Need Leaf Clean-up Info!!!

[MarkMoore]

hello all,

this is my first year in the business and i feel so far i'm doing pretty well. however, i am a little bit lost when it comes to leaf clean-up. The only way we've ever done it at my house is the old fashioned way--a couple of rakes, big leaf piles pushed onto a tarp, and dragged to the curb.
Now i know that is the typical "home owner's" method, but i also know there has to be numerous other ways of getting it done faster. I would like as much information about the topic as possible. i know from previous experiences on these online bulletin boards that people get annoyed by such broad questions from the "new guy", and usually just yell at him to use the search function. But rest assured, i have and am using the search function, but i feel like im not getting answers to all of my questions.

- What technique(s) are most efficient for cleaning up leaves?
- What pieces of equipment should i buy in addition to the single backpack blower i already own?
- How do i charge for an ongoing job like leaf cleanup?
-key phrases to use for advertising (i'll be handing out flyers)
-how much should i charge if the customer wants the leaves hauled away?
-where do i take a trailer full of leaves?
- Anything else i should know


i live in a very "woodsy" area, so leaf cleanup in my town is a giant mess. I'm already seeing dollar signs in my eyes, but i want to know the tricks of the trade to maximize my profits. thanks in advance!

[MarkMoore]

oh yea, i keep on reading that somehow you can "mulch" the leaves with a mower or something like that... like i said before, i live in the middle of woods. there is an insane amount of leaves. i dont think running a mower over a 4 inch layer of leaves is gonna do anything but create a bigger mess...

[ahlgrenlandscaping]

- What technique(s) are most efficient for cleaning up leaves?
Blowing them into piles and pushing them to the curb with a leaf plow JRCO Industries makes the only one i've ever seen. If hauling away same method as before and build a box to put on the bed of your truck and utilize a leaf loader to shred and vacuum the leaves into the truck, Billy Goat and Giant Vac have some nice machines
- What pieces of equipment should i buy in addition to the single backpack blower i already own?
Little Wonder 9hp or larger walk behind Blower, JRCO Leaf plow, Billy Goat or Giant Vac debris loader
- How do i charge for an ongoing job like leaf cleanup?
Trial and error try to figure out how many hours it's going to take you and bid the jobs that way
-key phrases to use for advertising (i'll be handing out flyers)
Fall leaf clean-ups sign up now to ensure a spot on this years route
-how much should i charge if the customer wants the leaves hauled away?
Significantly more probaly double plus dump fees. You have ot cover equipment costs.
-where do i take a trailer full of leaves?
I'm not familiar with "Funkytown" look in your phone book or ask other LCO's in your area, Town dump, Call the town hall and ask them they should know
- Anything else i should know
Takes much more time and expense than you think, Lots of gas for the leaf blowers and everything else they don't seem like they use alot of fuel just for cleaning up after mowing but when you run them all day everyday for a month you'll see how much fuel your using.

[JS Landscaping]

If your clients allow it blow it all off into the woods, just make sure you flatten out the mounts of leaves so it looks natural. If not I highly suggest you invest in a leaf vac. If you are in flat area, a push blower will work wonders, but if your area is hilly, its not fun pushin them around all day. A high CFM back pack blower is your best bet. I just picked up the new stihl 4mix BR 550, and a BR600. These things are beasts, suposedly more powerful then the redmax 8000 but lighter and a lot more reliable, less fuel consumption and quieter. Definatly something to look into. When we start wtih the leaves we start at the house and blow out all the beds first and just basically blow everything the way we want it all to go. Its pretty simple. As for pricing, make sure not to sell yourself short. It always seems to take a bit longer then expected. We usually charge by the man hour on fall clean up, with haul away charged extra by the load. I actually bring them back to my shop area and dump them in a large pit i have dug in the ground. At the end of each day i spread a thin layer of dirt over it. All it really is is a massive compost pile. Last year we created about 35 yards of topsoil after it decayed. Most recycling facilities accept leaves, but check beforehand. Fall clean up is definatly a profitable time of year. Well hope this helps some.....


James
JS LANDSCAPING

[Ks44133]

Buy a Walker mower. Best collection system on the market. You can cut and collect all in one pass. And if your looking for a extra couple thousand a year buy the thatcher for $260 and charge a 100 a yard. And again you can thatch and collect all on one pass

[1Chavez]

Ks has it right. Blow the bulk into piles and tarp to the curb. Fire up the Giant Vac and suck the leaves into the box. Run a Walker over the grass areas on a perfect pattern (it is going to be there until spring) pack up and move on.
-Rich

[MASTERMOWER]

"Last year we created about 35 yards of topsoil after it decayed. "

Sorry, this statement bugs me...afterall, I'm in college studying horticulture. Composted material DOES NOT make topsoil. Composted material is classified as organic matter. However, good topsoil HAS organic matter in it. If you are selling your composted leaves as topsoil then I feel sorry for your customers.

Take care,
Gavin

[lawncuttinfoo]

For two years I used a trac vac on my mower. which loaded into a 45 gallon container also mounted on my mower. Two major problems, you have to shut off the vac everytime you want to unload the bin or the leaves will simply blow back onto the yard. second you need to run the deck high in order to let the leaves pass under to get sucked up however this method left quite a bit of mulched leaf debris in the yard since a higher deck makes for less suction. And the results were a very brown yard.

This year I am going to attach the same vac to my hitch, throw a mesh tarp over my box, blow the front yards to the curb with backpacks and tarp the backyards to the curb.

I'm really not sure if the vac is powerfull enough to go the extra distance up to the truck but I'd really rather hand load the leaves into my truck then run the trac vac on the mower again. One problem I have is most of my customers have leaf disposal with their garbage company which I will not be using and I will have to charge for disposal, but I hope the less chopped up leaves in the yard will make up for it in their eyes.