Handyman getting into grass cutting - Page 2 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Always Greener · 10-28-2007, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2500hd

Hey guys i've been in the handyman buisness for a while and want to expand into lawn care. need advice on buying a riding lawn mower best bang for the buck!and that can fit in back of my chevy 2500hd.Thanks for the help

This is a joke right??? Why do you think you can just get into the lawn business and make money with a mower? Just because I have a hammer does not mean I can get into home buliding...I will tell you right now you will not survive on mowing lawns. I can tell you are already a low baller just by your question. If you need advice on a mower, you need to get out of it now..Why don't you work on what you already know and improve on that instead of getting into something you will regret.

woodmagman · 10-28-2007, 05:27 PM

I have a hammer and a goat! Do you think, I would need to contract the clean up to a sub-contractor once the goat finished with the grass. You know what I mean....Pooooop. Or could I charge extra for organic ferilizer...just a thought.

woodmagman · 10-28-2007, 05:27 PM

oh yeh...I use the hammer to get the goats attention...

aWorkaHolic · 10-28-2007, 05:45 PM

Just out of curiosity and not offended any landscape tradesmen.

But !!!!

If your a handy man, why not work your self up in the construction field rather then mow lawns????

Always Greener · 10-29-2007, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aWorkaHolic

Just out of curiosity and not offended any landscape tradesmen.

But !!!!

If your a handy man, why not work your self up in the construction field rather then mow lawns????

This is what I said in my last post.."Why don't you work on what you already know and improve on that instead of getting into something you will regret".

JumboJack · 10-29-2007, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Always Greener

This is a joke right??? Why do you think you can just get into the lawn business and make money with a mower? Just because I have a hammer does not mean I can get into home buliding...I will tell you right now you will not survive on mowing lawns. I can tell you are already a low baller just by your question. If you need advice on a mower, you need to get out of it now..Why don't you work on what you already know and improve on that instead of getting into something you will regret.

Ain't that the truth.I know of a LOT of guys that have a paintbrush but they sure are not painters....

Always Greener · 11-01-2007, 06:26 AM

[quote=2500hd;274629]dam see there wont be to much help here , sighned my first 11 contracts in two days of advertising.thanks for the help

[/QUOTE

Are you doing residential or commercial??

RJ Lindblom · 11-23-2007, 10:27 AM

Seems like everyone mows lawns. I think handyman expanding into remodels etc would be a better fit in the grand business scheme.

A W Smith · 11-23-2007, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodmagman

I have a hammer and a goat! Do you think, I would need to contract the clean up to a sub-contractor once the goat finished with the grass. You know what I mean....Pooooop. Or could I charge extra for organic ferilizer...just a thought.

You have a goat? Did you go to goat class?

+ YouTube Video

JayShorter · 12-02-2007, 11:22 PM

Go to ebay and look up SLE Equiptment. They are in Tennesse but they saved me close to 3,ooo and they sell package deals (trailer, mowers, blowers, trimmers, sulky, and racks for the trimmers) you can upgrade to whatever equiptment suits your needs and finance everything through Toro.

LNG24 · 12-07-2007, 09:46 PM

Now is a great time to pick up used stuff. Check out http://www.craigslist.com Make sure you search outside of your area if you don't find anything local.

I got my woodstove in Vermont (3 hours away

) and my Exmark 48" Metro Mower on the other side of the river (an hour away). I love the Exmark because it was hardly used and saved me a ton of green! Works great on my little acre.

I searched on e-bay and craigs list for a while before finding it.

As far as the guys saying Stay in Construction....WHY?
First off, Most of us are self employed. We got into this field because we wanted to. Not because someone said "You have to be a..."

For what ever reason, he wants to start mowing lawns. Around here, every NYC Fireman, Policeman and even the local CSEA employees for the towns and state, have a side job mowing lawns. Like someone else said, you are not going to make a living out of mowing lawns! But you can begin a business that can grow quite large by STARTING OUT mowing lawns.

So for what ever reason you want to do this, just follow two rules: Do It Well and Plan it out!

Hell, I was in Retail for 12 years before I decided that my little hobby of cabinet making was calling me. After one year doing it full time, I hated it! Back to retail for Plan B. I started my next biz. Excavating with a pick and shovel. learned what to do and then went out and bought myself some BIG Toys. Today I am both a Principal Broker in a Real Estate company as well as a Contractor/Handyman and right now I am looking at adding Firewood Processing to my long long resume.

I for one, do not believe you do what you have to because thats what you do. I do what I enjoy and when I don't I move on. And the person whom I helped start their "Lawn Mowing" business...today they have a full landscaping crew, Hydroseeding, Logging and Excavation with two Mitsubushie Dumps, A Tri Axle Dump and a Logging Truck, Hydro Seeder and numerous Mowers, trimmer, etc. We started that with one 48" Walk Behind, 1 string trimmer, 1 backpack blower and a push blower and a Mitsu Dump.

GO FOR IT

jtpro · 07-10-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LNG24

As far as the guys saying Stay in Construction....WHY?
First off, Most of us are self employed. We got into this field because we wanted to. Not because someone said "You have to be a..."

For what ever reason, he wants to start mowing lawns. Around here, every NYC Fireman, Policeman and even the local CSEA employees for the towns and state, have a side job mowing lawns. Like someone else said, you are not going to make a living out of mowing lawns! But you can begin a business that can grow quite large by STARTING OUT mowing lawns.

So for what ever reason you want to do this, just follow two rules: Do It Well and Plan it out!

Hell, I was in Retail for 12 years before I decided that my little hobby of cabinet making was calling me. After one year doing it full time, I hated it! Back to retail for Plan B. I started my next biz. Excavating with a pick and shovel. learned what to do and then went out and bought myself some BIG Toys. Today I am both a Principal Broker in a Real Estate company as well as a Contractor/Handyman and right now I am looking at adding Firewood Processing to my long long resume.

I for one, do not believe you do what you have to because thats what you do. I do what I enjoy and when I don't I move on. And the person whom I helped start their "Lawn Mowing" business...today they have a full landscaping crew, Hydroseeding, Logging and Excavation with two Mitsubushie Dumps, A Tri Axle Dump and a Logging Truck, Hydro Seeder and numerous Mowers, trimmer, etc. We started that with one 48" Walk Behind, 1 string trimmer, 1 backpack blower and a push blower and a Mitsu Dump.

GO FOR IT

AWESOME!!!!!!

NOT intended to offend all you "REAL" landscapers(the ones that provide horticultural services such as plants, fertilization etc.)

Here in Jax Fl EVERYONE seems to have a "yard"(NOT LANDSCAPE) business. I have three guys in a 2 block radius of my house that each have a blower a push and riding mower a weed eater and edger. They know what I do for a living yet when it comes to remodeling or doing "handy man" services for a client THEY do it to the best of their ability.

Another guy I know is a roofer same scenario!(INCLUDING PAINTING

) In this economy we are ALL getting SHAFTED! When construction related
trades are starting to suffer UNFOURTUNATELY some of you guys i.e. landscapers might loose a few customers to guys "branching out".

hell I've seen guys running around with a beat up push mower in the trunk of an old car cutting lawns for $10-$20 do they offer ALL the services of a "landscaper"? NO but some don't care.

Seeing a bagillian yard guys/landscapers running around here makes me think the money I have in just two of my saws one of my compressors and a portable thickness planer(ALL have been collecting the WRONG kind of dust lately

) I could have a decent edger,trimmer,blower,pushmower and possibly an adequate used rider.(NOT A ZTR! but a johnny homeowner)

SelfContract · 07-10-2009, 04:38 PM

competition = killing

DMDesigns · 07-22-2009, 01:53 PM

Goto Youtube and type in

The Red Green Show - SOLUTION to all our problems...

mnjconstruction · 07-22-2009, 03:10 PM

I dont see anything wrong with you wanting to mow some lawns. Between that and your handyman buisness you should do well. I have a large contruction company and also own a property maintence company. We do lawns, plowing, janitorial work, lightbulbs, trash removal and whatever else they need. I started the maintence company by plowing a few driveways for extra cash in the winter when contruction was slow. Then got talked into doing a few lawns. I dont advertise mowing lawns never have but now I have 20 to do. And have over 30 drives to plow in winter. Got one building that we do full time maintence in. i'm not saying I get rich doing this stuff, but I do make around 18k a year profit. And thats a little extra money that comes in handy!

slowforthecones · 07-22-2009, 03:22 PM

There is nothing wrong with a handyman trying to make a few bucks. I have a problem when a Handyman goes beyond his scope of abilities legally and knowledge wise venturing into construction/remodel/home additions. A handyman is simply a guy that does simple repairs.

mrmike · 07-22-2009, 04:46 PM

You gotta have the speed & Power If you want to make money Mowing Lawns !

ChainsawCharlie · 07-22-2009, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnjconstruction

I dont see anything wrong with you wanting to mow some lawns.

The OP hasn't posted in over 2 years. If you read some of his handyman posts, it appears he was destined to fail. Judging by his comments, he was in the handyman biz for about 4 months before deciding to expand into lawn care, and may well have gone back to punching a clock.

lesson learned-don't go into business attempting something you have no skills for, but if you do, don't try and jump into another trade after just a few months.

slowforthecones · 07-22-2009, 11:49 PM

I have a dislike for handymans because they mis-represent themselves as contractors or home improvement contractors (remodeling). what a pile of crap sheet that is around here in California. Bunch of jokers... dont get me started on the illegal amigos.

mikeswoods · 07-28-2009, 06:35 PM