower and a cutting plate. The mower’s blades do not come into contact with the cutting plate but there is only the tiniest of gaps.
This is where the grass goes and as the blades rotate, the tops of the grass stalks are cleanly cut off. This is the best kind of cut as it means the grass will recover quickly and maintain its strength. Sometimes with electrical and gas powered mowing equipment, the grass can be chewed up rather than cut cleanly. While the lawn may look nice after cutting, this can leave the grass plants in a weakened condition and open to infection.
Are they expensive?
It depends upon what your budget it as to whether you think they are expensive or not. But one thing that is for sure is that you will not have any fuel costs over the life of your mower. The only fuel that is required is your own effort to push the machine around.
Are they difficult to use?
Manual lawn mowers may actually be easier than powered machines to maneuver around the garden. This is because they are now-a-days very lightweight. So even though all the power comes from the user they certainly are not difficult to use.
Are they the poor man’s mower?
Push lawn mowers may well have this kind of image but it is beginning to change. This is because of their environmental credentials as well as the quality of cut that they can provide or your garden lawn.
lawn mowers
The four questions that this article will address are:
How well do they cut grass? Are they expensive? Are they difficult to use? Are they the poor man’s mower? Each of these shall be dealt with in turn. Read on to find out more.
How well do they cut grass?
Manual lawn mowers cut grass much better than you may first expect. The power that turns the blades is generated by the mower being pushed around by hand. This obviously requires some effort on the part of the user to take it around the garden. As the wheels turn, they cause the blades to spin round and the blades of grass are pushed between the steel blades of the mower and a cutting plate. The mower’s blades do not come into contact with the cutting plate but there is only the tiniest of gaps.
This is where the grass goes and as the blades rotate, the tops of the grass stalks are cleanly cut off. This is the best kind of cut as it means the grass will recover quickly and maintain its strength. Sometimes with electrical and gas powered mowing equipment, the grass can be chewed up rather than cut cleanly. While the lawn may look nice after cutting, this can leave the grass plants in a weakened condition and open to infection.
Are they expensive?
It depends upon what your budget it as to whether you think they are expensive or not. But one thing that is for sure is that you will not have any fuel costs over the life of your mower. The only fuel that is required is your own effort to push the machine around.
Are they difficult to use?
Manual lawn mowers may actually be easier than powered machines to maneuver around the garden. This is because they are now-a-days very lightweight. So even though all the power comes from the user they certainly are not difficult to use.
Are they the poor man’s mower?
Push lawn mowers may well have this kind of image but it is beginning to change. This is because of their environmental credentials as well as the quality of cut that they can provide or your garden lawn.
lawn mowers
Trips, Lawn Mowers, and the New Youtube
TheLeeification asked:
Thanks for watching! Remember to check out the vlogs. www.youtube.com To donate to Allow The Children or to read about their organization: www.allowthechildren.org Oh yeah..I use twitter too…http
lawn mowers
Steve Brock talking about lawn mowers
Choosing the Right John Deere Lawn Mowers
Donald Gordon asked:
John Deere is one of the most recognizable brands of lawn mowers and other gardening & farm equipment. Their trademark green and yellow “leaping deer” logo has long been associated with quality and reliability. John Deere lawn mowers continue this grand tradition. Let’s look at a few types of mowers that they make, and how to choose the right one for your needs.
There are two main types of mowers that John Deere makes, for home use at least – push mowers and riding mowers. Both types of mower have their advantages and disadvantages, so there is no single best lawn mower for everybody’s needs.
The first thing you’ll need to determine is how large an area you need to maintain. If you’re cutting an acre or more of grass every time you cut the lawn, you might want to consider a riding mower. They will make the job go much quicker, and they’re generally heavier duty and will last longer when cutting large areas.
The latest technology in riding mowers is the zero turn mower. John Deere makes several zero turn models, with various sizes of blade and various horsepower ratings. You’ll want to ensure you get a model that has enough power to handle any hills or other spots in your yard that will require more power.
Push mowers are also available in zero turn models, but they’re still fairly rare. Zero turn push mowers are actually more common in commercial models than homeowner lawnmowers.
If you’re dealing with a smaller yard, a push mower is probably the better choice. Riding mowers are actually harder to maneuver in smaller spaces because they can make tighter turns and get into smaller spaces. While the riding mower seems like it would make any job easier, it’s not necessarily the case.
John Deere has been around for a long time – since 1827 – so you can be fairly sure that you’re going to be able to get service and support for their lawn mowers for years to come. And with the quality and reliability they’re known for, you should have a mower that will last you for a long time, so be sure to choose the model that will suit your needs the best.
honda riding lawn mowers
Next Page »
John Deere is one of the most recognizable brands of lawn mowers and other gardening & farm equipment. Their trademark green and yellow “leaping deer” logo has long been associated with quality and reliability. John Deere lawn mowers continue this grand tradition. Let’s look at a few types of mowers that they make, and how to choose the right one for your needs.
There are two main types of mowers that John Deere makes, for home use at least – push mowers and riding mowers. Both types of mower have their advantages and disadvantages, so there is no single best lawn mower for everybody’s needs.
The first thing you’ll need to determine is how large an area you need to maintain. If you’re cutting an acre or more of grass every time you cut the lawn, you might want to consider a riding mower. They will make the job go much quicker, and they’re generally heavier duty and will last longer when cutting large areas.
The latest technology in riding mowers is the zero turn mower. John Deere makes several zero turn models, with various sizes of blade and various horsepower ratings. You’ll want to ensure you get a model that has enough power to handle any hills or other spots in your yard that will require more power.
Push mowers are also available in zero turn models, but they’re still fairly rare. Zero turn push mowers are actually more common in commercial models than homeowner lawnmowers.
If you’re dealing with a smaller yard, a push mower is probably the better choice. Riding mowers are actually harder to maneuver in smaller spaces because they can make tighter turns and get into smaller spaces. While the riding mower seems like it would make any job easier, it’s not necessarily the case.
John Deere has been around for a long time – since 1827 – so you can be fairly sure that you’re going to be able to get service and support for their lawn mowers for years to come. And with the quality and reliability they’re known for, you should have a mower that will last you for a long time, so be sure to choose the model that will suit your needs the best.
honda riding lawn mowers