Make BIG Profit with SMALL Lawn Mowers!

Make BIG Profit with SMALL Lawn Mowers!
In this video I discuss how you can make big profit from using small 21' or 30" lawn mowers in your lawn care business, by targeting small higher profit residential city properties, instead of investing in big expensive equipment, to do lower profit margin, time consuming, larger properties. In this video I also discuss using the Honda HRC216, Exmark Commercial 21, Exmark Commercial 30, Exmark Staris Stand on, and Exmark Turf Tracer.
Check out the Lawn Care Business Success Podcast with a new episode available every tuesday morning @ 12am PST on iTunes, Stitcher radio, Google play music and other podcast players.
For product review inquiries email:
[e-mail]
Check out my recommended products on my Amazon affiliate store:
www.amazon.com...
Check out my website and follow me on instagram
www.lawncarebus...
/ lawncarebusinesssuccess
/ lawncarebusinesssuccess
#lawncarebusinesssuccess #lawntrepreneur #lawncarenation

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Let me know in the comments below what you think about starting or running a lawn care business with just a 21 or 30 inch mower and a trimmer and blower?

[@ft4403]

Is this smart? - should I start with a used or go brand new?

[@niiys3311]

Is smart this should used brand new or go start a FT 2 Lawn care success business 30 inch 21 what trimmer running blower know the just

[@troyclayton9981]

I am using a 21 inch 6000 president masport. It's been great over the past 2 years. I'm looking at buying a Toro 21 inch commercial mower . I can't fit anything bigger in the yards I mow only because it doesn't fit through 90percent of the gates . I am having to fold the handles down and turn it on its side to fit.

[@ryanhodges2296]

4 years later and your advice is still spot on. I'm in year one of mowing with two other partners. I bought a new Time Master, Stihl FS91R trimmer, and the small Stihl backpack blower. My partners both bought 36" walk behind mowers AND 48" standers. As a business we have right around 20 customers (we have full-time day jobs) and one HOA that is 3.3 acres. We split the profit 3 ways. They have spent far more money to earn the same amount as me. They are able to finish lawns faster, but at the end of the day, it will take more than a year for them to earn back what they've spent on mowers. So, even though the bigger mowers look cool, realize that you can still make good money with a smaller, push mower.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I love small lawns. I’m in and out relatively quickly and the profit margin is much better with such minimal investment. I’m pondering getting rid of big mowers altogether and just doing small lawns only. Especially now with all battery equipment. Thanks for watching.

[@sebajolly]

Finally someone show push mower and doesn't make me sad for having a push mower and not a ZTM or stand on doing ultra big lawns!!

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Well you’ve come to the right channel then. I’m all about small mowers, and there’s more to come as I explore some 30” push mowers in the future. Make sure you are subscribed. Thanks for watching.

[@sebajolly]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Following you for the last 18 months!!

[@brucelinton6881]

I'm just starting out part time myself, with a 19'"Masport President 5000, Honda Versatool UMC465 with blower and trimmer attachments. 2kAUD the lot.

[@tallens5280]

Great advise. I started small and made enough to upgrade to a 36". I have a 5x10 trailer and so far that is perfect for me. I travel light.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Awesome!!! Congratulations and thanks for watching.

[@SuperMooshrooms]

I run two mowers on a 4 door truck with 4 blowers and two trimmers. Me and my dad go around the property with two whips, then use two blowers each to clean it up then mow it quickly with 2 mowers. In Australia every property has a green bin so it isn't really nessicary to have space to removing greenwaste on regular maintainance jobs.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Nice 👍 sounds like a very efficient setup. Here in the Vancouver Canada area there are lots of the same pickup truck type setups with no trailer and just 21” mowers. Also all the houses have green bins here as well in the greater Vancouver area which encompases Vancouver and some of the surrounding cities so bagging clippings is not an issue with no need to haul it. Thanks for watching.

[@kate1ee]

Spot on! I bought a 21" lawnboy gold series, stihl trimmer and blower all at the auction and then I put a cargo tray on the back of my car and this has been a very successful business for the past 10 years. This year I finally put the lawnboy to pasture and went and spent the money on a Honda Commercial HRC216. I love it and your absolutely right....Small lawns for sure is easy quick money and a 21" is a perfect size to get them done.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Glad you found value in the video. Thanks for watching.

[@therrienmichael08]

I'm all for it. Started today with a 20 inch. Have 2 weed wackers and a blower. I'm in the game.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Congratulations. You are definitely in the game. That’s a highly profitable setup. Best of luck to you. Thanks for watching.

[@benp3597]

Great advice, I have been a landscape contractor here in California for over 23 years now and I primarily use 21" walk behind mowers and even though we take care of big apartment buildings and shopping centers my guy's still prefer the smaller mowers and now I'm going to buy a couple 30" mowers.

[@Sargeantyardpros]

I’m in Oregon, Albany Oregon the weather here is very similar to what you have. Similar properties too. I’m in my first year part time I want to go full time! I have two 21” Honda’s also. I thank you so much for the informational videos. I can relate to you more than most guys! God bless!

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

No problem. I’ve driven to Oregon and sometimes through Oregon many times, in fact I drove through last summer at around 3am during a forest fire burning only feet away off interstate 5. That was scary. I agree it looks very similar to both Washington State and British Columbia. The landscape starts to change dramatically as you get to dry hot California. Thanks for watching.

[@mrrobinson4852]

Definitely a good message. I'm literally in this stage of my business with just a 21", Echo trimmer, and a handheld blower. I'm learning how to maximize my time on the go but it's worth it. Hard work but I'm learning and having fun.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yes it is hard work definitely, but remember you reap what you sow, so it’s all worthwhile in the long term. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@whyisthisnottyping]

2 years later how is it going.? I'm in the works of starting my self. Any advice?

[@darrenrogers5735]

Great video and very applicable to me. I've recently purchased an as new Bushranger 21" Honda powered self propelled mower, a Stihl straight shaft trimmer and Stihl blower. I have backup equipment in terms of mowers and trimmers also. Fit it all in my 2400mm x 1800 (8 x 6 ft) tray on my ute (pickup truck). Just starting my business with Spring about to start. Cheers from Australia!

[@kevinpoland566]

This is the size of yards I am going to heavily advertising for next year's lawn routes. Even now I am slowly giving away my larger lawns as I am going to smaller set up.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Small lawns = $$$$$$ Thanks for watching.

[@TheRandyDulin]

I’m pretty similar. I setup my biz so that if my 36in goes down for whatever reason my 30 can easily still do the job

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Awesome! Makes it super simple and versatile to have options available. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@leadnsteel1428]

I use a Ybravo 25' commercial mower.... i love it so far and i don't tow a trailer. I also stick to small yards as well

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Nice 👍. Thanks for watching.

[@landematt]

Had the medium size setup last season and got really tired of the trailer lol. I downsized everything sold off all equipment and started over. Currently only have a exmark 21, echo 2620 pas, and a Stihl br600 plus a backup little bg50 blower. Only mowing two days a week currently while working my full time job doing small engine repairs just on those two days I double my income over 700 a week with mowing. I’m thinking about getting another small light weight trailer to put a trimmer rack and blower rack on just so I don’t have to load and unload truck bed everyday. Like a 4x6 or 5x8 next season I’ll probably invest more into a setup but this year preparing to make the full time jump again into lawn care. Removing all debt and building up a healthy savings first

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Nice 👍 I like small setups. Thanks for watching.

[@ruthford9081]

Good info. Very true that smaller props are more profitable. However in my area the average size of yard is a half acre and up, so I use a 52" stander an 61" rider.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yes you have to target the lawns in your specific area or situation. This video was meant more to encourage new guys who may see companies on social media with huge investments in trailers and zero turn mowers and think that that’s what’s required. Thanks for watching.

[@713skywalker]

Great video...all my mowers are 21” Toros! Can easily do 10 per day solo💯👌🏾😎

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yeah I agree. 10 a day is not an issue. Thanks for watching.

[@LuisEnriqueRubioChavez]

I have the cheapest toro. The 22” recycler but even that 350 dollar mower gets the job done great!! I love this mower but I will buy a Honda commercial soon .

[@Forreal66]

I have a 60 inch radius for my home, but I'm looking at a push mower because most of my potential clients are in the city where I work. Leaning towards a home depot toro push mower.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Nice 👍. As you are aware any lawn mower will cut grass. The biggest consideration is how long will it last. If your doing it as a business and the push mower will be your main unit then I would say go with a commercial unit. Can you get away with a residential mower? Sure as long as you understand it may not last and parts won’t be as readily available without waiting and your ok with replacing the mower after a season if your doing lots of lawns. I would also suggest having a backup mower in case of break downs. Thanks for watching.

[@Forreal66]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Im gonna aim for more country properties by me to try and use the zero turn more but I think ill have better luck in the city. So I'm going to go with a toro push for now. If it ends up being really heavy on the city cuts then I'll consider an exmark 30 push mower. But I'm doing this part time for now, I've already got a full time job.

[@Forreal66]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess and also thanks again as always for the informative content.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

No problem. Glad you found value in the content. Thanks again for watching.

[@matthewray5954]

I enjoyed the content in this video. I am trying to start a small lawncare business in Florida and i am excited to get started. Ill keep watching your video's

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Congratulations on starting a lawn care business. Best of luck. Thanks for watching.

[@LuisEnriqueRubioChavez]

Maybe I can help to. Check out my new Chanel . Uploading new video tomorrow “ no trailer, no problem”

[@charlesdjones1]

Most people unless they are rich aren't willing to pay $100-150 to have their grass cut, I always focused on 1/2 acre and less and did fine.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I agree. That’s why I like the small properties. I’ve seen guys mowing multi acre properties with expensive equipment for $100-150 where I can mow small little up to 7000 sqft properties for $50 on average. Thanks for watching.

[@timlongstreet1801]

My wife and I generally run one 30 inch ,a still trimmer and blower lots of small ones add up quick.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yes I agree. The small ones is where the money is at. Thanks for watching.

[@timlongstreet1801]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Definitely, we do several types of work hardscape,home remodeling, and favor grass cuts. But as a small team we do much better sticking to small jobs in the trades we work. Just found your channel, we like it alot

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Thanks I appreciate you stopping by and checking out the channel. Be sure to check out my weekly podcast as well. I put out new episodes every Tuesday morning. Close to 300 episodes over the past 5 years. It’s available on apple podcast, Google podcast, Amazon music, Spotify, SoundCloud and everywhere else you get podcasts. Same name as the KZbin channel.

[@RavensHardCore]

Love the video!! I agree, small yards are almost always more profitable 👍

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching. 👍

[@RavensHardCore]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Sure thing!

[@Fencearmor]

Always sharing great messages and motivation! Keep up the great work, Julio!

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I appreciate that. Thanks for watching.

[@Fencearmor]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Always our pleasure!

[@lsuman38]

A 21" and 30" is what I have at the moment. If I get some more lawns, I might get a bigger mower.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Awesome! It’s a great way to start, then add bigger mower where possible to speed things up or save in fatigue. Thanks for watching.

[@JonsDailyHustle]

There definitely can be alot of money made with the smaller yards. I feel like that's a market that gets missed alot by some people. Just all about what you want to do. Im wanting to get my hands on an exmark 30" or the Toro version

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I just started using the Exmark 30 this year. I love it. Definitely a productive mower. Thanks for watching.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

@Paul Ringer I’ve owned 3 of the Honda commercial mowers. Let’s just say they don’t make them like they use to. My original one was great and lasted over 10 years of daily commercial use. Motor and trans still run fine but deck got rotted out here mowing in the PNW with all the rain. The last two newer ones have lots of issues. I did a video about it. So far after two years of using Exmark mowers they have been great. Especially the commercial 30. It saves me 2 hours a day on average over the 21” mowers. I don’t think I would go back to using 21” mowers. Even if it ends up being a bit more maintenance. The time savings throughout the year are just too great.

[@lascellsbrown5854]

I love your style

[@joeraptor1]

Small lawns are definitely much more profitable than large ones since there's a limit as to how much people are willing to pay. The 21" mowers are also much easier to maintain than a larger unit like a 30 or 36 inch unit.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yes I agree. I will say though that I own a 36” turf tracer and started recently using the 30” model. I think the 30 although more complicated than a 21 is a great compromise between a 21 and 36. It still is relatively simple but offers the advantage of a large cutting area. Thanks for watching.

[@joeraptor1]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess I can see the 30" being useful if you get into wide open spaces on residential lots. Not so sure about tightly landscaped lots that have a lot of turning for the mower. Price is a factor too. I live up in Canada. An Exmark/Toro 30" will cost you about $3 000. You can get two Exmark/Toro/Honda 21" commercial mowers for that price. Too bad you can't weld the two 21" units together to create a 42" unit...lol. That would bump productivity.

[@DirtbikerG63]

Hi I just started a mowing company this year with two clients with a craftsman silver edition push mower and a craftsman weed eater. I am working on getting more clients. Hopefully I will get a lot more clients next season. I would like to eventually buy a bigger mower I have a 48inch bad boy zero turn but it is to big for my yards I would like a 30 to 36inch mower but can’t decide on what one to get. Hopefully will be able to get a deal the used dealer near me or marketplace. What mower do you think I should try to get?

[@bradleyplayer4254]

Fantastic message as always👍

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching! 👍

[@BRIANOKEEFFE1]

I use a 21", echo blower and line trimmer. I dont do properties who have dogs to avoid the shit getting on shoes, vehicle carpet, equipment, etc. What do you do in these cases?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I use an animal waste surcharge of $15 to deter people from leaving animal waste on the lawn. It works fairly well. Occasionally someone will forget or miss one and I just go around it. If there is more then one then I will charge them the fee and mow around it. Thanks for watching.

[@powellyardwork5881]

I started just like that.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Nice! It’s definitely the lower risk way to get into the business. Even as you grow and expand to bigger equipment and properties, you may even find like me that those small lawns are where biggest profit is. Thanks for watching.

[@Grassology-vs1hn]

I purchased a toro 52” grand stand this year for my PT mowing business I’m starting to have buyers remorse.Even though I need it for 3 of my 12 properties I use my 30” push mower for the others. It’s paid off so next season make a decision to keep or sell for something smaller.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I made that mistake in 2007. Paid $14,000 for a brand new walker to only do 10% of my lawns with. It sat on the trailer 90% of the time while I mowed with the Honda 21”. Thanks for watching.

[@Grassology-vs1hn]

Lawn Care Business Success , good thing I have the accelerator bagger I try to use it as much as possible.Going forward I will think everything especially since all my equipment is paid off. Today I was entertaining purchasing a Toro 21” commercial but it didn’t have side discharge. Your setup is a good one. Do you still have the Honda mower?

[@salvangief7097]

Hey muy buen video,me gustaria saber que tipo de herramientas son las necesarias para poder comenzar mi negocio en jardineria,hace unos dias compre una weed eater ,pero creo que no es comercial y mi pregunta es necesario que mis herramientas sean comerciales. Le agradesco su ayuda y comentarios.

[@alejandrohernandez3738]

Salvangie f cuando yo empece mi negocio de jardineria mi herramienta no era comercial no tenia muchas yardas pero si tienes el dinero para comprar yu herramienta comercial . Compralas porque esas duran.mas tiempo y si no tienes dinero comprala.residencial o de segundo mano como yo cuando empece me iba Alas tienes de segundo a comprartoda mi herramienta y cuando empiezas solo necesitas una push mower 21 inch weedeater edge and blower

[@guichozuniga7385]

Asi empesare yo. Espero que me valla bien

[@JeffreyCoumbe]

Some people really like the Toro residential 30" mower. Some prefer it over the commercial model due to the weight in turns and weight on wet turf.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I think some people prefer it it because of the price point. Thanks for watching.

[@MrErichuizer]

I have an option to start my own lawn care business and start with a park of 14.000 m2 with mainly grass and some trees. What equipment do you recommend? BIg(ger) push mower size etc?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I would say you want at a minimum a 36” mower but even that may be too small. I’d probably look at getting a sit down ZTR to be really efficient. Thanks for watching.

[@guichozuniga7385]

Yes SIR!

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Thanks for watching.

[@composer772]

i have a 21 inch weed eater push mower do you think it’s good enough to mow lawns over this summer? i’m 15 and looking for some quick cash

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

You can use anything to start. Especially if your a teenager and it’s just a summer thing to make a few bucks, then why not. Thanks for watching.

[@armysnoopy1562]

Sir, would a 30in or a 21in be better for small yards ?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

I’ve used a 21” mower for 14 years in my business mowing small lawns. This year was the first year using the 30”. I can honestly say I don’t think I would ever go back to a 21” mower for small lawns. The 30” saves me on average about 2 hours a day over the 21”. Thanks for watching.

[@elephantom12]

How many of those residential properties can you bang out in a day with the 21" and 30" mowers? And how long does each typically take you?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

That’s a bit of a loaded question because there are so many variables. It would all depend on the size and route density. 15 comfortably up to 25 if your hustling with those bigger ones and driving around. I work in some streets where the homes are so small on 4000 sqft properties, they take 5-10 minutes max to trim, mow and blow one man and a 21. I charge $30 for those. If you could sign them all up you could probably easily do 30-40 if you didn’t have to move the truck and just go house to house they are that small. Like a townhouse only single detached houses. Thanks for watching.

[@scytheworks6297]

Hello, I am a 15 year old looking to buy a better mower. I've been mowing small yards for 2 years now. What 30" mower would you recommend?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

The only 30 I have experience with is the Exmark commercial 30. I used it as the main mower in my lawn care business and it was fantastic. I’ve done a bunch of videos on it. The Toro commercial 30 is also very similar. Thanks for watching.

[@scytheworks6297]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess I will definitely be looking into it. Than you.

[@Matt369oi]

What is the mile radius that you're limited to? Is it 10 miles 20 miles 30 miles?

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Not sure what you mean exactly, but if you mean the radius I work in then, it’s not even a radius but more of a corridor or rectangle, 5 miles long by 3 miles wide, is where 99% of my clients are. Thanks for watching.

[@Matt369oi]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess thanks for your response 👍🏼

[@abrahamghannam2137]

I love it I want to get started but I wouldn’t know where to get started how much to charge for a normal 8000 square-foot normal house I hear some people charging $30 $40 $20 I asked my neighbor what does the guy charge you to cut your lawn she told me 25 bucks he edges weed whip and blows it except for $25 how can you make any money how many lawns do you cut a day to make $500 and what kind of advertising would you tell oh where do you advertise

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Yeah you really need to do your own due diligence when planning and running a business. I would say the majority of lawn care businesses under price their work and are not actually making any money. So you can’t really rely on what the other guy is charging because the other guy may have no clue what he’s doing. Then it becomes a case of the blind leading the blind as they say. I offer a how to price lawns profitably course on my website if your interested. Thanks for watching.

[@alexramos2970]

As in CLOVER SC ?

[@morrisdaniels9314]

Cool 👍

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Thanks for watching. 👍

[@JUAN120484]

What Honda model

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

The Honda commercial HRC-216 is what I would recommend for a Honda mower. Thanks for watching.

[@datboydro2267]

I alwAys though you would need all that equipment

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Thanks for watching.

[@presleycharles1906]

helle I very appreciate you video, right now I want build on small business landsacape can you helph me give a list for all equipement I need to start canyou write for me please please

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

If I had to recommend equipment to someone I would say all you need to get started is a good string trimmer, handheld blower, and 21” or 30” commercial mower. My picks for someone starting out would be the ECHO PAS-2620 system with the string trimmer attachment. That way you could add other attachments like a blade edger without buying a whole new machine. I’d also get the ECHO PB-2520 handheld blower, and either the Exmark commercial 21 or commercial 30 lawn mower. Thanks for watching.

[@presleycharles1906]

OK thanks can you give me one better website to help find best price

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

No websites. Go to your local equipment dealer that sells echo and exmark equipment.

[@rlawn]

I took on a 2 acre property and I will say i could have made more money with doing some smaller lots. But is it really nice and relaxing yes i make 20 -30 less the the huge over head of a larger mower to do the job. But I always look forward to cutting that property. In short K.I.S. is right again when your starting out or been in it for long time. You don't need the big toys to make good money 21" or a 30" really is all you need.

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

Funny. When I do big ones it’s always fun at first, then I’m like dang this is taking way too long to mow. 😂 I also prefer not having to load and unload the larger machines. The way my trailer is set up I can just put the smaller mowers inside without even strapping them down. So very quick to pull in and out. Thanks for watching.

[@rlawn]

@@LawnCareBusinessSuccess Its my last one of the day and I just want to sit back and relax. Too tired to do anymore walking LOL

[@LawnCareBusinessSuccess]

😂