Important Tools and Equipment all Lawn Care Businesses Should Have

There is hardly any part of lawn care that wouldn’t need the use of a tool. It can be something as small as a shovel or as big as a zero turn mower. The fact remains that you need tools and equipment to work in the lawn care business.

You can go into the lawn care business without some items, but a few are essential for you to function. Lawn care tools are of four categories. They include hand tools, handheld power equipment, heavy-duty equipment, and personal protective gear.

If you are new to the lawn care business, some necessary tools and equipment you need to begin your business are covered in this article.

Hand Tools

Some landscaping equipment is simple and easy to use. They are those tools that require only the use of your hand to operate them.

You do not need any sophisticated technology, electricity, or fuel to operate them. They are sometimes called simple garden tools. Even if they do not look refined, you cannot do a lot of lawn care work without them. Some basic hand tools are:

• Rake: If you are doing any work on a lawn, the rake should be your close ally. It is a long rod with steel or plastic teeth or a comb attached to the bottom. They scrape together leaves or grasses on the lawn. The stronger rakes are used to gather debris and hard objects on the lawn together. It might seem like a very simple tool, but it is indispensable to the landscaper.
• Hula Hoe: if you need to remove weeds from a landscape bed, the hula hoe is a lifesaver.
• Pruning Shear: This is a big scissor used to cut leaves, overgrown tree branches, and wildflowers. They make trimming and cutting plants easier and are a fantastic knife alternative. They are also called garden shears or pruning clippers; they make your job easier as a landscaper.
• Shovels: Any time you have to do some simple digging, a shovel will always come to your rescue. It will dig and transfer large or heavy objects from one spot to another. It is most often used to transfer soil or gravel.
• Wheelbarrow: When you finish raking, pruning, and shoveling, you must move the leaves or soil to the dump location. With only one tire, this small hand-pushed vehicle will save you from making many trips when you can do it once.

You will need many other hand tools as a landscaper; these are some of the few you need to get started.

Handheld Power Equipment

Power tools might be more expensive and may need more maintenance, but they can make your job as a landscaper fast and easy. Some are powered by electricity, and others may use gas. Many brands make power tools for landscapers. Pick a trusted brand that can give you high-quality equipment for a good price. You will be using these tools often, so you will need to get the most durable options available.

Some necessary power equipment includes:

• Leaf Blower: During autumn, you may get more calls requiring leaf gathering. In this case, no other tool will gather leaves faster for you than the leaf blower. It is hose-like equipment that blows leaves to a single location. There are electric and gas-powered leaf blowers. For commercial use, you should get a gas blower. You can also make use of the leaf blower vacuum. This tool sucks the leaves into an attached bag instead of gathering them together. This might be a bit heavy, but it makes the job fast and neat.
• String Trimmer and Edger: This is a boundary-defining tool. It cuts along the edges that other tools can’t reach and marks out your lawn from the sidewalk, driveway way, or flower bed. They can remove weeds in tight corners and areas that are difficult to reach. You can find both electric and gas edger trimmers. Pick one that best suits your budget and job strength.

There are many other power tools that landscapers use. As your business progresses, you can begin to buy other options.

Heavy Duty Equipment

Your business’s size and the kind of landscaping services you provide may need some heavy-duty equipment. Items in this category are usually large, cost-intensive, and may need the training to operate. They can do the job in record time and are a big plus to their owners.

• Commercial Mower – A mower is the backbone of your business. This is one of the quickest ways to improve efficiency and improve margins. Zero turns are the most popular commercial mowers. However, there are also stand on and walk behind mowers. Determining which mower is best for you can be a challenge. I'd recommend
• Push Mower – If you have lawns with tight areas, small gates, or steep hills, you may need a push mower. It is probably best to get a self-propelled mower as it requires much less effort. If you're able to
• Riding Mowers: They look like small tractors. This small mower has a rider steering it as it cuts grass neatly and quickly. This may be a good option if you are on a tight budget while starting your lawn business.
• Truck: This may seem expensive for a new lawn care business. Vehicles are essential because you may have to move large equipment from one location to another. You can rent a vehicle whenever needed, but this might prove costly. You can get a small truck and, if possible, have your company name branded. This can make movement easier and be a cheaper solution.

There might be other heavy-duty equipment you may need sometimes. You do not need to buy them because they can be easily rented for a short period. When you need them regularly, your company will have grown big enough to afford them.

Protective Gear

Due to the nature of the landscaper’s job, there are usually accidents and injuries. One could get cut or injured by equipment, sharp debris, a falling tree branch, and many others. Accidents are inevitable, but a landscaper can protect themselves best by putting on protective equipment.

Some of them include:

• Sunglasses / Eyewear: When working, sticks and debris may fly toward your face, your eye will be protected if you wear goggles.
• Safety Shoes: You must wear tough, close-toe, and non-slip safety shoes. If possible, get shoes without laces, so you don’t have to worry about tripping them. There may be sharp objects on the ground that can penetrate through regular shoes. Your shoes of choice should protect you from getting pricked.
• Safety Gloves: They protect your hands from scratches and blisters and can also give you a firmer grip on your tool. Low-quality gloves may prove useless because sharp objects can penetrate them. When shopping for your gloves, go for high-grade choices that are durable.
• Long Pants: Loose pants and shorts should be avoided when working. Instead, wear long and snug pants made of thick material. This can protect your leg from flying debris, and since the trousers are tight, they won’t get caught by branches while working.
• Ear Muffs/ Ear Plugs: Most machines used by landscapers are very loud. When you are in close vicinity to such loud noise for a long time, it would eventually damage your ears. Protecting your ears should be considered first when buying protective gear. It is not advisable to listen to music while working; it would only distract you and cause accidents.

Ignoring your protective gear will only lead to accidents and injury that can cause long-term damage.

Other things a lawn care business may need include:

• Fertilizer: If you care for lawns, you may need fertilizers to ensure that all the plants in your care are healthy. You will also need a sprayer for easy disbursement of your fertilizer.
• Pesticides: It wouldn’t be great if the plants in your care were attacked and destroyed by pests. You can avoid such situations by having pesticides to stop an attack whenever necessary.
• Snow Blower: The landscaper’s job does not end when it is winter. In this season, you can shift from lawn care to clearing snow. Customers will call you to clear snow from their pathways, and a good snow blower will greatly help.

Even if this is not a tool you often use, you can get extra money from owning a powerful snowblower, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow yearly.

Wrapping it up

Owning this equipment is one thing; caring for them is another. To enjoy all the benefits of lawn care tools, you must be ready to care for them and provide the necessary maintenance.

The cost and health implications of not having all the right equipment might be too high for you to bear. Besides the fact that it would make you look more professional, the cost of operation is reduced when you don’t have to rent all your equipment. Owning most of these items helps you provide exceptional service to your customers.

Which one of these equipment do you have already? Let me know in the comments.