Equipment

Important Lawn Care Business Tools

5 min read

If you’re going to venture out on your own, and start a lawn care business, there are certain tools that you will need. Your success depends upon having the right gear and equipment. Your equipment is one of the biggest and most important investments to make in the lawn care industry. Not all equipment has to be brand new. Look for refurbished or rental/lease items if you are just starting and have limited money to invest. Having insurance to cover your tools is also strongly recommended in the event your tools are damaged or stolen. Take care of your equipment! Know how each tool works and the maintenance required to keep it functional. For example, grass will look shredded and have white tips if cut with dull blades. You can purchase new blades or have them sharpened every few weeks/months.

Building your supply of tools may take a long time. Be patient. Things may occasionally break and need repair, this is all a normal part of this industry and you should always be prepared for these scenarios (either have back-up tools or access to quick repairs). Your experience will increase over time and so will your knowledge of tools and what you want to invest in.

The better the equipment the better the results. Make sure you know what equipment you need for each type of service, but be open to creative ways of getting work done. Proper equipment will help you complete jobs with efficiency, allowing you to do more work in a shorter period of time. Talk to other professionals about how they get things done and what brands/tools they like the best.

A truck and trailer to get to appointments

It cannot be understated how important it is for you to have a reliable truck that will get you to your worksites. Make sure that your vehicle is in good shape, and that you will be able to navigate comfortably through traffic. In metro areas, your vehicle can take a beating with congested traffic, frequent stops, and tight turns, and which is why it is so important to make sure you have adequate transportation. You also should invest in a trailer that can be hooked up to your truck. Make sure that this trailer is large enough to carry all the equipment you will be using on your jobs.

It is best to have both a riding mower and a push mower.

Riding and push mowers to tackle various yard sizes and layouts

While a riding mower can help you cover a lot of ground quickly, you should also know that a push mower may also be needed. In some instances, a riding mower will not be able to get into certain nooks and crannies. While riding mowers help cover more ground in less time, a push mower will need to be used at some point in basically every yard. A push mower helps get to those tough to reach areas, and it is safer when dealing with ditches and steep slopes. It is best to have both a riding mower and a push mower to get the job done safely, with precision and detail in mind.

A weed-eater for stubborn weeds and unnecessary growth

Weeds and unnecessary growth can wreak havoc on lawns, beds, walkways, and driveways. If left unchecked, they can cause problems with other areas of a property too. Overgrown lawns and weeds are an attraction and breeding grown for pests and disease. You will definitely need a weed-eater to handle pesky weeds and growth. Weed-eaters are also called trimmers, string trimmers, or weed-whackers. While it's likely you’ll be able to grab some of the weeds by hand, volume alone warrants having a weed-eater. More ground can be covered, and you will be able to deliver more quality services to your clients. Invest in a weed eater.

An edger for neater and tidier Lawns

Edgers are a great tool that will help your lawn care work be as neat and tidy as possible. An edger will allow you to create definition around any flowers and plant beds, with exceptional attention to detail and finishes. An edger will also help you get those areas adjacent to walkways, driveways, and sidewalks, and your clients will appreciate the extra attention to detail and clean finishes.

Neat edging of grass areas is required for Lawn Love services and will elevate your services to the next level by making the yard look sharp and professional. Make sure you know how to use an edger to prevent over-edging the lawn and creating large gaps between the hardscapes and lawn that are not easy to fix.

lawn professional using a lawn edging machine

Trimmers for bushes and hedges

You will need a trimmer that is powerful enough to get excess and unneeded growth off of bushes and hedges. This will ensure the overall health of those plants, and this helps with growth being fuller and leading to more vibrant and colorful blooms. Trimmers help give lawns an overall more polished and finished look. Gas-powered trimmers cover more ground and decrease the time you spend on a lawn. Electric trimmers that require an electrical outlet to plug in are not a great option, due to the inconsistency of a customer having an outlet available to use. And although you can get a good amount of work done quickly with battery operated trimmers, it is also suggested to own a pair of hand trimmers. Hand trimmers will allow you to go into plants and remove growth attacking plants from the inside. Hand trimmers help you get areas around window-seals and other areas where precision is key.

Blower to remove leaves, snow, trimmings, and build-up

Blowers do more than help remove leaves from yards and other areas on a property. They are very useful in colder climates, helping to move snow. When the work on a lawn is nearing completion, a blower can push all the trimmings along with other yard debris into a specified area for easier collection and disposal. It is also recommended to use blowers to remove dust from patios and open porches and to help with removing cobwebs and buildup in corners.

lawn pro using leaf blower for leaf cleanup

Rakes, gloves, tarps, and bins

For your lawn care services to be top-notch you should also own rakes, gloves, tarps, and bins. Rakes are used to spread out seeds, hay, and grass coverings, and help remove debris. For your safety, having gloves will protect hands from thorns, pests, and sharp plant and stick edges. A tarp can be very useful to help carry removed debris like sticks and limbs and to carry off lawn trimmings. Bins like large, round industrial trash cans can hold debris and trimmings safely on the back of your trailer. You’ll also need straps and ropes to safely secure your equipment and debris during transport.