What Lawn mower to buy to Start a Lawn Mowing Business in 2023!
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- These are my thoughts on how to get your foot in the door with a lawn mowing business.
What Lawn mower to buy, what trimmer to buy, what blower to buy.
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If you are into tools and equipment related to lawn care. This is the place for you. Unboxing, quick looks and reviews of lawn mower, line trimmers and any thing else you can think of. No brand is off limits, Stihl, Husqvarna, Honda, Masport, Ryobi, Scag, Ego, Milwaukee, Makita, Dewault, Toro and any other you can think of.
I started my business with an old Honda Buffalo Classic 21" cut 2 speed self propelled. 5HP what an awesome machine. That lasted 31 years. not a bad run but that was the old commercial range. It never missed a beat and always started on pull 2.
I used to and still do turn the fuel tap of and run the fuel out every night. That;s why I always had a 2 pull start.
The new honda machines are a bit whimpy and something is always wearing out, my current Honda I have replaced bearings, wheels, bag, . I like your idea of the Masport it seems pretty solid.
I know you love the self feed on your edgers but I have always been a swap it out for an alloy head.perspn. I used the same edger for 30 + years withe the same manual feed alloy head, occasionally swapping it for a blade to slash the long stuff. They just don't make them like they used to my old Kawasaki TG28 with a straight shaft was 33 years old when it died and it still used to start with ease.
I bought myself a Sthil but I don't see it lasting as long as the Kawasaki.
Still at my age my gear will soon be relegated to the just doing my place no more real hard yakka.
Fantastic approach to a start-up Tim. I would personally insist no matter what to get a unit that is self propelled from the start. Whether new or second hand, you can’t beat the convenience. I’d suggest to do some research on what dealerships you have nearby and create a relationship with the closest as that will save time and effort in the long run on parts (I have husky gear which I can’t repair if anything goes wrong as there’s none near me so I opted with Honda and Stihl). Generally speaking my 1 advice to anyone starting up, get the best you can afford and upgrade as soon as you can.
I maintain primary schools and I’ve gone completely battery for my business except the backpack blower and ride on. It’s just so much quieter for the kids when working around the class rooms. But the batteries are a killer 😂 but I’ll make that money back in savings on fuel over time I reckon
I agree. Batteries is the future. You will make that money back fast by not having to buy fuel. It's also better for the environment. Quiet too. I just started last year but I have one Batteries powered trimmer. But this year I'll be investing in Ego new commercial gear
@@VegetaIsMe23 You should look into the pollution mining the materials to make the batteries. Not to mention the disposal of worn out batteries. Also, you're still using coal/oil generated power to charge them. It's just outsourcing the pollution. NIMBY
@@VegetaIsMe23good for small runs but when big runs petrol is still king
@@funkymunky7935There are many manufactured components in both electric and fuel mowers, from spark plugs to brushes in motors.
You could argue all day which is "better" in regards to the environment, or human impact, but the reality is it's all bad.
But hey, people like nice lawns and they're willing to pay for those nice lawns.
Battery is quieter, but you won't be ahead financially. A Honda hru216 is only $1400 trade, a similar (less good) battery mower will be $2K+ and you'll need new batteries at $400 each long before the mower will require significant maintenance costs.
Nice introduction to starting a lawn mowing business.
Other areas you could expand upon at a later date, storage of equipment (eg. Ute, trailer, truck, tool boxes, racks, ramps, fuel storage, securing equipment), rubbish removal (eg. small or large garden bags, green bins, skips).
How about a mini series’s showing other contractors set ups, what works for them and why.
You should try and get your hands on PELLENC battery tools, very high end contractor tools made in France. Very pricey though.
I second this request, Tim. I'd love to hear your recommendations on the storage and removal topics Mark mentioned, please.
Vans are a superior choice to utes. I recommend starting with Honda HRU196 push mower and Honda UMK425 4 stroke line trimmer, and Stihl BG86 Blower. You can buy second hand, these are all quality machines and will last many years. You can start your business out of the back of a little hatchback if you want to, but eventually it is best to get a decent van.
Small & medium pick ups are popular in the US for landscaping!
As a left below knee amputee I find self propelled mowers get away from me , so for my fledgling side hustle lawn operation I went for the Masport President 5000 and the Honda UMC435 Versa Tool powerhead, blower and trimmer attachments
The most important thing I found when starting out is buy a mower that has good grass collection. And buy everything from a local dealer that has a good reputation. When you only have the one mower or trimmerto rely on it’s important to know if you have troubles you can get it fixed fast.
I started with a cheap victa push mower. Ryobi snipper and a ryobi blower vac. lasted 2 years with buying cheaqp mowers then bit the bullet and purchased a honda 216 selfpropelled and loved it onto my 3rd now only due to chassis cracking also running Stihl and shindaiwa whipper snippers and stihl blower all petrol but managed to pick up a bargain at bunnings for an 18v blower as I had the batteries already and it was only $100 including 4ah battery and charger.
Very thorough, explanatory in "layman's " terms. Thanks.
I look after a large resort and we started to get a few battery items purely for the noise aspect and keeping guests happy. In the experience we've had long term they just don't last like the commercial petrol stuff does
And they are expensive. Most battery stuff is for the homeowner honestly.
@@marklar7551 they are quite expensive but definately not all battery gear is targeted for domestic use. I use EGO commercial battery gear for long reach hedger, whipper snipper, pole saw and also have their battery mower which I use for smaller lawns or roof top lawns. Big difference between the domestic and commercial stuff.
@tales from the bottle, if you look after a large resort and want a unit battery that lasts the whole day, then maybe take a look at EcoTeq. They have some great rideons that can do a full day, or like 7 acres on a single charge. They are a lot more expensive, compared to the domestic gear that is being sold at the moment, but hey, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Tim I do mowing for a living. But still a beginner.
I have both this mowers. Sometimes it is much easier to grab the lighter mower especially in small spaces, even though it not self propelled.
Sometimes I have to use the 19 inches but I miss tje self propelled.
So I am thinking to add toy tools a 19 inches masport that is only 39 kilos and is self propelled. It has a brigg and strat 4 stokes. I hope I don't regret it.
I Agree 100% Tim, However, personally, I avoid the batter gear (I may change my mind if I find a good Battery Pole Saw)
I started out with:
-A cheap 44cc 2-stroke brush cutter (New)
-A Stihl Backpack Blower (Second Hand)
-A DMC216S Self-propelled mower (Second Hand)
and Eventually got a Zero-Trun ride on with catcher
I started part-time while working as an engineer and my one universal recommendation is;
GET Public Liability Cover Before Your First Mow. It only take one accident
Are you mowing fulltime now mate? A Civil Designer myself who has also started out not too long ago after running my own engineering company
Great video the only one suggestion I have is if a person has the extra coin get a kombi unit (eg stihl km series) then get a whippersnipper attachment and a edger attachment and also that leaves the person to be able to edging and basic tree / branch pruning with the other attachments when it's not mowing season.
we are just about to add lawn mowing to our summer services, just bought a Mountfield SP53 Elite with the honda engine to get started
I started my lawn business with a basic Briggs and Stratton engine Masport mower and economy value Ryobi Snipper, and rake and broom .. Total cost back then less than $400 37 years ago
Are you still doing it?
Tim you need to list both your channels in the channels tab and pin the links at the top of your comments and shorts, great work.
i also switched from the fs94r to the 525lst and what a difference in operation. Less vibration, abit more power, better ergonomics (i had to run a darwins grip on 94r and the 525 has the added protection of the metal butt bumper and plastic heat sheild on top so you dont get burnt
The less vibration was the first thing I noticed.I couldn't work out if it was because my 94 has done a lot of work. It would be good to try two new units side by side
Investing in a multi tool of trimmers,edgers etc is I think a better way to go than a dedicated line trimmer. Especially for a beginner as it will keep cost and space down as well as give options for more attachments going forward
That’s definitely an option 👍
I’ve been using the Shindiawa Multitool for over 10 years. I carry 2 in the Ute with two pole hedgers, one short hedger, pole chainsaw, blade edger and a line trimmer. Definitely worth looking into if you are planning on doing garden maintenance as well as lawns (I use a Honda commercial self propelled as that’s what the local store stocks). I can fit all that on the Ute, all down one side of the vehicle leaving about 2/3 of the tray free for vegetation and grass clippings.
Great advice, Tim, just what I was looking for.
I really like the idea of a battery kit, even for just starting out. Your point about the bad lawns makes sense, it might be worth me investing in extra batteries..
Greenworks offer some nice package deals with the mower, trimmer and blower, mind you they aren't cheap, but you're pretty much set up from the get go.
Sounds very similar to me. I got the Masport Pro power 21 SP instead of the contractor. Using the Husky 525LST and a BG86. The new Ego blower is looking mighty tempting to swap to. My only other tool I take out is a Stihl Kombi unit with a Ryobi edger fitted.
Edger is very handy to have!
Hello, great recommendations! I was planning on starting with a similar setup but then I fell in love with the Cramer 82V battery system (Same owners, units, production as Greenworks). Yes you need lets say 8 batteries (3Ah/220Wh for the trimmer, and 6Ah/430Wh for the lawn mower and the blower) and you can get trough the day (recharging at the owners house or via battery bank in the truck). The units a basically maintenance free, quiet and easy to use.... and they can get you through wherry thick stuff. Best regards Tim!
Can’t go wrong with the Honda. We’ve got a 25 year old HRU195D that just won’t die. New commercial equivalent is around $1200AUD So I’ll be repairing and restoring mine for a number of years yet 😅
*edit* The Honda at the hardware shop is not the same as you can buy from your specialised dealership. Support your local independent dealer - the after sales service alone is worth it.
I look after 7 odd acres comercially. my ride on is a toro hd 2000 with a 52" deck. I made a concious choice 4yrs ago because of the "battery system" ( not a fan boy, practicality, good experiences and economics is key) I'm in, to go with the line trimmers as a move away from fuel depency where possible. Chomped at the bit for the company to release their mower. First impressions had me underwhelmed with the height of cut being disappointingly high in my domestic setting. These machines arent going to replace your petrol mower anytime soon when you need that low/ dethatch mow. Once I got it to my commercial premise however.........oh wow!!!!!!!!!! the work this thing has saved me in line trimming where the ride on can't reach has been immeasurable in time savings and a joy with its self drive ensuring I dont have to push it. I have mowed 400 M2 easily on a single charge. A criticism of the line trimmers is I go through line trimmer heads like there's no tomorrow. At approx. $30.00 AUD a head it adds up but trying the GSA head replacement seemed to make no difference so it is what it is. Again I'm not being a fan boy of one system or another but read between the lines and I'm confident the more discerning of you out there will guess where I'm at. Thank you Tim for your channels
Thanks Tim. Very helpful.
All valid points, thanks for the content.
Don't have much money so I need to be able to fit all my stuff in a small hatchback car (elantra gt), and I'll be doing residential homes (canada). I'm actually going CORDED electric for everything as I find that once you get used to it, there's not much difference than having the gas version, in fact I often forget there's a cord. Less maintenance, lighter, cheaper; only limited by length of extension cord and also need to plan your job so that the cord doesn't get in the way. Did leaf removal this way and now I'm gonna be mowing lawns (for the first time, commercially), so hopefully everything goes as well as it did during fall. (Also it'll be very part-time)
For sure get a little one that you can push from customer to custiomer.
you can’t beat the 525LST
I started with cheap tools, and they served me well enough to earn the money to buy better tools. To date, the best tool I've purchased, is the Husqvarna 535LK Pro combi. It is a fantastic machine, with the power to do almost everything! It is quite expensive though!
Still waiting to get my hands on mine
Man you’re making me miss my 525 🤣 in all seriousness couldn’t agree more. Especially with the blowers. I’m sick of the bg86 and rarely gets used now that I’ve got the br800 so a battery blower is just kore convenient
I didn’t think you had it that long? Why’d you get rid of it?
@@turfandtools yeah only had it for a few months. I didn’t find it anymore impressive then my 94 and I ended up always choosing the 94 in the end for jobs. Also the fact I have a better relationship with my stihl dealer over my husky one. However In saying that if one of my 94s broke down tomorrow. I would highly consider the 525 or the stihl km131
I have no issue with my 94. Hopefully this is as good
Great video for anyone wanting to start out in the Lawn Mowing Business. I am curious what Microphone system you are using as the sound quality is good which helps a lot when watching your videos.
good luck doing lawn mowing right now to hard to get yards with all the lawn guys out there currently
Hello. I'm from Russia and they don't sell Masport here. What is the mower model? Please answer what is most important for you when working with a mower? How often does it stall when working with tall grass? Does grass stick to the deck and side discharge so it needs to be turned off and cleaned frequently? How many hours do you need a tank? How does she deal with wet grass early in the morning? Is the grass sticking to the grass catcher outlet so that it is blocking it?
I know it’s a bit late, but what would you estimate repair costs for the equipment would be yearly?
For one person and taking care of your equipment as much as possible.
Thanks for a great informative video.
I have a few questions:
1. You would need a trailer, any advice.
2. How do you dispose of the grass clippings, do yo charge extra for taking away the grass?
3. How do you chare, per square metre?
How do you market & advertise?
Many thanks.
good solid advice.
Cheers man
I have the Honda commercial mower that cost 1500ish upgraded from the hrx217 with nexite deck. The commercial engine is better and more powerful but the weight of it is nuts compared to the nexite deck. Blower I started with br 350 Stihl now I got the 800 c , brush cutter and trimmers I have the stihl 561 c-em (highly recommend this beast) the. For little stuff I use a fs 94r. The mower is a upgrade except the weight, blower is awesome and the 561 c em makes easy work of any length of grass and doesn’t matter how thick 1,600$ and it paid for itself many times over
I’m a beginner 😁. Don’t know exactly what I’m doing coming from an apartment to being a homeowner. I need extreme help and need to know what to buy in order to take care of such a huge lawn I have. Please help me!
525 LST IS GOOD ONE .
Wow the equipment in Australia is so much more than in the US!
Try cox different mowers & ride ons
What’s the deal with line trimmers. I find I go through so much line and it’s a nightmare to reload. What do you Recommend for effective use of line trimmers. I have started using metal blades but they don’t last long on concrete edges.
I like the house Varna packs straps the full body one thing just to take the weight off the whippersnapper even if it’s only about two or 3 kg you still have this thing on and then just takes the weight of it down a bit Reaganomics sorts of things because of my shoulder that’s what people are gonna watch using enough of those whippersnappers
Thanks great advice what about ride on and trailers when starting thanks in advance
Hi mate,
I really enjoy your videos and I learn a lot. So thank you for your efforts making these videos.
I need to buy a backpack sprayer, battery operated, rechargable. I am not a professional but I prefer to buy decent gear, instead of going cheap and replacing it soon after.
Is there any brand or models you can recommend? Any I should avoid?
Cheers
Tom
replace your smoke alarm batteries
What is your opinion on zero-turn mowers, and when do you believe they are useful.
I'm a career truck driver and can no longer do this as a job. I'm 45yo and am looking to re-skill and start working for myself. Do you think this would be a good place to do that and what do you think would be a far start up cost??
Thankyou for any help
Looking at starting a part time lawn mowing business, I notice some contractors use mulch mowers, what your thoughts on these?
Great for maintenance mowing!
Rough if you get rained out and can't keep up. If that happens, you have to start off higher cut, then make more passes lowering the blades. If you are for sure looking at a drying out after wet weather, you can mow it high and leave it until you come back the next cut
Mulch mowers are great in winter when lawns aren’t growing much or in dry weather. Not all clients like the clippings left behind either
Where do you purchase your equipment, I’m looking for a commercial wheel blade edger for my business.
Hey Tim, love your vids, this channel and your main one.
I have a 360m² block, and currently use a basic Victa classic cut, 4 stroke, twin blade mower. Looking to upgrade as I'm in the "loving my lawn phase of my life (40's)".
What do you recommend? I like the commercial masport your using, but afraid that might be over kill for a once a week mow.
I also have a ryobi 18v 33/38cm line trimmer, which works well for the size of lawn of have.
Thanks in advance for your advice!
Cheers,
Jay
What wire do you use
Hey Tim! Love the vids, you're doing great work out there. Just curious for other gear you have. I am looking for similar lightweight ramps for the ute to take heavy push mowers on and off. What ones did you get and where from? Thanks in advance mate :)
Good job mate. I see you’ve got a Masport Olympic cylinder mower off to The left. I’ve only just bought one of those. How have you found that?……..
Awesome video mate, I just sold my 2 stroke Victa line trimmer for a 4 stroke honda, just such a pain mixing oil. What is the advantage of a 2 stroke? Do they have more toque to cut through the thicker stuff? .
Just seems a bit backwards getting a 2 stroke when everything is 4 stroke or going full electric.
good advice!
How is the commercial masport? I have a residential one for my business and love it! They are not as popular in the US so I don’t know much about them
What do you do with the line feed head ??. I've got a 25 year old Tanaka, and run the really thick line on it 3mm out of a head that Village Mowers sell that is a manual feed split into 4. Each time you wear it out a bit you take a 1/4 turn off the spool and keep going. On edges where there are no sharps it goes a long time between me having to feed it. If I go up against something sharp it can cut the line.
Great video, just wondered how you find the masport contractor? I really like the look of them and thinking about buying one ?
Great video! I use a similar setup to what you are using now. My question is what is the most powerful battery mower you’ve used that I could add for use on lawns with lots of stairs? Thanks
That’s a long conversation, they all get through long leaf fine but when you get into the canopy they all seem to struggle. I haven’t found an absolute stand out for power and if they are doing power stuff they are chewing batteries.
Nice video, thanks
Hi Tim, just a quick question….what brand/type/size of line do you use for your trimmer? So many out there, it gets a bit confusing. Thanks in advance 👍
I just use 2.7mm round line
Can you do a battery set up you would go for
Hi Good Day. Hope your doing well. I just want to ask what would recommend for me as a starting my part time lawn mowing business. I'm currently borrowing tools from my mate. He had great tool but can't afford the price. May I ask what would you recommend a back pack blower. Hedger and a whippersnipper? I'm looking forward to get a masport s21 same here on the video. Thank you
Can you please give the exact model numbers of the machines that you have shown in this video?
I have already gotten my mowing business going and it’s time to upgrade most of the lawns I mow require a smaller mower so I have to push mow. I currently use a craftsman 22 inch push mower and looking into a 30inch push mower like the toro time master but can’t decide between all the 30inch mowers which one do you recommend or should I wait another year or two and get a stand on?
Great tips T A T just wondering what's the difference between Masports 2,n1 and their 4n1 mowers ? and is the "Masport 700 ST S19 2n1 self propelled instart" consumer model thats around $1119 AUD any good ? Im going to have to be mowing about 800 sqmetres grass about 4 weeks growth June 2024 winter .I was thinking the $1299 Bunnings ryobi 36vlt self drive electric but worried about batteries eventually giving up not taking charge after a year or two , the Masport should just keep going .
We just have a small lawn what can you recommend as a small cordless mower like a stick design
I’ve been running the husky 525lst for last 2 years and it’s a monster of a snipper with tonnes of power
Hey Tim, love your vids.
The HRU19 has a residential engine on it. GCV170 - smaller and likely won't cut the punishment of commercial use.
What happened to your HRU196? that has the GXV160 commercial engine.
Also Since you started with Honda, Any reason you didn't stay with Honda and upgrade to the self propelled HRU216 and the UMK450 - that has 1.5kw (less than the 1.7kw Stihl you have) - 4 Stroke not as good as 2 stroke??
I know i'm a Honda fan boy hahaha. Just interested to hear your insights since you've used so many tools. Thanks
My advice would be to get commercial gear if you can but not everyone can afford it at the start. The 196 is too heavy. At that weight, you’re crazy not to get a self propelled mower.
The 2 stroke trimmers just have a better power to weight ratio
@@turfandtools Thanks Tim. I had a feeling about the answers. I only do personal home use and went for the sturdier HRU196 and UMK425. Maybe I would refine more if I ran a business. Thanks. Please review more products haha, I really enjoy those.
Hey mate, why did you go for the Masport over something like the Honda HRU216 Self propelled?
I’ve just started my own lawn mowing business, I was looking at the masport contractor how has it been ? I’ve been steered away from honda due to weak gear boxes.
Would you recommend getting the kombi unit over the standard whipper?
Could be a great option so you could run a blade edger attachment also which will definitely come in handy early on.
Although you covered the reason for petrol mowers over battery, I don't think you covered why petrol whipper snippers over battery (maybe I missed it). I've seen a number of lawn mowing videos with professionals using battery line trimmers, so if you could elaborate the reason for your preference for petrol, that would be appreciated, please.
Much the same reasons. The type of lawns you’ll be doing at the start will probably involve a bit of getting into shape. Could you go battery? Sure but with all the batteries you’ll need it will get quite pricey.
Love your content! I've just bought a Stihl FS94 and I'm struggling to get a Speed Feed head to fit it... the shops don't seem to have them and I'm getting a bit desperate! Got any advice on which models to get from Ebay/Amazon etc? Cheers :-)
If you could please @me when you answer this but I was just curious to know how many Milwaukee batteries you go threw and also what is the ah rating on the battery's (Amp Hours) thanks greatly appreciated 👍
Hi Tim! Just wondering if you had any mounting systems that you could use for a trimmer onto the cage of a trailer? I only have a small ish sedan and have really been getting into yard work lately and want to see if I can turn it into a business. I have a mower and trimmer but would like to be able to get the trimmer to hang on the cage to save a little space in the car, cheers!
Is putting flyers in mailboxes good start Tim?
You could but i honestly think door knocking would be more effective
@ thank you 🙏 I’ll do that
If it's not bev hearing protection is number one.
Do you know the equivalent of your beginner trimmer you mentioned in the USA? I’m trying to Google it and it seems like it’s an Australian model number.
Tim, what do you think of the battery mower by milwaukee?
It's selling around $1100USD
Hey, I just bought a bosch Blue Line trimmer it is 18v. I have a bosch blower, 18v as well if I wanted to do 1 day a week with my masport push mower could I get away with it and does bosch make good kit? It seems like Milwaukee and makita have the market? Or is that due to them spending on marketing ?
i use shindaiwa whipper snipper its a gun
I've never used a petrol line trimmer before, I've only used my Ryobi 36v battery one - is the performance/power different super noticeable? Or is it more just the runtime that makes petrol models more appealing?
Even my masport 60V line trimmer doesn't come close to petrol, but if you're not having to tackle thick weeds that are over a metre high it's not worth breathing in the fumes and having to wear ear muffs.
The first thing I learned is never take a lawn from a) a complainy person, b) that have major hills, creeks, low hanging trees or ditches and c) that require me to walk (push mow) or use a mower smaller than 48 inches. Gotta ride, stand on or sulky those lawns. There's enough walking weed wacking and blowing off. 👍
I wanna know where you find a mass port
Mower shop
What’s the go with battery equipment? Can it be exposed to rain or not? Half of what I read says it’s fine the other half says no. Ego has some promotional photos of their equipment with water drops on it but I’ve read in their user manual to not expose it to water at all. Anyone know the deal with this?
How do you get the customers?
Hi, did anyone had expirience using Victa Mustang VMMX484 (4 Stroke, 190CC)?
My name is Bruno I'm a gardener and lawn mower to the tip of people
I'm not looking to start a business, I just ended up here whilst looking for something! I'm looking for a fairly top end battery mower. I'm looking at the Masport 60V ST 19", it seems to be their most powerful model at 1.2kW. What do you think? I see people saying Ego are good battery mowers, but I've never even heard of them before recently starting to look for a new mower lol, so I don't know. From what I can tell 36V and under mowers are just too weak to be taken seriously. Bunnings doesn't have many options over 50V, their top end one is an AEG 58V but it's $1400, too much for me to justify. $900-$1000 tops. Any suggestions would be great!
I have a review of it on this channel actually
@@turfandtools Yeah I realised I saw it haha. Would you recommend the Masport or one of the Ego ones, or something else? Parts of my yard I leave until it's long, so I do need a higher voltage one.
My lm gardener and do the lawn mower jobs for me to
I just started my business and I got the cheapest lawn mower from Bunnings the cheetah one. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it reliable?
What model backpack blower is it?
Echo PB8010
Bushranger
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This is 2023 do you have an updated vlog 2025
I do plan to make another
@ do I buy stihl or husky line trimmer
I am student , can I star that business
Yeah not in North QLD, fuck outside in summer.
Only problem is, its too expensive for indians, why its too expensive, manufacture in india, sell in 1500rs per piece, then u see every mostly home in india will have this.