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• PRO

  Adam Pilgrim July 19, 2020 at 9:32am

  In my opinion, neither of those. Decent zero turn all the way. We invested in one this year and it had changed the way we cut grass and run our rounds. We are no strangers to big areas, having regularly cut 5 acre football pitches and large factory sites. We still use our 16hp compact tractor and rear mount finishing mower on some sites, but the Kubota zero turn has taken over all the larger domestic gardens. It runs the mulch kit permanently, it all depends on exactly what your customers expect. On weekly cuts it leaves nothing on slightly damp fortnightly cuts it sometimes leaves a bit of 'residue' when you stop the blades. 

  For what it's worth, I would never store equipment at a clients house, especially BV as it gets very dodgy ground when it comes to being insured for theft! Also if your relationship with that client goes sour, you are very quickly in a mess.

   

  What van do you run currently?
  • 

    Tom Evans > Adam Pilgrim July 19, 2020 at 10:03am

    Hi Adam,

     

    Thanks for the reply. A zero turn is out of reach for me unfortunately. It will certainly be the next step up in a year or two once everything is going to plan. 

     

    The mulching in my opinion is the best way to cut grass but you know what some customers are like. All the bigger sites are weekly so it wouldn't be an issue to keep on top of.

     

    I understand about leaving it at a customers, however they have a small holding with a unit that I can rent with drawn up business rental agreements that would be in place. CCTV and 2 coded gates so couldn't think of a more secure place.

     

    Currently running a vw caddy 1.6 SDI so it can barely drag it's backside up a hill, let alone a trailer.
• PRO

  Oliver Ashton July 19, 2020 at 8:01pm

  I would recommend the front mounted option, enables you to get close to edges etc eliminating some strimming and extremely manoeuvrable, I have a stiga park pro and couldn't be without it, mulches weekly/fortnightly without problems. Both the machines you mention are aimed at the domestic market and wouldn't cope with a lot of work, and will quickly lose you money. Look for a second hand park pro or a 740pwx, robust machines with not a lot to go wrong on them
  • 

    Tom Evans > Oliver Ashton July 19, 2020 at 9:27pm

    Thanks Oliver.

     

    Just to clear it up a little further, I have a budget of up to around £100 a month for a machine that will earn me money. I don't really want to be spending more than £3000 as it's my first ride on and I don't have too many large contracts/gardens but want to get more on board.

     

    Knowing this, is there something further you would suggest?
• PRO

  Andrew Watts July 20, 2020 at 7:56pm

  we added a toro zero-turn to our mower range a couple of seasons ago, and it's been brilliant. Fast, agile and good finish, plus reliable. It's only highish end domestic model and I paid £3k for it inc vat. Today looks like it's around £3.3k. I would go for something like this or the stiga park out front for flexibility. Most customers don't mind the lack of pick-up as the finish is so good. We've also a countax 4wd for pick-up and that is sitting idle most of the time, unless the toro is in for service.

  The tractor type is appealing, especailly as we do use the countax for light scarifies and waste pick-up, but it's nowwhere as near performance / finish of the zero-turn. We use 42" decks, as these fit easily in the back of large transit vans.
• 

  Vic 575 July 21, 2020 at 6:22am

  Hi Tom,

  You seem to have many issues here. Firstly, a Stiga 220 will not be up to the job. Particularly if you plan to expand and do more grass cutting. As already stated, the 220 is a low grade domestic machine. I have a Stiga Parks 740 Pwx. This is the sort of machine you need. Although much of the Stiga Parks range looks the same, there is a huge difference between the cheaper models and the more expensive ones. The V-Twin engines are far superior to the single cylinder ones and the higher grade models are just stronger and able to take harder and more sustained professional use.

  Remember that a good dealer will give you a very good discount, so don’t be put off by list prices. I bought my current 740 new exactly two years ago and got nearly 20% off list.

  I also have a John Deere Z535m [48 inch – mulching kit] zero turn. This is a superb machine. It produces a first class finish and will cover the ground much faster than the Stiga, but I would still recommend the Stiga to start with. The Stigas are highly manoeuvrable and are also superb on smaller domestic ‘hand mowing’ work. The ‘40’ in 740 denotes four wheel drive. I would say that a four wheel drive variant is essential if you plan to do any commercial sites, especially old churchyards. The four wheel drive Stigas are like mountain goats. You would be surprised how much the four wheel drive is needed even on sites where it looks fairly unchallenging.

  Don’t buy a garden tractor.

  The Stiga 740 is only about 250 kilos, so not much of a problem towing wise and a 750kg un-braked trailer is only about 150 kilos. So you will be towing no more than 400 kilos at most, so not much of a challenge to the towing vehicle.

  I would also suggest that keeping the machine at a client’s house is no good. How are they going to be when you are turning up at their house twice a day to collect and then return the machine? A machine which will be dropping grass everywhere.

  I am a very busy contractor with 35 years’ experience and 29 years of self-employment. I have made many mistakes along the way including buying the wrong gear in the early days. There were no forums like this in back then.

  So I would say that investing in a better machine now is the way to go. Buying cheap domestic grade will not help you expand. It’s a case of speculating to accumulate. Remember that you should be achieving £60p/h or better with a machine of this kind. So if you have or gain enough work for a Stiga, it will soon become cost efficient and save you money in the long run.
  • 

    Tom Evans > Vic 575 July 21, 2020 at 8:11am

    Thank you to everyone for your comments and wisdom.

     

    My thinking was to buy a domestic to get me into the bigger jobs where I could earn more money, however looking at it differently, I'd rather buy a better quality machine than just a Bobby basic and have to replace belts etc. 

     

    I have opted to buy a Toro timemaster so I can get those bigger contracts, lower initial outlay and then save like **** to get something better like the 740pwx (after getting a new van! As per previously stated, it's a none turbo , 69bhp caddy with 180k).

     

    Again, thanks for your words of wisdom with all this and your opinions directed me to look at different options 👍🏼
• PRO

  Christopher Rocca July 25, 2020 at 11:25am

  John Deere pro machine or Huskarva pro

  greater cost but well worth it

  leasing deals available anyway  means you can quote for decent contract work 

   
  • 

    Mariusz Mlodzinski > Christopher Rocca July 28, 2020 at 6:54am

    We're not pro landscapers. We have a two acre field (mainly wild grass) on a 9 degree slope and we've been looking at getting the John Deere X590. Is this a good choice?

    Also, are there any battery-operated options that have decent power to get the job done?
    • Public Member

      Kris Baker > Mariusz Mlodzinski July 28, 2020 at 11:04am

      Is this a job you do for someone else, or your own field?

      I would want a ride-on, rather than walk-behind, for 2-acres. Battery ride on will be very expensive if it is only being used for 2-acres e.g., once a week, rather than contract mowing all-day-every-day.

      If this is your field, rather than a client job, how about a Robot Mower instead? Probably same price as ride-on, but no operator time to do the job each week, and no having to fit in the job when the weather is right etc. For that size I would budget for a contractor to lay the perimeter guide wire by machine

      I have Husqvarna Automower. 2 acres exceeds area for their top end model, although if the area is a rectangle (rather than complex area of paths and flower beds) it may cope ... and maybe other brands have 2 acre solutions, or split the area in half and have two robots.

      There is a calculator on their website - either enter Area or get a Satellite Map up and "draw" around the area

      https://automower.husqvarna.com/uk/index.html

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