Start A Lawn Care Business

Lawn Care Business Tips and Advice

Archive for category lawn equipment

Lawn Mower Racing

Mar 10

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, lawn care business, lawn equipment, lawn mowers | 2 Comments

I’ve heard about lawn mower racing for a number of years.   Though I had never been to a race, I had heard they were great fun.  So, a few weeks ago, I discoverd a lawn mower racing track about 30 miles from my home and I decided to check it out.  I took some video for you.  I hope you enjoy:

As I watched the races, I couldn’t help think how a lawn care company could take advantage of the marketing aspects of lawn mower racing. There are a few options, I suppose. A lawn care company could sponsor a team and have their logo affixed to the lawn mower and on the sleeves of the race crew. OR (and I think this would be the most fun) a lawn care company could run their own mower in the race and give out free tee-shirts to all the spectators. I think this would be a huge marketing tool to get their name into the community.

There’s a downside to this though, I spoke with a few of the racers. They say they spend way more money on their sport than they make in sponsorships from advertisers.

Still, I think it would be great fun and an interesting way to advertise your lawn care business.

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That’s Hot!

Jan 10

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, lawn care business, lawn equipment, maintenance, toys | No Comments

Like me, one of the things you probably love about operating a lawn care business is your ability to buy new toys and gadgets.

Toys and gadgets can be expensive lawn mowers and 4 wheelers to pull a spray tank. Or the toys can be less expensive tools that are fun to use while still providing a beneficial service for your company.

I received a neat device this morning that is sure to come in handy for your lawn care business. I want to quickly pass along the information in blog format. Check out our YouTube Lawn Care Business channel for an upcoming video.

Today’s neat device is the Ryobi IR001 Infra Red Thermometer.

This “non-contact thermometer” remotely measures the temperature of any object. Quite simply, you point the device at an object you want to measure, pull the tigger, and you are giving the object’s temperature to within 5 degrees.

Now, you might wonder how this non-contact thermometer can be useful to a lawn care business. I’ve already found two uses.

1) Checking the spindle temperature helps determine if lawn mower blade spindles are lubricated and functioning correctly. This will be especially handy on lawn mowers with multiple spindles. Comparing temperatures between spindles will help you determine if one spindle is functioning better than the other. If one spindle is significantly hotter than the others, the hot spindle may be misaligned or undergreased. A hotter spindle mean more friction. More frictions means harder work performed by your engine and more wear and tear on your components.

2) Engine temperature. Abnormally high operating temperatures can cause premature engine damage. The IR temperature gun can give you an indication of high engine and/or exhaust temperatures which may lead to discovery (and repair) of an existing problem.

I’ll include an Amazon.com link for you below. They are offering a decent price with FREE SHIPPING.

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RedMax Leaf Blower Video Review

Jan 6

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care videos, lawn equipment, leaf blowers | No Comments

Hi Everyone:

This is Keith from www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com. Today, I am reviewing the RedMax EBZ8001 Commercial backpack blower.

My brand new 8001 arrived well boxed in sturdy corrugated packaging. Apart from the blower tubes, the unit itself was fully assembled. A standard wrench, a hex wrench, and a sparkplug wrench were included for quick assembly of the blower tubes and standard maintenance.

With my order, the folks at RedMax were kind enough to include 6 bottles of 50:1 2 cycle oil.

The first thing I noticed about the RedMax was its considerable heavy duty construction. Its size over normal consumer model backpack blowers is impressive.

The RedMax 8001 is powered by an air cooled 2-cycle engine. The engine size is a massive 71.9cc’s capable of moving 915 cubic feet per minute at over 200 mph. It has a digital ignition for easy start and uninterrupted operation.

I was very impressed with the construction of the air filter chamber. Poor air filter design shortens the life of many consumer model blowers. The RedMax 8001 relies on a 2 stage air filter. The first stage is a foam filter. This is a dry filter and RedMax does not recommend oiling the foam stage before use. The second stage is a paper filter. This filter system is vital to long life of engines subject to dusty environments. Access to the filter chamber is made easy by two red oversized tightening knobs at the top of the unit. After mixing 1 bottle of 2 cycle oil with 1 gallon of gasoline, I was ready to fuel my blower. RedMax recommends the use of non-ethonal enhanced fuels as Gasohol can cause deterioration of rubber and/or plastic parts. This made finding gasoline difficult since all gas stations in my area sell E-10 fuel. With a fuel tank capacity of 77.7 fluid ounces and a fuel consumption rate of 64.3 fluid ounces per hour, the RedMax 8001 should be able to operate for well over one hour of continuous use between refuelings.

Engine throttle is adjusted during use by the operator via a control arm. The control arm swivels into position for easy access during use. A red stop button on the control arm allows the operator to switch the engine off when work is completed.

Airflow is directed by use of a swivel tube, a flex tube, and extended blower tubes. A grip assembly allows the operator to direct airflow to the desired area.

Starting procedure is the same as most two cycle lawn equipment engines. Throttle is set and a primer bulb is depressed approximately 6 times. The engine cranks with a pull rope. My engine normally cranks by the 1st or 2nd pull.

With a 200 mph stream of air, the Redmax makes quick work of heavy leaf cover. Moving 915 CFM of air, leaves that would otherwise be able to hide around the corners of this picnic table are quickly done away with.

When my work was complete, I decided to have some fun while learning more about the Redmax. Stepping on a scale with the throttle on low, my weight was 194 lbs. Opening the throttle all the way and pointing the blower tube straight down, the Redmax provided 7 lbs of thrust reducing my weight to 187 lbs.

Next, I did the brick test. Placing a standard brick on a concrete patio surface, the redmax was able to blow the brick over 63 inches.

Lastly, I put the Redmax’s 7 lbs of thrust to use on a blower powered lawn cart. I don’t recommend you try this as I almost fell out of the cart.

Warning: Follow all safety precautions included in your blower’s instruction manual.

I would like to thank Redmax as well as lawn and garden webvision.

Please visit our website at: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com for more product reviews and help in starting and operating your lawn care business.

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Buy Clearance Commercial Lawn Mowers

Nov 23

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, financing, lawn equipment, lawn mowers, winter | 2 Comments

2009 is dragging to a close and 2010 is barely a month away. 

Wait!!!  WHAT??? 

2010 is just a month away, I can’t believe we’re already at 2010.

Anyway, this year is no different than any other year in that lawn mower dealers are trying to blow out their old models in preparation for next years crop of commercial lawn mowers.

I see this every year.  If you have the storage capacity and can afford to let a new lawn mower sit idle until next mowing season, right now is a great time to get a good deal on a brand new lawn mower.  If you can’t afford to buy a lawn mower and let it sit all winter, dealers will often give you great deals on financing and start payments in the spring of next year.

2009 Lawn Mower Clearance

You can often save 10% to 20% on old model lawn mower.

As the grass growth is slowing down, take some time to visit your local commercial lawn mower dealers.  You may be able to make a deal on a perfectly new (though slightly outdated) commercial lawn mower.

If you find a lawn mower you want to buy, ask the deal to service it before the sale is complete.  Though oil and other fluids haven’t been used much, get the deal to replace all fluids, check all bolts and fasteners, lubricate all lubrication points, and replace the battery with a fresh one.  If your new lawn mower will be sitting for the rest of this winter, have your dealer add a recommended fuel stabilizer.

If you want to learn more about purchasing commercial lawn equipment for your lawn care business, our guidebook has an entire chapter dedicated to buying new and used equipment.

Check our website for complete information: 

Start A Lawn Care Business

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Your Lawn Care Business and Code Orange Days

Nov 6

Posted by Lawn Care Business in environment, lawn business strategies, lawn care business, lawn equipment, propane | 3 Comments

Air quality issues increasingly impact Lawn Care Business owners.

I am writing this blog post looking through my window on a crystal clear November morning. The sky is colbalt blue and distant Tennessee mountains appear close enough to touch. There is a slight breeze and the frosty morning air is brisk and fresh.

Though crisp November mornings distance me from the thoughts of smoggy Summers days, a billboard I saw this morning forced me to realize the effects air pollution has on our industry.

code_orange

Billboards and other Public Service Announcements have popped up in recent months throughout the southeast. These announcements encourage us to drive less and mow less on Code Orange days.

A Code Orange alert is announced when air pollution is predicted to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups. Typically, code orange levels are between 101 and 150 on the air quality index.

Lawn care equipment produce high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides. Two-cycle equipment such as weedeaters and leaf blowers are particularly high polluters. Oil mixed with gasoline causes very high levels of particulates released in exhaust fumes.

As air quality regulations begin to restrict our movements as an industry, opportunities are created which allow us to become an environmentally sensitive industry.

At recent lawn care trade shows, I am continually impressed to see equipment manufacturers furthering their research into low-polluting machines. The largest progress is being made with propane powered string trimmers and lawn mowers.

Propane powered lawn equipment dramatically reduces the air quality lowering effects of traditional commercial lawn mowers and two-cycled weedeaters and leaf blowers. As manufacturers produce higher quality and lower priced propane powered lawn equipment, our jobs of remaining EPA compliant will become easier.

Lawn care companies that begin the process of upgrading their equipment to propane power will find themselves in unique positions of being able to continue to operate their businesses during code orange days.

Next time you see a billboard reminding you not to mow on Code Orange days, think of it not as a restriction to your lawn care business but as an opportunity for you to distance yourself from your competition.

The “Start A Lawn Care Business” guidebooks, estimating software, and training videos will help you run a better lawn care business.
Order your copy at: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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