Consumer vs Commercial

[dwilcox]

Is commercial equipment a must have when starting out? First of all I am starting out with residential mowing service and no businesses..yet. Would good Consumer lawn tractors with ztr get the job done? I thought they would, especially when dealing with the size yards these people have in development communities, but then thats why I'm asking. If I really can't get started with consumer products, what commercial equipment do you recommend to start with?

[Woody]

Start with your current equipment. No sense in digging yourself into a financial hole right from the start. Keep reading the forums here to gain insight into what other people are using as far as commercial equipment, and why. When you are ready to step up, the step will be huge. You will get to see what production is really about when you start running commercial equipment.

In some areas, you may have a hard time charging current market prices if you aren't running commercial equipment.

Woody

[ElephantNest]

I have to disagree. Buy new commercial stuff if you're going to stay in the business. Use your current stuff for back up until you can purchase more commercial equipment. If you get a good commercial mower, trimmer, and blower, you'll be more productive, in turn you'll be making more money and faster, so you can pay off your new stuff in no time. If you start with you home owner stuff, you'll not only look non-professional, but it will also take you longer to make money, with more effort, and with greater chances of down time from break downs. Then, if/when something does break, and it will, you'll be forced to go right out and buy something to replace it right away....may as well get it now AND have a back up set.

My thoughts.

~Nest

[Stephen M.]

consumer vs. commercial

Consumer models are good as a starter if you already own it, but for a few bucks more, you will buy less stress and money down the black hole if you go commercial grade to start with. That's the lesson I learned the hard way and it took a few years to learn it! Stay away from the big box stores, and even though some major commercial equipment brands are being sold there, the quality is "dumbed down" for affordability. Find a good, honest dealer who will give you the answers you need and don't be shy in asking for service acommendations as a commercial business.

[Woody]

I have to disagree. Buy new commercial stuff if you're going to stay in the business.
~Nest

Nest:

How's he going to STAY in this business when he isn't IN this business? He states he has NO customers, and in another post states that he wants to start doing this part-time. He also makes it pretty clear, once again in another post, that he is REAL green as far as the "running the business" end of things. Besides, he already owns the consumer-grade stuff, and pretty much has a backup for every piece of equipment he has.

Before you dig yourself a financial grave to lay down in, go out and get a few customers. Figure out if this is something you REALLY want to do. If you like it, including all the headaches associated with it, then follow Nest's advice and go out and get some commercial equipment.

To jump into this by burying yourself in debt without even taking an initial taste of it is to commit financial suicide. You better figure out first if this gig is even for you.

Woody
Saving your ass through simple logic.

[hardboiled]

Everybody has made good points. Here's a rough quote from Jim Roan..." Start from wherever you are, with whatever you have." I've had to use this approach out of necessity. Either way you begin ,you will soon wan't all the commercial equipment you can afford. More toys make work fun! Other expenses may have a bearing on what you can start with too. Things like lawyer and accountant fees, city license if required, storage, insurance, educational material.

[mcmav101]

Well have only been in the biz for two years now. We started out with a toro timecutter z which is a residential mower. We got a 2003 timecutter z for 2000 cash with a bagger. Could not really pass it up so we bought it. We also purchased a exmark walkbehind mid season off of ebay. The timecutter worked very well but it got beat up bad. As the toro dealer told us "you will use this mower more in a week than a residential consumer would use it in its lifetime". He was right they are just not built for it.

[Maddog]

You could get by with home owner equipment for a short time but they will not last if you do very much mowing.

The home owner equipment is less expensive and will do a fairly nice job but have a lot of draw backs. They require more maintenance. To keep the cut nice you with have to check and adjust the deck level more often. Blades will usually run about the same price as the comercial type but are not made as sudy so will have to be changed out more. They also take more time to do the same work as a commercial mower.

I bought a small lawn service when I started. It came with two riding mowers, 1 hand held blower, gas hedge trimmer, small chain saw, a string trimmer and a 5x12 trailer plus a variety of hand tools. The string trimmer was a commercal string trimmer all the rest was home owner type ewuipment. They lasted long enough to build up enough money to get commercial equipment the following year.