New equipment purchase

I'm in my 3rd season as a lawncare professinal. I have around 150 accounts some big and some small. The equipment I use is 52" wright sentar (great on hills 700hrs) 44"exmark Hp 1300hrs, 32" wright stander (awesome mower) and 32" exmark walkbehind. I just got a couple of big accounts and I need to get some bigger mowers (maybe scag or exmark)I need to know if it is best to buy new or used? I would like to finance these, so that I can write this off on my business. any Ideas on the finance part?

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] (TnT Outdoor ervices @ Jan. 18 2008,8:31)]I'm in my 3rd season as a lawncare professinal. I have around 150 accounts some big and some small. The equipment I use is 52" wright sentar (great on hills 700hrs) 44"exmark Hp 1300hrs, 32" wright stander (awesome mower) and 32" exmark walkbehind. I just got a couple of big accounts and I need to get some bigger mowers (maybe scag or exmark)I need to know if it is best to buy new or used? I would like to finance these, so that I can write this off on my business. any Ideas on the finance part? Hi and Welcome to the gopher forum. If you want to write it off, lease for 3 yrs then buy it out. If you are on hills as you speak of I would go with SCAG they seem to preform better on hills than others, I live in Northeast KY and we have steep river bluff hills. Have tried the Xmark, Bush Hog and Hustler all 3 are good units but the SCAG is more stable on the hill country. Good luck Tim

Thanks. I live in Ohio. most of my property is flat. Just a couple have really steep hills. I did not know that you could lease mowers. Is that really a good idea? I'm pretty hard on the mowers

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (TnT Outdoor ervices @ Jan. 18 2008,9:49)]Thanks. I live in Ohio. most of my property is flat. Just a couple have really steep hills. I did not know that you could lease mowers. Is that really a good idea? I'm pretty hard on the mowers

Yes you can, and if your equipment isnt giving you at least 6 years of service then you really need to take better care of it or your only costing yourself money. Don't mean to sound harsh but that is just how it is. If my guys missuse or abuse equipment and I can prove it (and i normally can) then they pay for the repairs or replacement of that equipment.

ex. one guy through a $300 trimmer in the back of the truck and broke the housing and throttle, he paid for it and i kept the trimmer it was only a month old.

That equipment is your bread and butter.

Thanks, How many hours does a mower typically have when its on its death bed. When I mean that I am hard on my mowers. I mean 10-12hrs per day 6-7 days a week during the summer months I run these mowers. I do routine maintenance on them.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (TnT Outdoor ervices @ Jan. 18 2008,10:28)]Thanks, How many hours does a mower typically have when its on its death bed. When I mean that I am hard on my mowers. I mean 10-12hrs per day 6-7 days a week during the summer months I run these mowers. I do routine maintenance on them.

should be about 5600 but in reality it is about 2/3rds that 3700