opinions for new equipment for new company

come next march 09 i will be running my lawn business and i am looking to buy equipment later on. for now i am using equpment provided by my employer. main ? is what are good zero turns to start with. i am use to a 50" exmark. and a 33" cub cadet walk behind. i will be purchasing my own 33" cub but des any one use the cub zero turns? this is my first purchase and i dont want to get burned by spending to much or not spending enough on used junk.

[legendlawn]

Lawn care business tips

Lazy: See my post on the leaf question thread. I think Walker Mowers above and beyond any other commercial mower. They are pricey, but may be well worth it, for your quality of work and value. Also, see www.walkermowers.com

[Steve]

Is the mower you are talking about a commercial or consumer model?

What are you looking to spend on equipment and what size properties will you be working on?

its a consumer model i am looking to spend around 3 to 4k for a zero turn. the properties all very in size. i have 3 that are more than 3 acres wide open as well as a condo unit. i mainly use a 33" walk behind on smaller propertys.

[Steve]

its a consumer model i am looking to spend around 3 to 4k for a zero turn.

Have you considered looking on craigslist to find a used commercial model of similar cost, that would last you longer?

yes i am on there everyday. what should i really watch out for to tell diff between concumer and industrial. the cub i was looking at looks no different than a commercial mower

[Steve]

That is a great question.

The difference can be enormous! Check the life span of the consumer models and you will see they are good for 200 hours.

The commercial models can last for 2,000 - 5,000 hours! This can be a HUGE difference for you in many ways.

In cost for equipment for lifetime use.
The amount of down time you will have to deal with.

Getting started with a consumer model is ok if you are experimenting and want to spend as little as possible. But if you are looking to do this for quite some time, you should look into some used commercial equipment.

Check out this blog article on LawnChat.com

Does this help?

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Originally Posted by lazyhusband

yes i am on there everyday. what should i really watch out for to tell diff between concumer and industrial. the cub i was looking at looks no different than a commercial mower

Probably the easiest way to differentiate between a commercial mower and a consumer model is by looking at deck design. A consumer deck will simply not withstand the abuse of commercial mowing.

7 guage steel decks are the norm these days.

Decks are just the starting point. Almost every component of a commercial unit is designed for longer durability. Engine, pumps, bearings, spindles, springs, castors, switches, etc.

If you are serious about your business, go commercial.

[musician/lawnman]

To expand on what Keith said....

The decks on commercial machines are thicker plates of steel welded together so the look more boxy in photos (on craigslist... etc)
residential grade mower decks are like the cub cadet deck. One peice of thin steel stamped into shape by a machine. Just like the thin decks on all the residential tractor mowers you see around.

[Steve]

Some of the commercial decks are even made of aluminum which will out live us all. I know the smaller mowers like 21" decks can be made that way but has anyone seen larger decks made with aluminum?