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Archive for category lawn equipment

Tanaka TBL-7800R 65cc 4-2/7 HP 2-Stroke Backpack Blower with Tube-Mounted Throttle

Oct 28

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

Hi Everyone:

I just ran across this deal on Amazon.com and want to throw it your way in case you are looking for a new leaf blower. According to Amazon there are only 4 of these units left. They are selling them for $525 with free Super Saver shipping. Buying from Amazon means you (probably) don’t have to pay sales tax. I am not in the market for a new leaf blower right now but if I were, I would buy this today. I will include the link for you below. Also, while you’re looking, don’t forget to purchase your sight and hearing protection. If you buy this leaf blower, let us know how it works out for you.

Tail Lights for your Lawn Mower Trailer

Jun 29

Posted by Lawn Care Business in customers, enclosed trailer, equipment, lawn equipment | 1 Comment

by: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Smashed against a tree.

Knocked off when backing into the equipment shed.

Destroyed by an errant runaway lawn mower.

I cannot count the number of times I have had to repair or replace lawn mower trailer taillights. I remember fitting a new set of taillights on a trailer and the very next day a dropped weedeater caused a wire to come loose and I had to repair the connection before driving back to the shop that evening.

As frustrating as they are, tail lights are a necessary component of lawn mower trailers for your lawn care business.

As it was getting dark one night last week, I snapped a photograph of this lawn care business owner’s lawn mower trailer.

Hauling a lawn mower trailer with nonworking lights causes three potential scenarios:

1) You send an unprofessional business image to your potential clients. If a potential client sees that you are willing to operate your equipment in a nonprofessional manner, they may very well skip your company and choose a company that takes better care of its lawn care equipment.

2) Police can ticket the driver for nonworking trailer lights. This is especially true if the police catch you driving like this after dark.

3) You might cause a road accident. Other drivers that don’t see your trailer might cut behind you too close and clip your trailer. Also, if your vehicle’s taillights are obstructed by your lawn mower trailer or landscaping equipment on the trailer, other drivers might not see your brake lights and crash into you when you are stopping.

In your lawn mowing business, always make maintenance and safety a high priority. Lawn mower trailer lights should be functional at all times. As for me, I will attempt to not drop any more weedeaters on wiring harnesses or smash into trees when backing up.

If you are looking to operate a professional lawn care / landscaping business, take a look at our “Start A Lawn Care Business” business course. It is FILLED with information and business tools to help you be a success with your business.

You can find it on our main website:
http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com
Start A Lawn Care Business

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Stolen Weedeaters, Trimmers, and other Lawn Care Equipment

May 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in enclosed trailer, equipment, lawn business strategies, lawn equipment, lawn mowers, leaf blowers | No Comments

by: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

As you begin to acquire new lawn care business equipment, take into consideration that your equipment needs to be protected not only from the weather but it also needs to be protected from thieves.

One of our readers sent us an article on a lawn care equipment company that was targeted by thieves earlier this month. This article makes me want to remind you to keep and eye on your equipment while you are servicing your lawn care customers. I have heard many stories of string trimmers mysteriously vanishing while the lawn care business owners are in the back yard cutting grass or blowing off the back deck.

If you can’t keep your equipment within eyesight, consider buying locks for the equipment, keeping it in a locked van, or use and enclosed trailer to keep your equipment safe.

It is very disappointing to work hard making money, pouring that money back into your business by buying expensive and reliable equipment, and having that equipment stolen. Not only is the equipment expensive but it takes time and effort to buy the correct equipment. Being without your lawn mower, trimmer, or blower can cost you a lot of money in down time and you might even lose customers as a result of not being able to service them properly and in a timely manner.

So, do yourself a favor and lock your equipment when it is not in use at your job site. Also, lock it at night when it is stored at your home or place of business.

Be safe out there.

Be a Professional. Our “Start A Lawn Care Business” training manuals and business software will help you develop a professional lawn care business strategy for your business. Want to make more money this year with your lawn care business…check our our course: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Refillable Propane Tank Debate Rages On

May 12

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn equipment, propane, start a lawn care business, weedeaters | 10 Comments

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Judging by the quantity of email we received last week on our recent post about the viability of propane powered weed trimmers and their taking over the lawn care 2-cycle engine market, we feel we are correct in thinking that propane is making a strong toe-hold into the lawn care market.

There is one question we are continuously asked; “Is it legal to refill and transport 1 lb. propane canisters in the use of my Lawn Care Business.”

To be quite up front and honest, we are not 100% sure of the answer to this question. There is lots of debate to this question and without a clear understanding to the answer, our stance is that you should research the correct answer yourself. If you find a complete and easily understood answer, please let us know.

We have heard differing theories on this law. A commenter on www.Instructables.com posted this information:

There is no federal (U.S.) contraint whatsoever on refilling a tank, nor for that matter on transporting such a tank whereever you want (provided it is not a federally-controlled road with restrictions on hazardous materials, which is a section of the CFR that nobody here has bothered to point out). There could not possibly ever be any such global constraint on your right to do so under the 10th Amendment. The cited regulations and laws deal specifically with transport in commerce, that is, transport across state lines for the purpose of selling the tank or using them in support of a commercial enterprise (and, under several federal court cases dating back to the 1930s, commercial transport on federally controlled roads – the so-called “implied commerce” argument that gave us the FDA and EPA). The second item is this talk about it being illegal to transport, even in commerce, REFILLED tanks. That is nonsense. It is not illegal to transport a refilled tank, it is illegal to commercially transport improperly LABELED tanks – if you read the citation for 49 U.S.C. 5124 (that’s the one with the prison sentences and all) you’ll see that it establishes penalties for violation of 21 U.S.C. 5104. Section 5104, in turn, is not a REFILLING statue, it is a LABELING statue. The moment you refill a tank you may or may not have created a fire hazard, but you a very definitely created a mislabeled product – and that’s what is illegal.

If you are considering refilling 1 lb. propane bottles, using them in weedeaters or other lawn care equipment, and/or transporting them as a due course of your business, our main fallback answer is to tell you to read the label of your 1 lb. propane bottle. It clearly states:

Never Refill This Cylinder. Refilling may cause explosion. Federal law forbids transportation if refilled – penalty up to $500,000 and 5 years imprisonment (49 U.S.C. 5124)

Look at #5 in this picture:

refilling propane bottles is dangerous and against the law if transported

If you are running propane powered lawn care equipment, we would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment.  Also, if you are operating a lawn care business and want to learn about the latest lawn care equipment, check out our lawn care business guidebooks and estimating software located at our main website:

Start A Lawn Care Business

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lehr Propane Powered Lawn Equipment

May 1

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn business strategies, lawn equipment, propane, weedeaters | 4 Comments

Propane powered trimmers, lawn mowers, and other lawn equipment are slowly, but steadily, becoming a dominant force in the green industry.

If you keep up with our lawn care business blog, you know we believe that propane-powered equipment will gradually overtake the use of gasoline powered equipment in the industry. This won’t happen overnight but during the next 5 to 10 years this trend will continue to strengthen.

You’ve probably seen our video review on the Lehr propane powered string trimmer. Though Lehr is a major player in the residential propane trimmer industry, there’s a bigger point here on which we want to focus. Lehr is a specific instance in an industry wide trend of a move toward propane powered equipment. With each new trade show we attend, we see progressively more companies introducing propane powered equipment. Ferris Industries, Dixie Chopper, eXmark, and others are testing propane on their commercial mowers.

2-cycle engines are notoriously dirty. Yes, propane string trimmers use oil. But, unlike traditional 2-cycle motors, propane engines use that oil for internal lubrication only. Oil is not burned with the fuel source in a propane engine. The statistics I’ve seen state that propane emits 98% less evaporative emissions and ozone depleting hydrocarbons than an oil-fuel mixed 2-cycle trimmer.

The strongest reason that propane will become a dominant force is a series of EPA pollution regulations taking effect the next two years that govern small engines such as 2-cycle engines and lawn mower engines. Manufacturers are being forced to reduce their evaporative emissions by 35%. Propane power is a very viable alternative to gasoline powered equipment and the lawn industry is embracing it.

As we’ve noted before, Lehr knows that the current state of propane powered engines is not yet completely ideal. The difficulty in using refillable 1lb. tanks in a commercial operation and the need for commercial quality units are two issues they are trying to tackle. The CEO is a very genuine guy and his company is making great headway in the industry.

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Keep Your Commercial Lawn Mower Blades Sharp

Apr 26

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care business, lawn equipment, lawn mowers, maintenance | 1 Comment

Sharpen your commercial lawn mower blades to reduce browning of the lawn and water loss.

The mowing season has been in full swing for a month. If you are cutting an average of 10 lawns each day, 5 days per week, you may have already cut 200 with your new lawn mower blades. Are you sharpening them as often as you should? Sharp blades produce much more professional cuts to your lawns and makes the grass look better than dull or damaged blades.

sharpen lawn mower blades on schedule

Dull blades tend to tear grass leaving a ragged edge to the top of the grass. A ragged edge means there is more surface area of the grass to turn brown. More surface area also increases the amount of water transpired to the atmoshphere from the edge of the grass. Increased water loss is hazardous to grass health especially during the hot, dry summer days.

Sharpen you lawn mower blades as part of your normal lawn mower maintenance schedule.

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Ferris Evolution Commercial Lawn Mower

Apr 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, lawn care business, lawn equipment, lawn mowers | 1 Comment

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The Ferris Industries Evolution Commercial Lawn Mower has been on the market for several months. I dropped by a Ferris dealer last week to get some updates on the mower and hear how the commercial guys like the mower for their mowing businesses.

Ferris Industries Evolution Commercial Lawn Mower

The seat reminds me of a crotch rocket motorcycle. Though I think the lawn mower would be fun to ride and the seat position give the operator a great over-deck view of his cutting area, I wonder about the comfort of riding such a mower for 6 hours per day. Operator fatigue is a huge issue in commercial lawn equipment selection. The Evolution’s operator compartment looks confining. Without the ability to shift body positions, is the evolution more fatiguing than other commercial mowing machines.

With the capability to mow 5.1 acres per hour, the Evolution is a formidable grass cutting machine. That mowing rate is impressive for most any landscaping company with serious grass to cut. I like the deck design and the operator’s positioning for a great view of the cutting deck and grass area.

If you have demoed this mower or if you own a Ferris Industries Evolution commercial lawn mower, I would like to hear your thought on the machine.

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25% Off Landscaping and Lawn Care Safety Supplies

Apr 8

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, lawn care safety, lawn care videos, lawn equipment, work boots | 1 Comment

Amazon.com contacted us this morning to let us know they are offering 25% off lawn care and landscaping safety supplies. We want to share the link they sent us. This is a great opportunity to buy all your safety equipment at a great sale price. Hearing protection, eye protection, gloves, safety boots, high-vis protective clothing, safety boots, and more are important protection in your lawn care business.

We hope you will make your own safety, as well as the safety of your employees, a top priority this year. I was speaking with someone just the other day who doesn’t believe in wearing protective footware when mowing the grass. “I’ve mowed for years in nothing but shorts and sneakers and nothing’s happened to me yet.” Our thoughts on this is that millions of people mow in shorts and tennis shoes each year without incident. However, it only takes on slip-up for a lawn mower blade to sever a foot or a weedeater line to cause a nasty gash in your shin.

Since you will be mowing hundreds or thousands of lawns this year, your chance of a slip-up increases over that of a typical homeowner. Please wear proper safety equipment during your lawn care work.

If you need safety supplies this year, please use the link above.

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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.

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