# Snow/Lawn Equipment - Need Help



## Mike1977 (Sep 21, 2011)

Hey there, I just got into the lawn business this year as a part time gig. Been many many years of dreaming about this and Im finally here. Wife said "just do it" so I sold the KTM dirt bike, TJ Jeep Wrangler, and bought a new (er) trailer, couple of mowers, blowers, weed whips, edger, hedge trimmer, truck, etc etc etc. Im a part timer though. Everything I have is paid for because I work hard on the weekends doing lawns and side jobs. In a year or two I will be able to leave the cubicle that is my current life and do this full time. Cant wait. I do have a plan though, get everything I need, and money in the bank... and of course... customers!

I think this next year my money is going to prepare myself the the winter seasons. My buddies that do lawns, as many of you probably do... take the winter off and relax. Not me though, I want to work every day I can because there will be a drought or something that will slow my summer down one year and I want to have the money to get me through this time. I will not fail. 

What I will be buying is a plow for my truck.

FINALLY!!! my question..
I am thinking I want a Yamaha Grizzly to plow sidewalks, but what else can I use it for besides fun? that would be nice, but not wise.

What tool can I get that I can use the summer and winter? Small Bobcat? Kubota Loader (small), my budget next year will be 7k for a used quad (yama grizz) or 9k for tractor.

What else do you do w/ your machine? mulch? landscape? would be nice to get a 4x4 tractor that I can mow with on my bigger properties (2.5 acre church I mow)
Right now Im just mowing, hedge trimming, cleanups, mulch, but I plan to grow and I plan to use what I buy to help me do that.

I dont need a quad, I can pick up another KTM the following summer and get my dirtbike life back. 

Thanks,
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1994.5 F 350 Powerstroke Dually 4 Door Flat Bed
2007 5x10 Top Hat Trailer
32" Toro Proline WB
48" Lesco WB
21" 6.5 HP Crapsman Mower
2 Redmax Blowers EBZ 7150 and 7500
2 Echo String Trimmers SMR 260
1 Edger MTD
1 Redmax Hedge Trimmer CHTZ2401
Chain Saw Poulan
Lesco Spreader (80#)
Blue Bird Aerator 530
Ryan Aerator 
Solo 4g Piston Backpack Sprayer


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## wizardsr (Aug 8, 2006)

Something like a Kubota BX you can set up with a mower deck, shaft drive blower, sweeper, plow, etc and put it to work year round. You won't get a nice one outfitted for 9k though, I priced one last year and was quoted 18k all decked out with the mower and quick hitch blower, sweeper, and plow. There's cheaper options out there like an x300 Deere that can mow in the summer and blow in the winter, but they're going to be 2wd, belt driven, gas engine, shorter life span, and less reliable than a true compact tractor.

We run an ATV for sidewalks in the winter. It mostly just sits in the summer, but it gets used very occasionally. Last year I used it to drag a bunch of blown down tree limbs out from behind a commercial building where we couldn't get a truck back to to load them. Worked good for that, but that's certainly not an everyday thing. I also used it on a rip rap project to move stones from the pile to the job site (rough terrain) with a little lawn cart hooked behind it. The lawn cart went in the dumpster when I was done, it didn't hold up very well, but it sure beat using a wheel barrow! Thumbs Up


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## DaveCN5 (Oct 19, 2011)

We run ATV's as well and the owner of the company uses them for recreational purposes during the summer. A tractor would be more practical, but much more expensive. There's tons of attachments for quads now a days. Look at Swisher's site to see if you can get some ideas of what you could possibly use an ATV for.

http://swisherinc.com/swisherize_atv.asp


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## Mike1977 (Sep 21, 2011)

wizardsr;1329741 said:


> Something like a Kubota BX you can set up with a mower deck, shaft drive blower, sweeper, plow, etc and put it to work year round. You won't get a nice one outfitted for 9k though, I priced one last year and was quoted 18k all decked out with the mower and quick hitch blower, sweeper, and plow. There's cheaper options out there like an x300 Deere that can mow in the summer and blow in the winter, but they're going to be 2wd, belt driven, gas engine, shorter life span, and less reliable than a true compact tractor.
> 
> We run an ATV for sidewalks in the winter. It mostly just sits in the summer, but it gets used very occasionally. Last year I used it to drag a bunch of blown down tree limbs out from behind a commercial building where we couldn't get a truck back to to load them. Worked good for that, but that's certainly not an everyday thing. I also used it on a rip rap project to move stones from the pile to the job site (rough terrain) with a little lawn cart hooked behind it. The lawn cart went in the dumpster when I was done, it didn't hold up very well, but it sure beat using a wheel barrow! Thumbs Up


thanks, I just did a search and found a Kubota BX2350 w/ 100 hours for 6k. So this would be a good unit for year round you're telling me? I would think this unit (based on the picture) would fit on a sidewalk.

Now that Im looking for a tractor I think I will be pulling a trailer to the job sites to plow, these units wont fit in the back of a truck I assume. no big deal.

I am going to start looking into this option. Thanks!


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## DaveCN5 (Oct 19, 2011)

A BX2350 would work great for city side walks. The local city uses them with straight blades and salters on the back. They do a good job. I would just recommend looking into a cab if you're going to be plowing for extended periods of time.


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