All-Electric Lawn Care - What I ACTUALLY Spent!

[@TheBender1000]

EASILY, the most comprehensive, and organized video on YT about electric lawn care start up. I'm thinking of starting one in Bakersfield CA. Amazing job man.

[@solarpunksteve]

Hey thank you! Just trying to share things I learned with the community! Hope others like your self can get something out of it. Good luck in starting your business!

[@MarkAbele]

Thanks for what you are doing to show people the way! So many landscaping companies could start to go more electric but just don't know enough. Thank you for educating and inspiring others!

[@solarpunksteve]

Hey thank you for the kind words and the Super Thanks! Solving problems is something I love doing and if I can share that along the way, even better. The more vague a problem or solution the scarier it is for people (talking about myself here too), so even if I don’t get to cover every topic on electric lawn care, whatever I can show might help people feel less scared about trying something for themselves.

[@onlyyards]

Hey man, I love the channel. I just got my new 2023 ford E-transit and I already know I am going to save so much gas instead of using my Tacoma that makes 12 mpg hahaha. Currently trying to figure out the charging situation in my garage. I am located in Hawaii where the season is year round and there is plenty of opportunity for work. I created my LLC when I was still active duty military in November. I am trying to figure this all out as I go but I feel like my biggest obstacle are taxes atm. I definitely want to start a youtube channel soon. Looking forward to seeing more content! -Alex

[@rontopping7811]

Apparently you didn't think this through. Your not saving anything be you pay for electricity. Your are burning 4 to 5 ton of coal to power your van per year . Gas is cleaner than coal .

[@JamesCopeland-i1j]

Just a note to anyone seeking the all-electric route: A lot of people note the quiet operation to get those extended hours of operation. Some jurisdictions have hours-of-service restrictions for ALL groundscare/landscaping operations. You might want to apply for an exemption in jurisdictions that have not updated their regs.

[@Pillazo]

You reminded me to do an invoice lol ty. Appreciate you sharing all this info! I didn't know you could get incentives like that.

[@solarpunksteve]

Haha you’re welcome, I actually need to chase up some invoices too! Yeah some of the incentives are pretty crazy based on location. In the list I showed in the video some of the counties/cities are basically offering to pay for 100% of the cost of tools, like the trimmers, blowers etc. and large portions of the mowers too. No one has offered to pay for my stuff yet lol 😂

[@mariuszarszylo1476]

Great video explaining your costs in a simple and precise way.

[@solarpunksteve]

Thanks! I find it helpful for myself to see real numbers from others, tends to lower the scary feeling of trying to figure out what a vague business idea might cost. I also found it’s one thing to just think about it in your head, but way more helpful to write it out, even if you don’t know all of it right away, just getting something down on paper helps organize your thoughts.

[@justinherman9443]

Commenting to improve engagement numbers and help the punk! Thanks for sharing details.

[@solarpunksteve]

Thanks for bumping the metrics!

[@potterwalker4823]

Well done; having a plan and giving it time to work, go hand and glove as one of the pillars to success.My dog and I met you on your route today,bravo!

[@solarpunksteve]

Hey it was super nice meeting you today!

[@Cam.Klingon]

Can you make a video about how you're pricing a customer's lawn for your electric mowing business? Are you cheaper or more expensive than comparable gas lawn care services?

[@nathanielstott6776]

Ego standalone batteries are expensive and avoidable. Usually they offer new equipment with extra batteries for only a few hundred dollars extra. For example I got 4 10ah batteries with their 2 stage snow blower for $200 dollars more than the cost of the blower with 2 10 ah batteries. I also got their lawn mower with 2 10 ah batteries which was only $200 more then the cost with 1 10ah battery. Never buy a piece of their equipment without a battery. Something to keep in mind. You should also set aside some amount a month for battery replacement in your budget and put that money in a t-bill account with a current very safe return of 5%. It would be great to estimate the gas savings you have and set that aside as a battery replacement fund. You can then determine if the long term cost of batteries are truly cheaper then gas. It just depends on how long you can keep those batteries running. I think you could really extend the life of your batteries if you rotated them in your zero turn to allow them to cool off before reuse and slow charge them. Possibly only charging them to 75% and running them down to 35% before rotating keeping that battery % hovering around the 50% mark where lithium batteries are happiest. Easier to say then do though, you would have to have timers to shut off charging. With your current usage pattern I can't see your batteries lasting more than 2-3 years. I doubt they will honor the 5 year warranty if they find out you are using your batteries for commercial purposes. My oldest battery is from 2016, but one day of use for you is like a 2 or more weeks for me.

[@LifeLongLearner-om8jx]

Thanks for sharing this kind of information. It’s incredibly helpful for potential new business owners.

[@solarpunksteve]

Welcome! It’s not a “this is what to do” but hopefully people can get some useful info out of my experience.

[@Hobbies4Hire]

Great job on the video Steve! Thanks for making it.

[@solarpunksteve]

My pleasure!

[@laneblount9888]

You should do a comparison to buying gas powered equipment to see which one is cheaper initially to start up

[@alexwithletters3215]

I am looking to buy a commercial mower because I want to start a side job. I need it to be powerful and efficient so I thought of getting something gasoline powered to be safe. How does an electric mower compare to a gasoline one? I imagine its slightly more expensive because you need to get more batteries but in the long rung it will balance out and there´s less hassle in general.

[@solarpunksteve]

Unfortunately electric is significantly more expensive, especially once you get into the commercial mowers. A commercial electric lawn mower can be $13,000-$30,000+. Whereas a commercial gas can be $5,000-$13,000 and you can also find them used for a good price. If I were just trying to start something on the side and wasn’t ready to fully commit, I would stick with gas until you have clients and know if you want to pursue further. Just my thoughts though, if you choose electric that would be exciting! There’s definitely less maintenance and the user experience and client experience are great, but just expensive initially.

[@alexwithletters3215]

I am sorry, I was being unclear. I was thinking of walk-behind lawnmowers.

[@QuietLawn]

Much smarter than me in the beginning. Great job!

[@johnnyrocker73]

Thanks for sharing!

[@solarpunksteve]

You’re welcome, hope it helps!

[@Pwn3dbyth3n00b]

Might be random and irrelevant but how much does it cost to start a coffee shop in a vintage bus?

[@solarpunksteve]

The way I want to do it, a lot.

[@ChargeUpJax]

Great video Steve!

[@solarpunksteve]

Thanks Felix!

[@MichaelRei99]

I found you through LCN. Question, are you concerned that the temperature from the Summer heat in the trailer will exceed what your equipment can handle? And I’d like to say LCN has been pushing the electric stuff on his channel and I was completely uninterested. You have actually made a point that I can get on board with. The noise factor. Good luck with your business!

[@solarpunksteve]

Thanks for stopping by and good question, so far the heat hasn't caused any noticeable issues with my equipment/batteries. I myself have struggled more with the heat lol (this past summer was brutal). Electric lawn care is taking over the DIY/homeowner landscape (pun intended). And you have to ask yourself why? Noise, maintenance, convenience, operation, and user experience. If you take away the cost difference, people just like using tools that work without any complications (won't start, smokes, loud, oil changes, bad fuel etc.) but right now it's hard to implement all this stuff commercially for lots of reasons, but primarily cost and runtime (IMO). Once we solve those (or at least manage them), I have no doubt more people will absolutely love it over gas/diesel equipment just simply due to operator experience. Coming from someone that has rebuilt and maintained engines the size buses for 10 years, as well as every form of small boat engine, I can tell you I love using electric equipment. It's so simple! But I'm not trying to force someone to use something, especially if it's a worse product. I see it as it has to be better in nearly every category, but once it is people will adopt it regardless of their initial opinions. Same philosophy Tesla took vs other companies in the early stages. Tesla built the roadster as a faster, more fun sports car, not something you had to compromise on just because it was "better for the planet" or anything. And that's how I see the lawn care industry right now, you can't force someone to use a product that can't do the same job as your gas equipment just because "it's better for the environment" but if that product is better hands down, then people will switch naturally. At the same time, as soon as homeowners get an option to have quieter lawn care, they will DEMAND it, so it doesn't hurt to be ready :)

[@MichaelRei99]

@@solarpunksteve I agree with everything you said! Thanks for taking the time to respond. I have a Honda gas mower. When and if it ever quits hopefully all of the issues have been worked out with electrics. . I believe in freedom and freedom of choice. I don’t want some board telling me what I must choose. And I’ve worked for my local power company for nearly 30 years. I have come to know that diverse power sources should be our future. Putting all of our eggs in one basket ( electric) is never a good idea.

[@jaden3555]

This is an awesome video and exactly what I needed, could you do one on mowing heights and why you mow yards at certain heights?

[@ep411]

A video of how you estimate would be great as well. As you mentioned early on in your video that is extremely if not the most important aspect of the business.

[@solarpunksteve]

Good point, Maybe I should break it out into a separate topic in a future video. I think it might be useful for people to download a copy of the spreadsheet and just start putting in their own numbers to see what they might spend getting started. If you don't estimate at all, it can be really surprising when you start that you are paying for things you overlooked (like how I needed to spend money on the lawn trailer because it wasn't in the best condition, or the extra batteries in the mower). If you add "padding" or margin (like around 20%) for all the things you think you need to buy or how long of a runway you need (recurring costs), then it allows you to absorb those surprise costs without stretching your budget. Another point I wanted to communicate in this video was that you might not need everything all at once. I ended up starting without solar and batteries in the trailer because I already spent so much money, but I didn't even need them until down the line when business was expanding and I could also afford to invest. Business is a blend of planning, risk, and necessity. If I waited until I had everything perfect before starting a business, it would have taken me years to get started, but if you start without doing *any* sort of planning or estimating, it could turn out poorly. Hope this helps a little! I'm not claiming to have all the answers. After-all, this was an experiment and I continue to try things and make mistakes. Learning is the fun part.

[@ep411]

@@solarpunksteve well said. We have a small landscaping company with 19 employees, been in for 25yrs. But its always nice to get a perspective from someone new and someone doing something different and succeeding as well.

[@ArizonaIrish]

Great video. Thank you for the information. What are you using for customer information, estimates and invoices?

[@liamscape123]

Awesome Video!

[@solarpunksteve]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CantGolfButTries]

First to like a video, FINALLY!

[@solarpunksteve]

You win!

[@TheKerb17]

Great informative video

[@solarpunksteve]

Glad it was helpful!

[@benc1927]

I wince at the cost of those batteries, and how many it takes to opperate. It would be so much better (and cheaper) to build a 56v DIY LFP battery to go in that large battery bay onboard. Or even modify it to fit in that area once popping the lid off. It would most likely be heavier, but you would gain additional AH capacity. Given that you don't seem to be that heavy I doubt you would exceed the overall weight rating allowed for the zero-turn. Also you mentioned in an earlier video that sometimes you run out of juice on those larger jobs. Way more cycles out of a LFP battery also.

[@wlatronica21]

Now that landscaping is going electric I feel I need to shut my business down and move on. I've used many electric tools, and my question is, how do you deal with the lack of power? It's nice to just pour some gas in the tank when I'm cutting 15 lawns a day.

[@joshuamartinez970]

His trailer is generating free power 24/7

[@DiZZiEntertainment]

Can you link us to where you got the smart excel spreadsheet?

[@Trashed20659]

Don't just focus on gas savings. Less maintenance as well meaning lower cost and less downtime!

[@gamerfan8445]

Depends if the batteries don't break on you.

[@GrassrootsGardeningAshford]

I've just started my channel, my name is Steve, I've just upgraded all my stuff to Ego and I found your channel by researching the amazing #Solarpunk movement... and I can't use the name "Solarpunk Steve", now!!

[@solarpunksteve]

Sorry Steve! Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for more Steve’s, and Punks! Haha.

[@jasonrhl]

I need more mowing videos. Nothing like a green grass cut

[@shanindrucquer2365]

great video

[@Star-yk5vk]

Nice video

[@justaguyfromreddit]

sadly something like this wouldn't never be possible in italy

[@littleterror05]

your estimate is missing solar panels, inverter battery?

[@grassy3772]

Try buying a brand new walker or replacing one of those engines. Might as well get a new car at that point

[@barthanes1]

I have to disagree with you. Putting your branding on the trailer might have been the most important expense you had. Getting your name out there early with some brand recognition brings in the repeat money.

[@robertpowellj]

Great information, Thanks Steve!

[@ZombieAssassin7777]

You are overspending on web hosting, but that's what you pay when you don't have technical knowledge. Otherwise that could be $7 a month. Could probably pay a college student to set that up for you.

[@townsquarecinema]

Depends. Even as someone with technical knowledge, the convenience of not having to manage a software installation or OS updates, combined with the likelihood he's using a sitebiilder for easy updates, $23 / month isn't too bad. Especially if you're the person doing all the work for the business, there's a lot to be said for convenience - less time spent managing the website is more time spent making money.

[@haphazard1342]

All-in-one solutions like Squarespace can charge what they do because they provide value. Even technically savvy people see that value. I write code for a living, I used to do websites. I'm done with it, I just want to pay for a complete solution.

[@panchovillaxx7]

It equals the same as using gas vs buying batteries,I don’t have enough money to save the environment while big companies eat billions not worth it

[@steffen1182]

Sounds not a lot money for a business start.

[@justinherman9443]

He does say you don't need to purchase it all at once. Start with a push mower, rake, & broom. Get started for only a few hundred.

[@rontopping7811]

All homeowner tools. Complete garbage 🗑 man . Buy some gas mowers