I do it myself. I actually love yard work.

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Originally posted by mark123:

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Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
You have to spread those costs over say 6-10 years. At 10 years, that's $100 per year.
I doubt you would find someone to do the lawn for an entire year for $100.

I do my own, and have for 40 years.

Can you really get that much service out of homeowner grade equipment? Oh, don't forget to add what your time is worth?

Yes, I can and have gotten that much service out of my equipment.
Mark, I know this is what you do, so our views will be different.

Right or wrong, when I'm doing something on my own time for my own benefit, I don't translate my time directly into money.
I'm not going to be working for pay if I'm not doing my lawn.

So, I guess then my time is worth what I'm not paying someone else to do.

I had this same decision last year. I ended up buying it as I don’t mind it and hate thinking about spending 40 bucks a week for several years. My neighbors pay to have it done and they come every week whether it is needed or not. I do, however, pay to have the fertilizer program done as they do it much quicker and it looks much better now.

Btw, I went with a gas mower, but my trimmer and blower are battery powered and would do that again in a heartbeat.

Yes, I've always done my own lawns.
Last house sucked as it didn't have and irrigation system and watering sucked. It would take an hour to mow.
Current house yard is much smaller, but I still like doing it myself.
It's kinda like washing your car in that I find it therapeutic. It lets my mind wander.

Look at costs and time. You need to want to do it or pony up.

Cheers~

Do it myself. I subscribe to the buy once, cry once motto for lawn equipment. My yard has some major hills so I went with a JD X738 mower with a 54” deck, a commercial Toro self propelled 22” mower, and a commercial grade Echo trimmer, and the largest backpack blower that RedMax makes. Takes me 2 hours each cutting start to finish. Cut every 3 - 4 days from May until the end of the season. I don’t hunt, fish, or play golf so cutting is my summer hobby. Even factoring the price I’ve paid for high end equipment it’s still cheaper than paying to have it done.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

Can you really get that much service out of homeowner grade equipment? Oh, don't forget to add what your time is worth?

Yeah, as long as you don't try to use it commercially. My mower is 20+ years old (it was used when I got it.) Still mows great, although this previous summer was the first season it didn't start on the first pull so it may need some work soon.

I used to mow myself. Took about 1.5 hours from the time I decided to do it, to the time the equipment is cleaned and stored away. Sadly, with my advancing years, and less motivation to do this sort of the plus as years go by it becomes more difficult. So, its a mowing service for me. Yearly cost $550. 22 mows x 25 per mow.

In late winter early spring there is an abundance of now services soliciting for your business, but as already pointed out, finding one that is dependable and does a good job is somewhat of a task. I'm going to go with the same guy I had last year because he showed up on the prescribed day, and if weather interfered, he was there the next. Also he mowed with walk behind mowers rather than the big riders which tend to crush sprinkler heads.

I still have my mower and my wife keeps bugging me to sell it. I guess I'm keeping it. as not having a working mower would signal give-up, although essentially that's what I've done.

In your situation I say go with a service that allows you to cancel at anytime. No yearly contract. Then see how it goes. If it seems too expensive or the service is unsatisfactory, you can always fire them, buy some gear and do it yourself.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:
Good luck on finding a lawn service that will actually do what they say they will do, when they say that they will do it.

I got fed up with the lazy, lying, losers (alliteration?), so I fired the last one -- the previous ones fired themselves by not showing up.

What a bunch of useless fucks, just like VTAIL said only kinder. They don't show up and if they do it's a quick turn around the lawn, be damned if anything is in their way. Trimming, yep they trim everything including plants with a weed whacker if they are in the way. It's not uncommon in Florida to go through several a year. They bring excuses of broken equipment, overbooking, and oh I forgot you, I'll be right out as soon as I can.

So, I took the Covid payments and bought equipment. I do my own. Now I'm the one that makes excuses to the wife as to why it didn't get cut.

My first JD 105 Box mower did about 10 years before the engine locked up, even with oil changes filters etc, $1500 10 years, $150 a year.

My son or my wife cuts our lawn. My mother's house is on a one acre lot and I don't have time to take care of it. I have a lawn service take care of it and the owner only charges me $65.00 a visit. The year before it was only $45.00 visit. I told him to make it his last priority but it always gets done in a timely, professional manner.

I don't like doing it but I do mine myself. My lawn isn't big, front and back take under an hour with a non-self-propelled push mower. Gets me off the couch. I've had the same mower and trimmer for 15 years but I change the oil on the mower frequently and store it in the garage. It will probably last another 15. I had a service for a couple of years but I didn't like the results. I know they have to do a lot of lawns to make any money, their work just wasn't up to my standard.

I'm about the only one in my area that does NOT have a landscaping service. Most all my neighbors are younger couples, I'm old.
The cost of landscapers via do it yourself and buy all the required equipment and maintain it, I think, is about even.
It all becomes BOY TOYS. Through the years I have owned 3 tractors. A Craftsman, Toro, and now for the last year or so, a Kubota BX23S.
I have given into cordless ( Milwaukee) trimmers, edgers, chainsaw, and blowers.Could not stand dealing with the 2cyl gas engines.
I still spend at least 1 1/2 hrs a week on the lawn and that does not include edging. I do it because it gives me an opportunity to sit on the tractor, cut the grass, and think or don't think.
I can solve most all the Worlds problems during yard work.

I mow my own 3 acre lot every week (except in winter because there is usually a couple of feet of snow covering the lawn) and find it very therapeutic. A nice comfortable riding mower, Bluetooth headphones, and a cold beer and my thoughts for a couple hours a week. Almost Zen-like.

If you consider what you get paid per hour it's worth it to pay someone else, not even considering equipment, gas, and maintenance.

For me it takes 2.5 hours per week to do a good job. So 10 hours a month, lets say you earn $40 per hour (adjust the time and hourly rate to fit you). That's $400 per month assuming regular pay, but you are doing this after working your full work week, so you are on overtime, so let's say $600 per month. I don't think lawn services are charging that much per month, plus you could tack on all the expenses of owning and maintaining equip.

I am too picky to let someone in my yard. While I know I am better off picking up an extra day a month at work, paying someone else, then pocking the change from my OT vs the cost of paying someone, but I can't do it. I would lose my shit if they scratched my car or put ruts in my lawn mowing after a heavy rain.

I, too, live in Florida, TampaBay. and I have a lawn service.

Have had one since 1987-88 when a doc said I needed to stop doing physical work (no arguments from me and that made It easy to sell to my wife).

Actually been very fortunate, have had several lawn services, changed when they moved out of the area or when I moved out of their area. Only had two bad experiences and fired both.

Florida is hot in the summer, humid and the rain always came just when I was gonna mow. Then something would else come up and I couldn't mow for a week or two and the grass got out of hand.

Much nicer with a reliable lawn service-guy we have now does it for $135 per month. Well worth out to me.

Bob

I have a guy that does it. Yes, $50 a time, and its worth it. I have to chase him down the road some times. I pay cash. Who knows if he declares it or not, nor do I care. He mows, trims and blows. I'd be happier if he cut a bit closer, but its better than trying to find someone else.

But I have 2 useless mowers out in the garage. One a fairly deluxe one(Husquarana). The other a cheapie from Sears. Both take up space. I don't have fuel because a little cutie knocked on my door crying that she was out of gas. So I had the can full, and she needed it more than me. She was driving a little Hyundai. I bet the 5 gallons half filled her car.

You also have to factor in your time as well as cost of equipment.

How much is your time worth to you?

Would you rather spend it doing things you enjoy or mowing a lawn?

I do my own, but this past summer we paid a neighborhood kid to come and mow it once a week because I just did not have time with two young boys and a newborn baby to even think about it.

Bought a 48" Husqvarna zero turn for $1500 about ten years ago. Cuts the yard in less than an hour.

My other lawn tractor is ancient. It was made by Huffy and has an H pattern manual transmission.

I do my 3/4 acre lawn and my sister’s smaller lawn myself. John Deere sit down mower and Echo string trimmer. Like others who have replied, I too actually enjoy it.