HELP LANDSCAPERS! ZTR or Kubota 7800 for suberbs

[superlite17]

Hello all, and thanks for taking your time to help!!!
I am a newbie and need some advice: I am semi-retired from offshore construction(commercial diver) and have been in an office for a couple years. Everyday the walls close in about 3", and i am miserable, I like to work outside with my hands. I have been envying you guys and have decided to take the plunge...
Went down to my Lexmark dealer who is also Kubota to price ZTRs and am now confused ! His question was whether i intended on doing lawncare OR landscaping , where I thought most LANDSCAPERS did both or at least were somewhat one and the same.
I can only afford one major piece of equipment. His opinion/advice seemed to be that if I wanted to do lawncare only, then he would get a ZTR. But if I wanted to offer the broader spectrum of actual landscape services then he would go with a Kubota 7800 compact utility tractor, cutting deck, and a couple implements. Then use my JD riding mower on small lawns.

As experienced professionals what do you guys think? Have any of you made that decision? With that kind of money I cannot afford a mistake!

 

[bmac]

Not that you won't get good advice here on TBN, but I would strongly urge you to also log on to lawnsite.com, a website devoted to lawncare and landscaping ptofessionals. I would be willing to bet that they will give you many good reasons why you should not do residential lawncare with either a CUT or your JD riding mower (assuming you JD is a residential mower). Also, if you will read through several months of discussions on that forum, I'm sure you will be enlightened about the green industry and this may strengthed your resolve to enter into this business or make you reconsider it altogether.

Good luck

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> I have been envying you guys and have decided to take the plunge... </font>

You never really told us what this PLUNGE was into. What do you want to do, and with that information, you should get plenty of feedback.

Lawn Care and Landscaping are two separate entities. Lawn Care companies are geared towards mowing clients yards. During the non-growing season they will trim bushes, etc. Their minimum requirements are a mower, edger and trimmer.

Landscapers are in the business of planting trees, and shrubs; building planters, retaining walls, etc. Their main equipment requirement is a skidsteer or CUT. They need to do alot of excavating, digging and material hauling.

Another good site for information is LawnCafe.com

 

[Bird]

Sounds to me as if you have a good dealer giving good advice.

 

[GATC35]

I own both a CUT (New Holland TC-35D) and a ZTR ( Toro Z-Master 54 inch cut 19 HP Kawasaki engine) Depending on the size of the lawns, and the obstructions like trees a CUT will be really difficult to cut grass with. Where a ZTR can spin around a tree on a dime. In my opinion there is a world of different in mowing grass with these two machines. Even with a B7800 being smaller than my TC-35D you are still going to have problems getting around in a small yard. Most landscapers in my area start out cutting grass then move up into the landscaping part. Go buy a good ZTR to get started. Another thing to keep in mind a ZTR will cut twice as much grass in a given time than a regular riding lawn mower. Time is money! If you ever cut with a ZTR you will never cut with anything else. Why do you think every lawn service has at least one on their trailer ?

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> Go buy a good ZTR to get started </font>

If money is tight, a good 48 or 60-inch walkbehind will cut alot of grass in a short amount of time and cost less than half of a good ZTR.

 

[GATC35]

During the summers here after about the fifth or sixth lawn the walk behind becomes a drag behind. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif After yard number eight it's a crawl behind /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Especially when you get old and grey like me. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Will_C]

All good advice. What do you want to do? What are you experienced in doing? If you are planning to offer mowing, trimming, and clean up, you should be able to get started with your John Deere until you actually land some steady clients.
You also need to consider what size lawns are in your area. Not much sense in a ZTR mower if the majority of your potential work will be lawns in the 5,000-10,000 sq. ft. range.
I think you will find the CUT's and sub-CUT's that we all love here to be poor choices for the landscape/lawn care business. Dedicated mowing machines are preferred for the lawn care side, and skid steers, mini-excavators, and true compact TLB are the equipment of choice for serious landscapers.
Will