Commercial mowing. Anyone here do it?

NUTNDUN

NUTNDUN

Tractorologist
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Title says it all. I have been debating leaving an office job and start doing commercial and residential mowing. I would most likely do it part time on the weekends until I would build up some sort of customer base. Good thing is the wife carries our health insurance so the only thing I would loose out on would be my 401k.

Curious if any of the other members are doing this for a living and if you have any regrets or tips.
 
Good questions. My son does it part time for a buddy, his buddy wants to downsize and have my son buy out some of the accounts and equipment.
I have considered going into partnership with him providing some capitol and work.
From the news I received this week, I maybe needed a job by the end of the year anyway :(
 
I don't do it, but where I live here in PEI, there are many many business doing grass cutting, both commercial and residential. Base cut, residential 1/4 to 1/2 acre is around $40.00, I think, and goes up from there. I know one guy who works for a company, and doesn't care for the residential people who never clean up after their dog in the yard.

Noel
 
TAHOE said:
Good questions. My son does it part time for a buddy, his buddy wants to downsize and have my son buy out some of the accounts and equipment.
I have considered going into partnership with him providing some capitol and work.
From the news I received this week, I maybe needed a job by the end of the year anyway :(
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If I remember right you were driving for Pepsi? Are they closing shop? Very sorry to hear.
 
Propane1 said:
I don't do it, but where I live here in PEI, there are many many business doing grass cutting, both commercial and residential. Base cut, residential 1/4 to 1/2 acre is around $40.00, I think, and goes up from there. I know one guy who works for a company, and doesn't care for the residential people who never clean up after their dog in the yard.

Noel
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It would suck running over poo in the yard all the time. Might have to add a cleaning fee if that is the case. I am sure doing residential properties is also more difficult just dealing with the people as I am sure they are pickier than the businesses.
 
NUTNDUN said:
It would suck running over poo in the yard all the time. Might have to add a cleaning fee if that is the case. I am sure doing residential properties is also more difficult just dealing with the people as I am sure they are pickier than the businesses.
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There is local business here that does quite well making weekly/daily or whatever visits cleaning up dog doo. They do quite well!
Low overhead for sure.
 
Part time here with my sister's boyfriend. We make ok sometimes but mowing only last here until it get hot then the grass get fried. I know a guy up that way that works for a lawn company that makes several million a year some kind of fancy company. He left a service manager job at a big dealership to go work for them.
 
olcowhand said:
George, Marty works at some sort of ink company, possibly "Flint Ink" or "Flint Group".
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exactly, I am a QC lab tech for a pigment company. The digital age has shrank the pigment industry a ton in the last 15 yrs along with some other changes in industry as in technology/buyouts, etc, we may lose a lot of business come here summer, enough to reduce us to a either shoestring crew or close the doors completely.
 
Guess you would kind of have to case out the current market and see what the competition is , may be able to make a go at it if not many doing it in the area .
Biggest thing would be the initial cost investment of equipment / trailer ect / Insurance .

The mower industry is really hurting for legit mechanics these days no one is getting into it , there is some money to be made there if you want to wrench on other peoples stuff.
 
Like any business if there is any money in it in your area there is competition. If you go to the library you can check news papers for adds. and try to get a handle on the market activity in your area. I know when I drive into Spokane in summer I see landscape trucks and trailers everywhere. Varied from relative new vehicles decked out with all high class equipment to an old Escort with a lawn mower stuck in the trunk. You have to find your nich and then decide if you want to fill it. Don
 
Bolens 1000 said:
Guess you would kind of have to case out the current market and see what the competition is , may be able to make a go at it if not many doing it in the area .
Biggest thing would be the initial cost investment of equipment / trailer ect / Insurance .

The mower industry is really hurting for legit mechanics these days no one is getting into it , there is some money to be made there if you want to wrench on other peoples stuff.
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I agree. I am sure there is a lack of mechanics and techs to work on the equipment now a days. The only thing that helps me is I already have a truck and trailer due to the tractor shows to haul the mowers. I also need to get a new mower anyway so I plan on getting a nice zero turn to mow at the house. With working 40+ hours a week not including 45 minutes travel each way I want to make sure mowing around the house doesn’t take more than an hour or so. If I am going to spend the money on a decent zero turn I would rather get one that will be the last mower I need to buy and also be one that I could use to possibly pursue mowing commercially.

I actually already put a deposit on a Scag Turf Tiger 2 with a 61” deck and 37hp Briggs EFI. I know for our two acres that it is pretty much overkill but it also lends so many possibilities to what I may want to do in the future.
 
In my neighborhood where I live the typical price is around $75.00 for around a 1/4 acre lot with trimming and edging. They also do all the leaf gathering and landscape maintenance throughout the year at additional costs. There's one guy that does around 12 home on my street. That start at one end and just keep moving from one end of the street to the other all in one day.
 
NUTNDUN said:
I agree. I am sure there is a lack of mechanics and techs to work on the equipment now a days. The only thing that helps me is I already have a truck and trailer due to the tractor shows to haul the mowers. I also need to get a new mower anyway so I plan on getting a nice zero turn to mow at the house. With working 40+ hours a week not including 45 minutes travel each way I want to make sure mowing around the house doesn’t take more than an hour or so. If I am going to spend the money on a decent zero turn I would rather get one that will be the last mower I need to buy and also be one that I could use to possibly pursue mowing commercially.

I actually already put a deposit on a Scag Turf Tiger 2 with a 61” deck and 37hp Briggs EFI. I know for our two acres that it is pretty much overkill but it also lends so many possibilities to what I may want to do in the future.
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George I was a HUGE fan of Hustler zero turns. Have had 2 different ones in the past 4 years upgrading from their absolute smallest entry model to a 54" cut model. Last year my one buddy was borrowing a new Toro with a Turbo Force deck on it while his Hustler was being fixed. I assist my other buddy who does commercial mowing on the side from his day job and we had the opportunity to use the Toro one week and after 1 night of it I was hooked on that deck! I ended up buying a new Toro and ditching my Hustler and have zero regrets. My budd that does the commercial mowing has a Hustler X one with a VX4 deck on it and my Turbo force easily keeps up with it. I can and have mow'n up to 6" of thick heavy wet grass at full tilt and it cuts it clean and distributes it evenly without clumps. I was bent on either a Bad Boy or a Scag until I ran the Toro. I think it would be hard now to convince me to go back to anything else. It just flat out performs.

Just my .02 cents.
 
Texas Horses Hogs and Deeres said:
In my neighborhood where I live the typical price is around $75.00 for around a 1/4 acre lot with trimming and edging. They also do all the leaf gathering and landscape maintenance throughout the year at additional costs. There's one guy that does around 12 home on my street. That start at one end and just keep moving from one end of the street to the other all in one day.
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Wow. We only get $35 a yard here
 
I have found that it is more than just cutting grass. I have a nephew that does it and he had to learn about hedge trimming, plant care, fertilizer for grass and plants and so on. In his case his customers wanted someone that could do it all rather than several companies. As mentioned, what does one do over the winter. If plenty of snow a person can clean driveways and parking lots. Some of the new zero turns have snow blade attachments now, not sure about snow blowers.
Guess a person can get pretty deep into yard careif the markets demands it.
As you already know, choose your market and focus your efforts on that. Always be prepared for curve balls.
I am sure you will succeed. Wish you much success.
 
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