Archive for the ‘Tips for Businesses’ Category

Benefits of Diesel Mowers for Commercial Lawn Care Operations

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
The benefits of diesel mowers like the Lazer Z diesel include power to mow large areas quickly

When it’s time to upgrade your company’s mower fleet, your decisions go beyond zero-turn or walk-behind and deck size. You also need to consider fuel options. There are many benefits of diesel mowers for commercial lawn care operations, but what’s right for your business will depend on your priorities and the type of properties you mow.

Diesel Mowers Offer Durability

Diesel mowers are long lasting and durable. They can power larger decks and run at higher ground speeds, making them a good choice for fleets that mow larger properties. Diesel fuel costs are slightly higher than gas; however, diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline engines, reducing fuel consumption.

As an example, Exmark’s Lazer Z diesel mowers feature our patented RED Technology. When paired with cutting-edge EPA Tier 4-certified Yanmar diesel engines, RED increases engine responsiveness and reduces fuel consumption. Which means these efficient diesel mowers have a lower cost of operation than gasoline machines.

For commercial lawn care companies that operate in residential areas, an added benefit of diesel mowers is their construction can reduce noise. Their shrouded, liquid-cooled engines, low-mounted exhaust, and reduced engine RPM mean diesel mowers are typically quieter than other engine types.

A downside to diesel is its higher up-front investment than gas mowers. There’s less choice in size and mower configuration. Typically, diesels are zero turns with large decks; Exmark’s diesel Lazer-Z is available in 60”, 72” and 96” widths. For commercial operations that mow small lawns, gas mowers have more options available.

Could your operation reap the benefits of diesel mowers? That depends on what you mow and your business model.  No matter what mower is the right fit for your business, your local Exmark dealer is the person to talk to.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | Comments Closed

Wide Area Mowers: The Right Choice for Your Operation?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2020
Exmark wide area mower on a fenced lawn

For many lawn care operations, a simple formula of mow more lawns, faster, yields financial success. A key component of that formula is the mowers you use. Larger, more powerful equipment can increase the number of properties you mow on any given day. Success of your business hinges on mowing more lawns, faster, without increasing staff. The trick is deciding which size wide-area mower is right for your business, so that you aren’t paying for too much mower.

How Wide are Wide Area Mowers?

Typically, wide area mowers have cutting decks larger than 48 inches and come in walk-behind and zero-turn models. They cut more with every pass and are designed for efficiency at higher speeds. A propane or diesel engine can increase fuel efficiency, reducing your operating costs. And because they’re designed for professional use, they’re built for reliability and daily use.

But before you replace your entire fleet of mowers with a couple of 96” flex wing zero-turns, review the properties you currently mow. Wide area mowers tend to perform best in open, flat terrain. Think parks, athletic fields and acreage lawns. If your current portfolio includes large commercial properties, or residences with 3-acre lots in the Great Plains, that 96” mower could be just the ticket. However, if you mainly mow on rolling terrain or uneven ground, a smaller sized walk behind mower might be better, as too wide of a mower will scalp areas. Additionally, if most of your properties have trees, shrubs and other obstacles, the largest deck sizes will make mowing around them more difficult.

Deck Size by Property Size

A good rule of thumb is to look at lot size. On lots the size of a football field (1.63 acres) or larger, deck sizes of 48” and up may be a good fit.  If you routinely mow areas larger than 2 acres, consider 52” or 60” decks; 72” and 96” decks could be the right choice for companies with municipal or cemetery contracts. If your business specializes in residential lots smaller than an acre and a half, you may be better served by a smaller mower with a deck between 36 and 42 inches with a bigger engine and faster mowing speeds.

Consider Wide-Area Walk Behinds  

While zero-turns are great choices for commercial mowing operations, advances in technology have made wide area walk-behinds more comfortable to operate and require less effort. Exmark makes walk-behind mowers with hydrostatic drives, more efficient engines, Enhanced Control Systems (ECS), and improved ergonomics that reduce operator fatigue worth taking for a test mow. Pair a wide-area walk behind like the Turf Tracer X-Series with a sulky and transform it to a stand-on mower for extra-large properties. And a wide deck on a walk-behind may help reduce scalping on hilly terrain better than a ride-on with a similar size deck.  In addition to hilly terrain, walk-behind mowers are also recommended near or around potential hazards like water features or steep drop-offs.

Transport

You’ve got to get the mowers to your job sites, so be sure to take your existing trailer size into consideration when making your decision. If a larger mower won’t fit on your trailers, factor additional trailers into your cost-benefit analysis. You’ll need a full width ramp for trailering many wide area mowers.

New for 2020

If, after running the numbers, you find that your business could support the additional expense of a wide-area mower, and you have the terrain that would make the widest zero-turn mower feasible, consider the new gasoline powered Lazer Z.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | Comments Closed

Stand-On Mowers: Are They Right for Your Business?

Wednesday, May 6th, 2020
Lawn care pro using a Staris stand-on mower

There are many benefits to stand-on mowers, including improved visibility and user control for more precise mowing. Could stand-ons be the right option for your mower fleet? If you’re not sure whether to upgrade to stand-on mowers or to stick with walk-behinds, here are some questions to help you decide.

What Size Properties Do You Mow?

The size of properties you mow is a big factor. If you mow exclusively large properties (more than an acre and a half) without a lot of obstacles, then a zero-turn mower may be a better option. Stand-on mowers are great for small to medium sized properties with landscaping and obstacles. Think suburban lawns, especially those with curved flower beds, irregular lot lines, or a lot of trees. Lots between half an acre and 1.25 acres are good candidates, however, a compact model like the 32” Staris E-Series would work well on small lots (less than half an acre).

Do You Need to Fit into Tight Spaces or Through Gates?

Stand-ons are easy to maneuver into tight spaces. They provide excellent sightlines to the operator, and allow for greater precision. It’s also easy to step on and off to move obstacles. The compact 32” E-Series fits through a standard 36” gate, which is important if you work in neighborhoods with fenced yards and garages in the alley.

What Type of Terrain Do You Mow?

When we designed the Exmark Staris, we placed heavier components like the engine low on the machine to lower the center of gravity and to improve balance and stability. If you work in an area with tough terrain, a stand-on may be the right choice, regardless of the size lawns you mow.

How Much Room Do You Have on Your Trailer?

If space on your trailer is tight, you’ll like that stand-on mowers have a smaller footprint and are easier to transport. Staris was designed to be compact, regardless of deck width, and to make loading and unloading easier. The suspended operator platform on the S-Series folds up, further maximizing your trailer space.

Do You Need to Mow a Lot of Properties Quickly?

Of course you do. Depending on deck width and configuration, a stand-on mower provides increased productivity over a walk-behind, because it mows at speeds faster than a person can walk. The Staris Stand-On mower has a top ground speed of 10 mph, and with a 60” deck can mow up 4.8 acres per hour.

If upgrading to stand-on mowers makes sense for your business, the Staris comes in a variety of deck widths, from 32” to 60”. Like all Exmark mowers, it was designed to be durable, reliable and provide excellent cut quality and superior operator comfort. Ready to learn more? Contact your local Exmark dealer for a test mow.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | Comments Closed

Tips to Grow Your Landscaping Business in 2020

Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

For many landscape professionals, November through March are slow months, especially in cold weather states. While it can be tempting to kick back and relax until spring, it can be a good time to plan for growth in the coming year.

Get the Word Out About Your Services

When you’re contacting clients about renewing for next year, add a request for them to provide feedback on social media channels and your Google MyBusinesss page. Increasingly, Facebook, Yelp and Google are the first place users turn when looking for new services. (If you haven’t created social media and Google MyBusiness pages, take advantage of your downtime and set them up.)

Reward customers who refer new customers with a discount on services. Add “Who referred you to us?” to any online or paper forms, and be sure to ask potential customers who reach out to you by phone or email.

Consider service add-ons, like twice yearly aerating or over-seeding, hedge trimming, or fall leaf collection and gutter cleaning. Not everyone will sign up for extra services, but a portion will. You’ll also let customers who think you only cut grass know you can provide additional lawn care or landscaping services.

Customers don’t like price increases, and everyone likes a bargain. If you’re raising your rates, consider having a tiered system, where customers who renew contracts by a certain date get a smaller increase than if they waited until just before the season starts. By doing this, you reward their loyalty and offering the preferred bargain.

Staffing

Get your staff lined up well before mowing season. Whether you rehire last season’s operators or need to look for new staff, doing it early will give you a much better idea of how much work you can complete in a given week. If reviews and additional services lead to a business boom, then you’ll have time to staff up before mowing season really gets going.

Maintenance

Review all equipment maintenance logs from last year and identify any tasks that were skipped. It’s also a good idea to plan for spring maintenance on all your mowers before mowing season starts. If a mower need repairs, winter is an ideal time, as your local servicing dealer may be slower in the off season.

Equipment Upgrades

Consider whether any of your mowers and other lawn care equipment need replacing. Also consider whether your existing equipment fleet will be enough for your book of business in the coming year. If it looks like you’ll need additional equipment, take the time to figure out if trading a mower for a larger or faster models would be a better option. Also, think about the benefits of mower leasing instead of outright purchases.  

Business Plan

We may have just gotten through the fall, but think about ways to work further into the fall next year Think broadly: There’s no reason you can’t expand to other outdoor chores if there’s a market for it in your area. Consider creating an online survey for your clients, polling them on what additional services they’d be interested in.

Planning now, when your business is slowest, will help you achieve success in 2020. Partner with your local Exmark dealer on any equipment needs, and you’ll deliver an exceptional quality of cut that will keep customers rebooking, year after year.

Posted in Tips for Businesses | Comments Closed

Investing in Operator Comfort with an Exmark Suspension Platform

Thursday, May 9th, 2019
Lazer Z E-Series mower with suspension platform in use

When it’s time to upgrade your lawncare company’s mowers, price and reliability are undoubtedly a big factor. Productivity should also be a top concern. Many things go into productivity, including mower size, engine size, and how much downtime a mower has. Something you may not have considered as a contributing factor to productivity is how the machine impacts your crew.

Rough ground can be jarring on even the smoothest traditional riding mowers.  A day of vertical bumps, lateral sway, and vibrations can contribute to operator fatigue, leading to frequent rest breaks and fewer properties mowed in a day. Investing in the comfort of your crew is a sound business decision that can help keep them alert and engaged for the full workday.

If you want productive employees, an Exmark suspension platform zero-turn mower can deliver maximum productivity. Three coil-over dampers isolate the operator platform from the mower’s chassis. The platform can travel vertically, making rough and bumpy ground much more comfortable to mow. Trailing arm design minimizes lateral movement, too, so there’s less side-to-side sway. Plush foam padding, high seat backs, and an Elastomeric Vibration Control (EVC) stretch fabric base add to operator comfort.

The travel of the operator platform is completely isolated from the cutting deck, maintaining Exmark’s legendary cut-quality. The travel of the operator platform is completely isolated from the cutting deck, maintaining Exmark’s legendary cut-quality. We designed our suspended operator platforms with an eye to your maintenance needs. They are virtually maintenance free, with no additional upkeep or downtime needed. Whether you run a large operation with a crew of hundreds, or a small business with just a couple of employees, you’ll appreciate that the suspension platform is easy to adjust for all your employees. Operators can set it for their size and preferences, without tools, so it can be reset quickly out in the field.

Suspension platforms are available on the Lazer Z E-Series and X-Series, with deck widths from 60” to 72”, and on the Radius S-Series, with deck widths from 48” to 60”. They deliver the performance, durability and reliability that commercial landscape pros demand.  If you’d like to see what an Exmark suspension mower can offer your business, talk to your local Exmark dealer.

Posted in Tips for Businesses | Comments Closed

Lawn Care Tasks to Expand Your Business Season

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

Lawn care can be a great industry to work in, but it does have one major drawback: it’s largely seasonal. Lawn care companies can be stretched during the growing season, but dead from late fall through early spring. If you’ve been wondering how you can keep your lawn care professionals busy all year round, we have some tips for you.

Expand into Spring and Summer

The easiest way to grow your lawn mowing business is to start expanding into other tasks. Spring prep work and maintenance tasks can start your team working before lawns begin to green up – everything from aerating and fertilizing, to top-dressing, to overseeding. Other early spring tasks could include pruning small trees and shrubs. If you have the eye for it, you can also offer landscape design and planting services. Fall tasks that can stretch your season include leaf raking and removal, spraying for perennial weeds, and aerating. If you aren’t already offering these services, poll your existing clients to see which services they would be interested in.

Snow Removal

Even after you’ve expanded into spring and fall, things like weeding, seeding, fertilizing, and clearing leaves can only last for so long. That’s why the next obvious service to offer is snow removal. In many parts of the country, you can go straight from clearing leaves and branches to removing snow to laying down turf and pre-emergent herbicides.

Home Services

Spring and fall homecare tasks could be another source of income. Cleaning gutters, washing siding, or sprinkler system set-up are tasks that many homeowners would be happy to contract out. In cold weather states, winterization services might be a good fall task. Look for gaps in services. There are plenty of companies to cut the grass, but how many of your competitors will also hang holiday lights, which would push your season into late November.

Landscaping and Planting

Early spring is a good time for landscaping work. Creating planting beds, tree planting, and building enhancements like patios, water features or walkways would add a host of services to your business. And just as it is possible to turn existing mowing customers into landscaping clients, you could engage with someone to redo their planters and convert them to mowing customers.

Listen to Your Customers – and Potential Customers

One of the best ways to grow your lawn care company is by simply listening to your customers. Give them a chance and they’ll tell you what services they wish you offered. Talk to people who aren’t customers, too, and ask what their current lawn care company isn’t doing.  A key thing to remember is that if one homeowner needs help with a task, chances are good that many more do, too.

Posted in Tips for Businesses | No Comments »

Getting Lawn Care Equipment Ready for the Mowing Season

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018

As you gear up for the start of spring mowing, it’s important to check all of your equipment to ensure everything is running properly after sitting idle over the winter. If you or your staff do the maintenance on your operation’s fleet in house, here are the most common tune-up steps to make before heading out to mow.

Check the Tires

Make sure that sitting all winter didn’t make your tires uneven, especially if machines were sitting on cold cement in an unheated garage. After inflating to the proper tire pressure, visually check tires to make sure you don’t have flat areas or other spots that don’t look right. Also check the deck to make sure it’s level, as warped tires may cause an uneven deck. Replace any badly worn or warped tires.

Tune-up the Engine

Maintenance now can help prevent downtime during the busy part of the season, so give the engine a thorough tune-up. If you didn’t replace your spark plugs and batteries before storing the machines for the winter, do so now. Replace engine oil, change air and oil filters, check the contact points, and lubricate wheel bearings and other moving parts. Tighten fasteners and make sure that belts are in good condition, without cracks or other visible signs of wear.

It’s important to start the year with fresh oil and fuel, as gasoline and other petroleum products can cause problems if they’ve been stored for more than a month. Dispose of any hazardous waste in accordance with local regulations, and wear appropriate gloves and gear.

Clean the Machine

You cleaned the machine in the fall before storing it, but take the time to blow away dust and any other debris from your equipment. Dust and dirt can build up over the months your equipment sat idle, and if rodents or birds sheltered for the winter in your storage area, you may have other messes to clean up.

Blade Maintenance

Make sure blades are sharp and in good repair. Look for nicks or uneven wear, as this can reduce cut quality. After sharpening or replacing worn blades, be sure your blades are balanced. Vibration from an unbalanced blade moving at high speeds can put undue stress on the deck, leading to cracking.

Be sure to check your mower manuals for any model specific maintenance tasks, and review your maintenance logs from last year to make sure all tasks were completed.  If you’re not sure, check out the maintenance schedules for all Exmark mowers.

Finally, before loading up the trailers and sending your equipment out with a crew, it’s a good idea to test each mower. A quick pass will help you ensure that everything is running as it should.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | No Comments »

Is a Wide-Area Mower Right for Your Business?

Tuesday, January 16th, 2018

As a lawn care professional, you are likely looking for ways to increase the number of lawns you are able to mow, with an eye towards greater profitability. Investing in larger, more powerful equipment is one way to increase the amount you can mow, but how large can you go? Would a wide-area mower be right for your business?

They cut more at every pass and are designed to mow efficiently at higher speeds. Propane or diesel engines can increase fuel efficiency, reducing operating costs. Sounds great, right? But before you invest in one, think about what you mow.

What are Wide Area Mowers?

Wide Area Mowers are walk behind or riding lawn mowers that have decks that are larger 48”.  Generally, wide-area mowers work best on flat, open ground.  If you have a lot of large commercial properties and level, park-like terrain, a wide-area walk behind can be the right solution. But on rolling terrain or uneven ground, a smaller sized walk behind mower might be better, as too wide of a mower can scalp areas of the lawn, and it will be more difficult to mow around trees, flower beds and other obstacles.

What Size Deck is Best for Large and Small Properties?

If you don’t mow a significant number of large properties, a wide-area mower may not be worth the investment. On lots larger than a football field (1.63 acres), deck sizes of 48” and up may be a good fit.  If the bulk of your business is residential lots smaller than an acre and a half, you may be better served by a smaller mower with deck sizes in the 36”to 42” range with more powerful engines and slightly faster speeds.

Is a Wide-Area Walk Behind the Right Choice?

You might think a zero-turn mower with a larger deck is always the right choice. But advances in Exmark walk behinds, like hydrostatic drives, more efficient engines, Enhanced Control Systems (ECS), and improved ergonomics that reduce operator fatigue make a wide-area walk behind like the Turf Tracer X-Series worth test driving. A sulky can transform it to a stand-on mower for those extra large properties. And a wide deck on a walk behind may handle hilly terrain with less scalping than a ride-on with a similar size deck.  Walk behind mowers are also recommended for any hilly terrain or near or around potential hazards.

Transportation

Another issue to consider is whether a larger mower will fit on your existing trailers; if not, you’ll need to factor an additional trailer into your cost-benefit analysis. A full-width ramp trailer is required for trailering any product.

New for 2018

If, after running the numbers, you find that your business could support the additional expense of a wide-area mower, and you have the terrain that would make a wide-area zero-turn mower feasible, Exmark is releasing a new diesel Lazer Z with a 96” flex wing deck. Find your local dealer to get a preview.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | No Comments »

How to Grow Your Landscape Business for 2018

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017

For most landscape professionals, December and January are slow months. If you live in one of those cold weather states, the good news is you have plenty of time before mowing season hits. Use it to plan for growth in 2018.

Advertising and Marketing

You already know to contact clients about renewing their contracts for the next season. When you do so, take the time to request their feedback on services provided. Ask them to leave reviews on your Facebook, Yelp and other social media pages. (Don’t have Yelp or Facebook pages? Take the time to get them set up.) And consider rewarding customers who send referrals your way with a discount on services.

While you’re thinking about deals, are there service add-ons that you can get clients to sign up for, like twice yearly aerating or over seeding? Think of it as the equivalent of “Would you like fries with that?” – not everyone will sign on, but a percentage of your customers might not know that you offer additional services.

No one likes a price increase, and everyone likes a bargain. If you’re raising your rates, consider having a tiered system, where people who renew contracts by a certain date get a smaller increase than if they waited until just before the season starts. That way, you reward your loyal customers.

Staffing

Get your staff lined up well before mowing season. Whether you rehire last season’s operators or need to look for new staff, doing it early will give you a much better idea of how much work you can complete in a given week. If your marketing efforts bring returns, then you’ll have time to line up additional help before mowing season swings into high gear. This will mean less time in the office interviewing when you and your crew could be out earning money.

Maintenance

Take the time to check all your equipment maintenance logs from last year. Were any maintenance tasks missed? You should also create a schedule that will allow you to complete spring maintenance on all your mowers before the start of mowing season. If you need to take mowers in for repairs, winter is an ideal time, as your repair shop may be slow and willing to offer deals.

Equipment Upgrades

While reviewing and completing maintenance, consider whether it’s time to replace any of your mowers and other lawn care equipment. And look over your book of business for the coming year: Does it look like you’ll need additional mowers? You should also consider whether trading in a mower and buying a larger or faster model would allow you to take on more work. You should also consider if mower leasing is a better option for your business than purchasing outright.

Business Plan

It’s also the right time to think about how to expand your business later into the fall (or even into the winter). Leaf and snow removal are good options if you don’t already offer them, but what about tree pruning or outdoor winterizing? Think broadly: There’s no reason you can’t expand to other outdoor chores if there’s a market for it in your area. Consider creating an online survey for your clients, polling them on what additional services they’d be interested in.

Taking the time to plan now, when your business is slowest, will position you for greater success in 2018.  Partner with your local Exmark dealer on any equipment needs, and you’ll deliver an exceptional quality of cut that will keep customers rebooking, year after year.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | No Comments »

RED Technology: How Onboard Intelligence Platforms Benefit Commercial Mowers

Wednesday, November 1st, 2017

As commercial mowing season winds down, you may be evaluating your fleet, deciding if it’s time to retire an old mower, or whether a good season this year means you should expand your fleet for next year. In addition to your current situation, you might also consider whether your existing mowers have an onboard intelligence platform? If not, it may be worth trading up to mowers that do.

What is an Onboard Intelligence Platform?

An onboard intelligence platform, like Exmark’s patented RED Technology, enables communication and response between key systems on your mower, monitoring and responding to changes in RPMs, oil pressure, speed and fuel usage. If critical thresholds are exceeded, the mower automatically goes into Safe Transport mode, so that it can be driven back to base (or a trailer) without damaging the machine.

RED-equipped mowers have three preset modes to maximize fuel efficiency. In Efficient mode, the mower operates at lower RPMs, while blade speed is optimized for maximum cut quality. For tough conditions or terrain, Max mode delivers the extra power you need for difficult mowing conditions. Low mode is for operating in wet conditions, and improves cut quality by reducing deck packing. These are controlled with a rocker switch on the instrument panel.

Another benefit of RED Technology is the automatic Clutch Saver, which engages at 2,750 RPMs and shuts off at 2,500 RPMs, regardless of throttle position or what the operator does. In addition to prolonging clutch life, this lets operators engage or disengage PTO of the fly, without stopping to change setup.

Currently, RED Technology is available on the Lazer Z X-Series

What Are the Benefits of RED Technology?

For the commercial mower, better fuel efficiency is a key benefit of RED Technology onboard intelligence platforms. RED-equipped mowers can be up to 40% more efficient than other models. Since fuel is often a commercial mowers biggest operating expense, savings can add up to thousands of dollars over a season. Less wear and tear, longer lasting machines, and less damage should the mower overheat can also contribute to savings.

Do I Need a Mower with an Onboard Intelligence Platform?

Just as some people still drive stick shift cars, and other people don’t own dishwashers, you may not need it, but that doesn’t mean an intelligence platform like RED Technology won’t make your life easier.  If you’re a landscape professional looking to maximize profits, minimize downtime, and make mowers last longer, then RED-equipped mowers can make a big difference. As you inventory your fleet, consider the impact of improved fuel efficiency and less mower downtime on your bottom line.

Tags:
Posted in Tips for Businesses | No Comments »