Upgrading my mower

[lawn mower fanatic]

Doesn't have anything to do with being picky or making a decision, What's the purpose behind buying a new mower?

?? To replace another one? Upgrade?

 

[Ric]

?? To replace another one? Upgrade?

Ok I understand your wanting to upgrade to another and better mower but the purpose I'm assuming is to increase your productivity, to increase your profits and to do that you need to save time and steps per lawn. I look at your pictures and what I see are really nice looking, well maintained lawns but as someone who put together time schedules for crews to maximize productivity I see you losing money and basically giving or doing one lawn out five for free and as long as your doing that your upgrade will not amount to a whole lot.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Ok I understand your wanting to upgrade to another and better mower but the purpose I'm assuming is to increase your productivity, to increase your profits and to do that you need to save time and steps per lawn. I look at your pictures and what I see are really nice looking, well maintained lawns but as someone who put together time schedules for crews to maximize productivity I see you losing money and basically giving or doing one lawn out five for free and as long as your doing that your upgrade will not amount to a whole lot.

So you think a Commercial 30 would be better? Or do I have no chance of upgrading my mower until I can afford a commercial zeroturn, and have to stick with my Honda?

 

[Ric]

So you think a Commercial 30 would be better? Or do I have no chance of upgrading my mower until I can afford a commercial zero turn, and have to stick with my Honda?

Now I'm not trying to be nasty or anything like that but if your going to be in business the reason is to make money and to do that you max you productivity and that means using your time efficiently. The upgrade to the 30 or the 36 is fine and I gave you my opinion and upgrading and 30 or 36 will definitely help. The thing is I see a lot of wasted time in your pictures. Striping a lawn doesn't make you money it's only a waste of time, you could probably regular cut five lawns in the same time it takes you to cut and strip four. I mean really the only place strips on a lawn fit is in Yankee Stadium :smile: If your investing in upgrades for your business or company you can't afford to waste time because equipment doesn't pay for itself unless you use it correctly.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Now I'm not trying to be nasty or anything like that but if your going to be in business the reason is to make money and to do that you max you productivity and that means using your time efficiently. The upgrade to the 30 or the 36 is fine and I gave you my opinion and upgrading and 30 or 36 will definitely help. The thing is I see a lot of wasted time in your pictures. Striping a lawn doesn't make you money it's only a waste of time, you could probably regular cut five lawns in the same time it takes you to cut and strip four. I mean really the only place strips on a lawn fit is in Yankee Stadium :smile: If your investing in upgrades for your business or company you can't afford to waste time because equipment doesn't pay for itself unless you use it correctly.

Isn't striping the lawn the most efficient way to cut? Because chances are you are getting the longest length of the yard, and going back and forth that way, turning less times. But that being said I probably won't be able to stripe with the Toro because with side discharge I might have to go in a clockwise circle. So if that still makes the lawn look good, I am fine with doing it that way. I don't need the lawn to have stripes, I just want it to be cut and look good, and please the customer.

 

[Carscw]

I found that stripping is the fastest way to cut a yard.

I would not have any one work for me that cuts in a circle. Why have a zero turn if you just going around in a circle?

I will tell you what I have seen over the years.
The guys that only worry about being fast have to do twice the yards as the guys that do the better job. To make the same money.

A few years ago I only used snapper push mowers. Stayed in one subdivision.

Started out doing 4 yards at $25 per man hour. With 2 of us. the average yard took a hour and a half. All we did was full service.
In 5 months we had 50 yards every week. Took every one of then from the guys with big mowers charging $20 a visit.
We charged 3 times more then the other guys and took their yards.

Why? Because we made the yards look good.

Start cutting all your customers yards as fast as you can in a circle. Then tell us how things are going.

The others guys cutting in neighborhood they charge more or less then you?

You do good work don't sacrifice that for a extra $25 a day.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I found that stripping is the fastest way to cut a yard.

I would not have any one work for me that cuts in a circle. Why have a zero turn if you just going around in a circle?

I will tell you what I have seen over the years.
The guys that only worry about being fast have to do twice the yards as the guys that do the better job. To make the same money.

A few years ago I only used snapper push mowers. Stayed in one subdivision.

Started out doing 4 yards at $25 per man hour. With 2 of us. the average yard took a hour and a half. All we did was full service.
In 5 months we had 50 yards every week. Took every one of then from the guys with big mowers charging $20 a visit.
We charged 3 times more then the other guys and took their yards.

Why? Because we made the yards look good.

Start cutting all your customers yards as fast as you can in a circle. Then tell us how things are going.

The others guys cutting in neighborhood they charge more or less then you?

You do good work don't sacrifice that for a extra $25 a day.

Everyone charges more than me. I don't want to be called a lowballer, but no one would take me seriously if I charged $50 to cut it with a push mower....the same price most "pros" charge in the area. I would love to keep cutting "back and forth" if my mower allows. My Billy Goat side discharge mower just was too messy to go back and forth, because there would be big rows of grass clumps.

 

[Carscw]

Everyone charges more than me. I don't want to be called a lowballer, but no one would take me seriously if I charged $50 to cut it with a push mower....the same price most "pros" charge in the area. I would love to keep cutting "back and forth" if my mower allows. My Billy Goat side discharge mower just was too messy to go back and forth, because there would be big rows of grass clumps.

Why are you charging less then the guys with the big mowers?
Do their yards look better then yours?

I know things are different everywhere.
Around here you would charge more then the guys with the big mowers.

People with really nice yards really do not want a big mower on it.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Why are you charging less then the guys with the big mowers?
Do their yards look better then yours?

I know things are different everywhere.
Around here you would charge more then the guys with the big mowers.

People with really nice yards really do not want a big mower on it.

I would love to charge more than the guys with the big mowers. But the thing is people hire me for 2 reasons it seems. Because I do quality work, and because my prices are cheaper. I can not see people hiring me if they knew I was going to charge them $60 to cut their grass. Though I work in a nice neighborhood, people are cheap! This one customer of mine wanted me to put mulch in all the beds around his property for $10 an hour. Give me a break.

 

[Ric]

Isn't striping the lawn the most efficient way to cut? Because chances are you are getting the longest length of the yard, and going back and forth that way, turning less times. But that being said I probably won't be able to stripe with the Toro because with side discharge I might have to go in a clockwise circle. So if that still makes the lawn look good, I am fine with doing it that way. I don't need the lawn to have stripes, I just want it to be cut and look good, and please the customer.

No I don't believe it is the most efficient way to mow a lawn. Since when is going over a lawn twice every other pass to bend grass the opposite directions to reflect light efficient? All you do is waste time and time is money. I don't no where mowing in circles came from but nobody does that either, in-fact I've never seen a homeowner lawn here you could mower in a circle. You can do a good job on a lawn with any mower, a Stander,ZTR, WB or push because they all will do a good job but it really doesn't come down to the lawn being mowed as much as it does the detail work.

You said I probably won't be able to stripe with the Toro because with side discharge I might have to go in a clockwise circle, why would you do that? With G5 or G6 blades you can mow the direction you want because your clippings will be so fine your not going to see them and your lawn will look good. There are plenty of good mowers you can get for under 6K and be more productive than some of the people are talkin about.