Start & Run a Landscaping Business. Joel LaRusic

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      • Don’t try to grind all the nicks and cuts out of the blade; a few nicks are acceptable. If there are many nicks or actual gouges, the blade should be replaced.

      • Use a simple cone-shaped blade balancer to see if the blade is weighted properly. If it doesn’t balance, take a little more metal off the heavy side and try again. An unbalanced blade causes excessive vibration and unpleasant cutting.

      • Use a wire brush or a file to remove any excess burrs or slivers. Then reinstall the blade.

      4. Power Equipment

      4.1 Line Edgers

      One of my favorite magazine ads showed a man driving in his pickup truck. His dog was in the box of the truck and in the passenger seat was a Shindaiwa T-27 trimmer. That ad pretty well sums up the kind of relationship you can expect to have with your line edger.

      Keep the following points in mind as you select a line edger, also known as a string trimmer, line trimmer, weed whacker, or weedeater.

      Power and size: You should consider power and size together because they are directly related. Powerful line edgers are great when you need them, but if you are trimming for four hours out of the day, you may want to trade off a little power for less weight and less fatigue. The ideal, and your eventual goal, is to have both a heavy-duty and a light-duty edger available for whatever job comes along.

      The more powerful line edgers put out about 1.5 to 1.8 horsepower and weigh 12 or 13 pounds. Lighter commercial edgers weigh in at about 9 pounds, at the cost of 0.5 horsepower or so. If you want a heavy-duty model and are concerned about the weight, use a shoulder harness to reduce the load.

      Shaft: Avoid curved shafts (also called flex shafts). They are not designed to be used for long periods (you will feel it in your back). Look for the straight-shaft models.

      Head: Different brands use different names to describe their heads (the business end of your line edger). Variations of “tap and go” are the most common and probably the best. With this style, the line comes out only when you tap the head on the ground while it is spinning. There are also intelligent or “smart heads” that automatically give you more line when the edger senses, based on centrifugal force, that the line is short.

      Best names: Shindaiwa, Echo, Redmax, Stihl, Husqvarna.

      Author’s recommendation: Shindaiwa T-27, 1.5 horsepower, 12.3 pounds.

      4.2 Blade Edgers

      A blade edger, also known as a stick edger, is used for trimming along sidewalks and possibly garden beds.

      Power and size: Blade edgers come in a variety of sizes. The unit weight goes up with the horsepower. If you are blade edging regularly, a lighter model is suitable. You will need a heavy-duty model if you take on jobs where sidewalks have not been edged in some time or if blade edging is a service that you offer less frequently (i.e., monthly or quarterly). In these situations, the accumulation of grass and soil along the sidewalk may require a little more horsepower to cut through.

      Consider getting a multi-head tool for maximum versatility, allowing you to use one machine as a blade edger, a hedge trimmer, a pole saw, and a line edger. Each head is sold separately.

      Best names: Shindaiwa, Echo, Redmax, Stihl, Husqvarna.

      Author’s recommendation: Redmax EXZ2500S-BC multi-head system.

      4.3 Blowers

      It is possible to get by without a blower for a while. You can use a broom instead, but the investment in a blower will pay off quickly in saved time.

      You can get a handheld or a backpack blower. A handheld blower is light duty; it will suffice if you will be using it just to blow grass off sidewalks. However, you will likely want to use your blower for much more than that, in which case you will want the backpack style.

      There are many blowers on the market, and while each has its own nuances, they are all pretty much the same. As you shop for a blower, keep in mind the following options:

      Power: There are heavy-duty blowers available that pack a bit more punch if you feel you will need it.

      Trigger: A locking throttle trigger is important. If you have to hold the throttle in position all the time, it will cause finger and wrist fatigue.

      Ergonomics: All new mowers have a handle on the blower tube. If you have an old one without a handle, you should be able to buy a kit to install one. Wrist fatigue will set in fast without this option.

      Best names: Shindaiwa, Echo, Redmax, Stihl, Husqvarna.

      Author’s recommendation: Redmax EB7000.

      4.4 Hedge Trimmers

      A power hedge trimmer falls into the “nice to have” category, as you can certainly get by with shears when you are first starting your business. Make some room in your budget as soon as you can, though, as a hedge trimmer is a real time saver.

      There are a few different options to consider when you make your purchase:

      Length: You can choose a cutting blade from 18 to 40 inches long. The longer blades require more skill to use, so if you are just starting out, stick with 30 inches or less.

      The easy-reach model has a long shaft and looks like a line edger with a hedge trimmer attachment (in fact, you can buy a multi-head unit with both hedge trimmer and line edger attachments). This style is indispensable for trimming high hedges or shrubs. It comes with a cutting blade between 20 and 25 inches long.

      Single- or double-sided blades: Double-sided cutting blades can be useful, but many people prefer a single blade. The choice is yours; try out both styles if you are not sure which is right for you.

      Articulating blade: This is only an option with the easy-reach models. Depending on the model, you can change the angle of the blade from 0 to 150 degrees to accommodate what you are cutting.

      Best names: Shindaiwa, Echo, Redmax, Stihl, Husqvarna.

      Author’s recommendation: Shindaiwa AH230 articulated, double-sided, easy reach.

      4.5 Power Rakes

      A power rake is not essential for start-up, but is a useful tool if you think you will offer power raking services as your business grows. Power rakes are also called vertical mowers or dethatchers. They have rotating tines that cut into the lawn to remove moss and thatch. If you are planning to purchase a power rake, consider the following features:

      Independent or attachment: Power rakes can be purchased as independent units or as attachments to your mower. The attachments don’t stand up well to commercial use, and they don’t do as thorough a job as the actual power rakes, although they are more productive (faster) and much cheaper, too. If your customer СКАЧАТЬ