Step 1

Equipment Required-
--Mower
---String Trimmer
----Blower
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For the average Lawn Company maintained by a single person, there are a few pieces of equipment you will need to purchase. If you need ideas for getting money for start-up, please refer to my "Finding the Funding to Start" post.
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Push Mower- Your average lawn mower that has an average deck size of 20'. Good things about these mowers are that they are the cheapest and you don't have to worry about the self propelled system breaking down. The downside is that you have to manually push them the entire time.
Manufactures I recommend- Toro, Honda, seem to be the most reliable with me but they are a bit pricey. For starters though,a Craftsman will work just fine.
Price Range- $25-$250 (used and new)
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Self Propelled Mower- Again an average size deck of 20'. Good things about these mowers are that they move forward by themselves, requiring you to only point it in the right direction. A downfall can be if the self propelling system breaks and they are a little more expensive than push mowers.
Manufacturers I recommendd- Again Toro and Honda prove to be reliable with Craftsmen and Lawn Boy being good starters.
Price Range- $75-$400 (new and used)
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Walk Behind and Zero Turn Mowers- Decks ranging from 36'(which I recommend because it is the average size of most fence entrances, a way to beat the big companies) to 52'. Good things about these are you can buy an attachment to stand on and the machine pulls you. Or if you purchase a Zero Turn mower, you will be able to sit on it. Another thing is you can finish cutting a lawn at least 3x faster than a push or self propelled mower. A downfall is they require more maintenance and usually cost in the $1000's.
Manufacturers I recommend- Ex-mark and Toro.
Price Range- $1200-$5000 (new and used)
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Riding Lawn Mowers- Deck sizes range from 36' to 48'. Good things include cheap prices, faster than push or self propelled but not walk behinds/zero turn, and you get to sit on them. Downfalls are their maintenance and not being able to get into tight spaces.
Manufacturers I recommend- Murray, John Deere, and Toro.
Price Range- $200-$1200 (new and used)

When choosing which lawn mower to buy keep in mind how you are going to travel to your customers. At first I would push my mower, then ride my Riding Mowers down the street (check with police to make sure you follow the law). Also keep in mind your price range and ability to maintenence them when needed(new blades/sharpening blades, oil change, spark plugs, gas, carburetor cleaning,oil filters, air filter, and anything else that might go wrong). If you can't fix it yourself, calculate that into your total cost as well.

Where to buy- When I started out I always bought used. I went to the paper and looked in the bargain box, and under the for sale ads. Craigslist was a great tool as well for buying used. Just make sure the price is fair, it can start within 2-3 pulls max, and don't be afraid to ask the seller questions to find out if he does not want you to know something. If you prefer to buy new due to knowing what your going to get and warrenty's, that's fine too. Just check out your local Sears or Lawn Equipment Dealers.
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Weed Eater/String Trimmer- Used to get the grass missed by the lawn mower by bushes, fences, landscaping ect.
There are two choices, a straight shaft or bent shaft. (literal meanings)
Over time I preferred the straight shaft because it was easier for me to edge with, but I have worked with both types over the years and they both get the job done.
Manufacturers I recommend- Husqvarna, Stihl, and Echo. You will find good reliability with these brands.
Price Range- $100-$400 (new and used)

Where to buy- (same resources I posted for mowers)
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Backpack or Hand held Blowers- Highest quality of all blowers. They can get a bit heavy but are really worth the investment if you want to do leaves in the fall.
Manufacturers I recommend- Husqvarna, Stihl, and Echo.
Price Range-$75-400 (new and used)

Where to buy-(same resources I posted for
mowers)
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With these three pieces of equipment, you are ready to take on however many customers you please. Please note also, for kids I recommend starting with a push or self propelled mower, then going to a riding after a season or two, and eventually upgrading to walk behind. They are powerful machines and can easily injure someone who cannot control them.