Keith

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curb appeal landscaping

like anything, if you have the right equipment you should be able to get the job done faster which means more money for you. Even if you got a used 36 inch mower you would be amazed how much time that will save you. If you find something used you shouldnt have to spend to much for it. When I statred everyone would tell me always to buy bigger stuff than i thought I would need because otherwise I would be back the next year buying it. Ill tell it is the truth. Always buy a little bigger than you think you need. Just my 2 cents

infoserv

I totally agree. The more time you can cut out of the job, the more money you "make" or save. This will enable you to grow when the time is right.

With the maintenance agreements you will find you are making out. With that many lawns, there is always maintenance and repairs to do. Always have back up equipment if you can afford it so that you are not "out of business" if your regular equipment is in the shop.

The next best thing to a maintenance agreement, which is hard to beat, is to know small engines well enough to do your own repairs.

Keith

Noxic

I would cut down on the equipment a little, but still do a professional job. You can pay for advertising with that extra money, and then upgrade the equipment.

kenstan

YES a Honda commerical would last for ever. I have some over 5 years old and do 250 yards a week with them.Your mowing time per yard would also go down by half. Ken

randrews

Anything which cuts down on the time you have to spend on a client site is going to be worth the investment over a period of time.

The biggest thing you need to factor in is a good backup plan in the case that you have a machine go down. I'm not sure about other companies but John Deere has a great backup program where if they can't fix your machine inside of 1 hour they put you in a machine they have on the lot to get you out the door and back to work.

There are some other fringes with the backup plan that you get which are helpful as well so it might be worth your time to look at companies that can offer you this sort of service on machines you buy for your business.

posterboy

The less time you spend on a job means the more per hour you make and the more jobs you can knock out in a day.

Self-propelled is the way to go!

S.I.

Self-propelled to me means 21's. If you have more than 20 lawns (which apparently you do) then I would suggest trading in those 21's for at least a 32" WB, the time saved itself will make up for any costs. Another consideration is maint. sure you have the sears "maint program" have you seen the people they hire to do their "maint" if they do it in house (most of the time they send it out - without giving you a loaner) Anyway imagine the reduction in maint costs for 2 32" WB's vs. 4 21's

ChowYunFat

I would have to agree that the wider the cutting area the faster you will get done with the job. Sears is pretty good about maintaining products you buy for them so I would suggest it as well.

Greentea101

If I were you I would save up for the equipment because eventually the mowers you have are just going to break down for good, but until then I would stick with what you have. I for sure wouldn't buy a residential-grade mower with the amount of customers you have. Maybe not a commercial grade, but for sure something for professionals.