New to the scene

[2guysmowin]

Well I am new to this scene and need some advice:

I work a full time job as firefighter and my schedule is 24 hours on/48 hours off.

My brother-in-law and I have been talking about setting up our own LC business for some time and now that I have completed some (fire related) training I am ready to get into gear...WHERE TO START?

I have researched tons of stuff on the net and asked around, but would like to know your guys advice too. I will have my brother and myself starting out and know I will need to obtain a trailer, but am unsure of what type of equipment to start out with.

As far as getting business that will be the snap part of it for me...great friend of my mother's owns a commercial real estate business and happens to be head of several different Home Owner's Assoc., so she said when I am ready to start that I just need to say the word and she will steadily increase my business as quick as I would like to grow...my plan is to start off residential and get into the swing of things...and she tells me that when I am ready and if I ever intend to grow then she will give me commercial properties as well.

One step at a time for me now though...residential for now and if you guys could please supply me with any info I would greatly appreciate it...I have been reading on this site for a couple of months now and you all seem like a great bunch of people...so I look forward to the interaction b/w you all.

By the way I plan on getting this kicked off this spring and money is not of the utmost importance to me...preferably I would like to start off with W/B until later...so really need advice on equipment needed for myself and my brother to get started so that we can start putting on paper what to prepare to buy.

Thanks before hand for any help!

[imograss]

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good to have you on the forum! ive been doing lawn care now for 6 1/2 years. i started in a similar way that you plan to. i will advise you from the start to be very careful when working with friends or family. i like yourself employed my brother in law. we got along fine and worked well together but when money mis management on his part started our relationship started to deteriorate. i stressed to save so winter months wouldnt be a burden. needless to say that never happened and they feel they are entitled topart of everything that was generated. i hired him as a helper starting @450.00 week! he no longer works with me but be careful if you are to be partners make everything clear to him from the start, you cant go 50/50 on everything if you are using YOUR truck, trailer, equipment ect. enough about that now as far as the basic equipment you will need.. sometimes the basics vary depending on what state you are in but in tennessee i personally sterted with...
48" commercial walk behind w/ velkie (you can cover just about any type of ground with this)
string trimmers (weedeaters) preferably a commercial straight shaft in the 25 cc and up range ( i use shidaiwa and kawasaki trimmers)
back pack blower (s) i use shidaiwa eb480 and eb 500
trailer- if you will be serious about this business you will get the biggest you can pull even if your equipment will not fill it up yet. and it will!
i use a 16' tandem(wish it was 20') with trimmer/blower racks BRAKES gate toolbox, water cooler racks and so on.
these are the BASICS, you will also want to think about maintenance toos as well, hedge trimmers, pruning shears ect. the more you can offer your customers the harder it will be for someone else to slip in and trim your cust. shrubs (because you dont have the stuff) and give them a lower price than you mowing hence losing a customer. hope this helps you and good luck!

[2guysmowin]

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Thanks imograss...I hear everything you are saying, but the only question that I have with your reply is to the trailer issue. How big is too big at this point in time for the truck I am driving???
Right now I have a 2000 1/2 ton GMC 4X4 with 3.73 gears (z-71) with 5.3L V-8 and don't want to kill the truck before I get rid of it. I have never really had any trouble towing anything yet, but I know what the gas mileage is like when towing with this vehicle. I do however plan to buy a 3/4 crew cab GMC 2500 HD with duramax/allison combo.
The reaason for going this route is because I get a killer deal on trucks b/c father-in-law being retired from GM.

As far as the brother-in -law thing goes...he is putting up as much money as I start this business and we have sat down and really studied our homework and he is the only family member out of any of them that I could even imagine working with...he is really tight with his money and actually makes decent money on the side too. He just has a schedule much like mine and can cover my days off. We are not going down the middle (settting up the business)at this time b/c I have the brand new comp. with all the software (quickbooks Pro) and will be doing the taxes and like you said we are using my truck, but then again he is going halves on the equipment...so I don't want to cut him too short. If he intends to pay on half of everything then what is the best way to set that up from your point of views. Keep in mind that I really want to have him work with me b/c he is an excellent worker with a tremendous work ethic and he is used to working the long hours especially outdoors.

As far as my days off...I usually only work at the firehouse 2 days a week. When my brother is out running the crew at that time would it be in my best interest to have him daily hire a hispanic male from our community to help out and just pay cash at the end of the day...they are standing by the flocks around in the next town over from me...my brother uses them with no trouble for his sprinkler/landscape business. I just wanted to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

[kutnkru]

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A basic mowing set-up is a 36"wb, straight shaft line trimmer, stick edger, and a back pack blower.

Your next mower purchase should be a 52"wb. This way some of your parts will be interchangeable such as blades. If you have the money I would invest in hydro's for the larger units as you upgrade your fleet.

For starting out a 6x10 trailer gives you plenty of space for hauling equipment. When the time comes and you wish to upgrade your trailer I would buy a 6x16. This will give you plenty of room for 2-Z's and your 36"wb. throw on some trimmer and backpack racks for easy access/storage of your hand-held equipment and your good to go.

[imograss]

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i recommend 16' x 6.5 tandem, the tandem whells make carrying a load easier on your truck.

[CCLS]

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I would have to agree with Kutnkru,
Go with a 36 inch to start if your accounts are under an acre. As far as equipment goes, I would either buy stihl or echo brands. I have both brands and have never had a problem with them. As far as mowers go, I would say scag or exmark. There are a lot of other good brands out there, so demo a few and see which brand you like the best. Good Luck!!!

[andersc1]

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2guysmowin,
Well it sounds like you and your brother-in-law have given this matter a lot of thought, and other than ownership percentages, it appears you have worked out most the bugs.

As far as equipment goes, if you can afford it "don't skimp". It's better to have excess capability then to be under equiped. The most important thing I can stress though is making sure you get trailer brakes. When fully loaded, a trailer is HEAVY. Your truck is perfect for what you are going to be doing. Heck there are tons of LCO's out there that started out using compact trucks and pulling trailers. I personally started out with a 95 Ford F150 extended cab long wheel base with a 351. Gas mileage does suck like you eluded to, but that's the price you pay for horsepower. I've since added a 2001 Ford F150 extended cab with a 351 also.

Here is what I started out with when I went into busines:
* 1995 Ford F150 extended cab, 351 engine, long wheel base.
* 6.4' x 16' tandem axle trailer, custom made with ramp gate, trimmer racks, and 2x2 sheet metal box across front for equipment storage.
* 60" Gravely ZTR rider.
* 33" Sutech Stealth W/B (didn't know any better at the time).
* Stihl FS85RT trimmers with hedge & edging attachments.
* Stihl BR420 backpack blower.
* Shindaiwa 30" hedge trimmer.
* 22" Toro 6.5hp self propelled push mower w/bagger.
* Misc. tools (ie: hedge clippers, rakes, brooms, shovels, etc.).

Total cost around $20,000 including the truck.


I know you said you were going to start out with only W/B's, but I can tell you that I would have been in a bind my first year out if it wasn't for the ZTR. The first year we serviced everything from a small lot in a trailer park to 13 acres owned by a doctor. You would be surprised how many residentials there are out there with over an acre of land that they want you to maintain. Have you thought about what you are going to do if you get a chance to bid on something over 2 or 3 acres? Not much fun with a W/B regardless of having a velkie or not. Although a velkie is deffinately a good idea.

If your sincere in wanting to start a business, then getting good equipment will pay for itself. God knows mine has deffinately done that. I started my company with the intentions of building it up and making it profitable, and for it to no longer be just part-time. And you don't get there by constantly turning down work. Many LCO's start out with just the intentions of getting a little extra money on the side, and it builds into a full service business. But there are some that start out with the intentions of starting a business and seeing where it can take them.

Good luck with your new business and welcome to the forum.

Curtis

[qualitylandscaping]

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See if there is a Lesco in your area.. They make excellent commercial mowers, both Walk behind and ZTR's. You can pick up a 48" Walk behind for about $2300 which is $1000+ less than most other commercial mowers of the same size.

As for string trimmers, check out the Echo SRM-2100's. I use them and they are relatively cheap. Personally, I don't like the bigger trimmers due to the fact that they are bulky. The smaller trimmer has always done a good job!

Blowers are the same. Get either a Echo or Sthil blower. They are both very good!

Trailer. 6, 6.5 x 10,12,14,16 are the preferred sizes..

Good Luck!

[2guysmowin]

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BUMMER!!!

My brother received an offer today to go to work for one of his competitors and I can't say that I blame him he is getting a significant pay increase and can't cut his losses to join me...so now I am on my own and somehow I think I will be better off that way...I really would have liked to have him around on my days off...but I don't have to have the extra work at this time.

I can now just work on my days off...which I said before are 48 hours after my 24 hour shift at the station.

Now back to the dilemma of what kind of equipment I should be purchasing. I know that I am going to be purchasking a 21" commercial and don't really know what size to buy with a walk behind...
I will be doing alot of residential properties but also a good share of small commercial properties as well...so I am playing the 36" or 48" dilemma with the W/B.
I have already purchased BP Blower and stick edger and trimmer.

If I choose to purchase a 6'x10' or 12' will that easlily accomodate what I have listed here and a potential 36" or 48" W/B??? Which size of trailer would you think would be best for my needs? I don't plan to grow too big but I willonly to plan what I can handle by myself on my time schedule.

Who else out there is a one-man operation and what are you all able to handle with your operations?

I would appreciate any help that you guys could offer...I am just as excited about getting into this business by myself as I would have been with my brother-in-law, but what the hell!

I like the freedom of doing things on my own as well...I hope you guys can offer some words of wisdom to me...THANKS!

[CCLS]

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2guysmowin,

I started out with a 6 by 10 foot single axel trailer. I had 2 21 inch push mowers and a 36 in exmark. The 6 by 10 foot trailer is the perfect trailer to start with, simply because it is fairly cheap around $1,000 new and because all of your equipment can fit on it. The only problem with the trailer is, if you plan on expanding in the next couple of years, you will definately outgrow your trailer. If you plan on buying a z turn in the future plus a 48 or 52 inch walk behind, I would personally start out with a 16 foot trailer. This way you will have plenty of room to expand and you will not have to worry about purchasing a new trailer for a few years. With most equipment in this industry, I recommend buying the best and getting all the features that you think you will need in the future. As time goes by, you will regret buying a belt drive over a hydro or buying a 10 foot trailer over a 16 foot. Just my opinion.[]

[nlls]

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Just a suggestion. . .don't go diesel for your truck. They're VERY expensive to fix. I had an '82 GMC 6.2 and now have 2000 GMC 5300 gas. Allison may be a good idea. A local landscape supply has one and likes it alot.

[imograss]

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play it safe working alone, im facing the same situation this season, at least for a little while. dont take on more than you can do by yourself. falling behind on work can ruin a fellas rep.

[Jeff L.]

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I just posted a message about growing bigger in the business but right now I'm a 1 man show and I have a '5 '8 trailer, 44 inch z-master, echo trimmers and blowers, power trim edger and have been extremely happy with all of them, the z-master is awesome, same thing as exmark only exmark has a heavier deck I've heard, but I love mine, good luck!