new to snow removal

[caddy0291]

This is my first year of lawn care and Im already getting customers asking about snow removal,my question is what equipment do I need to get? I will be doing between 10-20 driveways, Also will a snow blower fit in the back of a tahoe or do I hook my trailer up to haul the snow blower around which is the more common practice?

[stevef1201]

Lawn care business tips

I cannot answer that question directly becasue I don't know what kind of blower you have. having said that I can only add The biggest mistake that new people make in this business is they don not think of all the things that go along with 'mowing the grasss'. I mean mulch, hedge trimming, tree trimming, flower bed installations, tree planting, softscapeing deign, gutter cleaning, power wasing, snow removal. etc. If you con't plan on making money with this business then maybe you should thin about doing something else. I cannot tell you the amount of bisuess I have taken away from 'lawn mower' because they did not offer anyting else. Remember the Massey services commercial, well it's true. Every one needs to think about how to get thier equipment around, what equipment they need, and how to do all of the different aspects of this business. good luck

[Hedgemaster]

Originally Posted by caddy0291

This is my first year of lawn care and Im already getting customers asking about snow removal,my question is what equipment do I need to get? I will be doing between 10-20 driveways, Also will a snow blower fit in the back of a tahoe or do I hook my trailer up to haul the snow blower around which is the more common practice?

Equipment?
A snowblower or two
Shovels (GOOD ones)
Ice melt


I don't know if others use their trailer in the winter, but last winter I was worried about the trailer sliding on icy roads, as well as the added difficulty of finding a place to park with snow piled up everywhere, so I just kept my trailer under a tarp for the winter.

You could probably fit a small, single stage blower in the Tahoe.
Personally, I don't like lifting heavy crap, so I use a cargo carrier. (It's actually a mobility scooter carrier purchased at Harbor Freight) I also have a big, two stage blower that is way too heavy to lift.

Problem solved.







One "mistake" I made was buying a big blower first. It's great for deep, wet snow - eats right through it, but for the average snowfall amounts we get here, it's overkill. I would have been better suited with a single stage blower.
Also note that the single stage units tend to clear all the way to the surface, as they have the rubber paddles that are in direct contact with the ground, as opposed to the steel augers on a two stage that must be kept slightly off the ground. I found I could adjust mine to skim pretty darned close, but ultimately, I think a single stage clears a bit better - especially for sidewalks.

I did just pick up a single stage (as seen in another thread), and I'll be interested to see how differently they work this winter.

[Steve]

One "mistake" I made was buying a big blower first.

What big mistakes do you feel the newer business owners need to look out for when bidding on properties they are going to clear with a snow blower? Are there any pitfalls they need to look out for in their estimating or billing procedures?

[Cnclawns]

Wow thats a nice looking carrier. where perhaps did you get that?

[Steve]

If you do an internet search for snow blower carriers, there are quite a few that will pop up.

Here is just one but there are many many more
http://www.letsgoaero.com/productdetail.asp?pid=73

[Naylor's Lawncare]

I've been doing snow removal for a while.Blowers are all right to start out with but take a lot of time and your in the cold.Wait till after season and buy plow for a third of what they cost new.Simple to install all bolt on no weld and plug and play on wiring.Unless you have a lot of side walks you can shovel them faster than you can unload blower.Salt here pays more than snow because it drizzles and freezes more than snow falls.Here we charge on snow 0-6 inches and then so much more for every two inches that fall after the first six.For example I'd charge one hundred for 0-6 inches twenty five for next two inches and so on.So it would be one fifty for ten inch snow.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Hedge the single stage does clear closer to ground. It just wont do nothing for the big stuff.