Landscaper. arborist.
Local Kid or new guy w/ a team or old tried and tru been in the paper forever?
No use asking locals, they are either senile or putz around the yard ALL day doing the “jones” type keep up.
I have 2 acres in lawn with a TON of trimming around the borders and plantings…on a good day I can whack it out in 6 hours..by my self.
I make a decent wage, and I am whooped after work..so would a lawnservice be an alt?
I have a very special tree, I need a pro to handle that, I know that..but, do you or would you, trust yer yard ( heeheheheh) to a sub contractor? I have a decent tractor 42″ swath, a 21″ SP get behind and steer, and a weed whacker…I can spend a whole weekend..hmmm.
What questions would I ask a prospective lawn service?
I will not allow MY equip. to be used., and these? folks must be paid in a fair way, but really, I seee the large crews doing mansions in a few MINUTES.
Is it hourly, or by the sq ft of work, do they weed and seed, or just mow?
My time is very scarce, and getting worse. So, do any y’all subscribe to “farming” it out? And what is your take on the situ.?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
Replies
Sphere, I have a couple friends in the business here. The will give you a price according to what they estimate it will take to do your yard. One has a monthly charge, will cut it when necessary. In the spring, works harder. In the late summer/fall, works not as hard. The other charges per cut. You pay more in the big cutting months, less in the slow growing time. One works with several crews, the other is one guy and a helper. They take care of chemical applications if you allow it and the leaf p/u in the fall. You probably will be surprised at the cost. Most of the time it will convince people like us to continue cutting. You know my place, I don't have much. I do it in an hour, avoiding all the wildflowers etc in the spring. It's a chore when you're maxed out with work and I'm sure you could justify it. However, if you're ever sitting around there during one of the cuttings, you'll feel like your money is floating out the window.
These lawnboys rock. They fly through and all looks good. If you like the annoying rich guy neighborhood noise, they'll blow it off things for you.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Thanks. I could really like a crew that just DOES it, but my situ is not like they can hit a few yards in the same day, hence the $ factor.
Also, I still am reclaiming from the forest ( and itinerantTrash laid by 200 previous rednecks) my boundaries and lot lines.
Don't getr me wrong, I compost, veg garden on all sunlit areas we have, but geeezus..I work on copper roofs all day, and drive an hour + home...last thing I wanna saddle is the mower after that.
See.? We do get wiser as we grow older................I hope.
I like the weekly part vs. a contract , and NO way can I have pesticides or 'Applications" to make thier job easier NEXT yr..LOL
Seroiusly, I was organic pepper farming till 2002, when the regs hurt my balance sheet, and I still farm that way , in a smaller sense here...
I guess I am tryin to justafy more time on BT...or the finer things in life vs. a lawn tractor and comtemplation of weedsVs. $$$$$..
I aint a sticlkler, but I swear, if my dog gets into the burdocks and thistle again....we gonna have a shaved dog.
Thanks Cal
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
If you judiciousously (man, there's a spelling I'm not sure of) ask around I think you can get someone you can trust and count on. But in the sticks, man-lawn services are in the city.
When I took care of the florists former growing fields we'd use a mower on the yard and an old ford tractor with those Y shaped cutters and flail the acres in back. Cutting was 3-1 on when it needed it.
Compromise, consolidize.
I always enjoy looking at newf's back forty. Now that's some flower beds and edging. I like your carving out wilderness. I've done that here and it's pretty comical how the wild can put up that much of a fight. If you did nothing for a yr or two, the whole place would be swallowed up again.
Ah, to be able to do a control burn and have the money and time to bring it back to a prairie status. Too many invasives since they cleared all this to easily go back to how it was. What's interesting across the river is at the early 1800 fort they originally built a scrub "fence" to protect them while they did the log battlements. Once the trees were cut back, that scrub quickly envelops the area.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I can dig it, but man it sucks even thinking of this route.
I/we ain't quite as young as I/we think. I submit, I just can't keep abrest of it all. The old saw of "bit more than can be chewed'' is a constant repercussion here lately...that and "oh, ******" not again"
Just agot a call from a Co. tha I saw the sign on a truck this AM...quoted 45.oo for a complete buzz...and they never saw the property? Weekly. And they won't offer a day, or schedule of cutting..just "when we are nearby" Lesson about fone etiquitte, be concise and considerate if you want the job.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
The old part hurts, don't it.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Sphere -
Glad you are busy. I just talked to a tree guy today about taking down a small tree (30' or so) on the side of my property. His price was higher than I wanted, and I've taken down plenty of trees before, but I haven't gotten around to cutting it down for 3 years, so what's it worth to have a pro do it?
I worked for a landscaper for a few years and hired a few too. The real bottom line is what's he going to do and how much is he going to charge? Sounds too simple, I know, but I've dealt with these people and there are as many ways to handle that landscape as there are trucks looking at it. (Half of them won't bother to call back.)
Some of them will cut - period. Some will edge too. Very few will attempt to weed the beds - even fewer will do it right. Spring and fall cleanups are extra, usually lots extra. Sprinklers, tree work, spading the fronts of the flower beds for really clean edges - all extras. Fertilizing is an extra, putting down weed and feed or any chemical is an extra. It's not a good/bad thing, just know what you are paying for. If you want to do your own fertilizing or raking, or ... maybe you will have time or interest. If not, pay the guy. Is it worth it to you to spend your time doing something else?
BTW - I hate turf grass. The more stuff that you have planted, the less they have to mow. But you knew that.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
BTW - I hate turf grass. The more stuff that you have planted, the less they have to mow.
Bingo! No mower lives (or visits) here. There are alternatives, lots of them.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
yeah..I know the obvious, but shhet,,LOL
Admitting that you are Powerless over yer yard is the first step, thme we talk to God and kiss azz, thene we do the same thing to all the folks that fergot we walked on..............
I sworeI'd never be a Yard Monger..now I have nice , big words to entice the questiaonable ( my fault) help.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
duane... i mowed our lawns since '73..
and the one you've seen took me at least 6 hours.. more like 8 with trimming .. etc..... even in August you have to mow..or the weeds take over
when we decided to sell the house i hired one of our local landscaping companies.. i've use him on various jobs
he gave me a price of $70 a cut.... place looks great... and the grass likes being cut on a more regular bais than i was doing..
my tractor ( 42" cut ) cost about $3500 in '85.. so add that into the mix.. between my time better spent on something besides mowing the grass ( either working , watching baseball.. or playing golf ) and buying and maintaining a lawn tractor... i'm better off with the lawn service
Ok, i am sold...oh wizzend one
Call; my wife . she thinks after a 10 hour day I need to mow the grass...........
I am printing this out...then go mow the lawn.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
I mow my own house still, but have hired out a couple rental properties (finally). I used to have to spend a whole evening (5pm-dark) cutting and whacking. Not worth it when I'd come home and my kids would be asleep already.
I shopped around and told each outfit "Just cut it, and cut it fast. No weeding, no cleanup, no whack...."
I live in a college town with lots of other skinflint landlords, so it didn't phase them. I pay $35/cut for each medium size lawn. You might be more picky with the quality since it's your home though.
I never could fathom why some people just LOVE to get out and cut their grass... Turf is maddening to me. Maybe a nice rock garden...Ithaca, NY "10 square miles, surrounded by reality"
Our neighbor gets into a zen space on her riding mower and keeps about 5 acres looking like a putting green. It makes for a lot of noise in the summer while she mows damn near every day, but we don't complain because she lets us toss our puppy over the fence to play with hers. She tosses him back when they're done.
The woman next door to us also spends a lot of time on her John Deer mower. My wife has a theory about that ... something about the vibration.
Allen
There's the solution!
Hook up a gang of reel mowers behind a sportster and then put DW on it!
Call; my wife . she thinks after a 10 hour day I need to mow the grass...........
There's the issue. It's wimmins work. What the heck are YOU doing this for?
" It's wimmins work."
Not at our house.
I had DW help trim with the push mower once while I ran the weed wacker. She tried to mow off a small (3") tree stump shortly after she started.
The bolt holding the blade on snapped, and the blade lay there on the ground. She walked right over the top of it and went on mowing for 5 minutes before I stopped her and told her the blade was gone.
Never again.
Chicken Teriyaki: name of the only living kamikazi pilot
I had DW help trim with the push mower once while I ran the weed wacker. She tried to mow off a small (3") tree stump shortly after she started.
The bolt holding the blade on snapped, and the blade lay there on the ground. She walked right over the top of it and went on mowing for 5 minutes before I stopped her and told her the blade was gone.
And you believe that was an accident?
However, all the times that happened to me, the shear pin went first.
Now, it's much easier to pay the Vietnamese guy $160 a month rather than quibbling with the Queen or fooling with the equipment. I got more room in the garage, too.
the only lawn service that us poor people can have is to hire the neighborhood kid -
yur lookin at a couple grand to maintain your estate for a season - that'll go a long ways towards renewing/maintaining equipment -
42" cut aint wide enough for acres - 60" minimum, with enough power to speed along -
another american tradition taking up a lot of time and energy -
good luck -
I'm ragged around the edges right now myself - could spend a couple/three days doing detail within a hundred feet of the buildings -
fortunately no neighbors to bitch -
When they come out to look over the property, ask them the names of the various plants and trees you have.
~Peter, Top Gun jet fighter Ace of the US Army
i've got 1 1/2 acres with trees,buildings, and way too many trailers to mow around. 45 mins to completely cut it and i can stop and play with the dog once. how? zero turn mower,i didn't believe when i bought it that it would be any faster than a garden tractor.after about the third time with it [learning how to turn it without tearing up the yard] i was amazed. get a 50"-60" mower,wind up the throttle and go. oh, everything has it's down side,with a zero turn,i have to get to it before my wife.....yeah no kidding,she likes mowing with it.try and figure out a way to write it off for bussiness and it gets sweeter. i have rental property so it's deductable.if you watch you can pick up a used one 1200.-2000.00.new ones start at 3k up.
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
"What questions would I ask a prospective lawn service?"
Habla ingles?