# Grass cut season 2016 who is ready



## HomePS (Jan 24, 2013)

This guy is:vs_cool: lots atleast .75acre, sg flat rate ftw!

20160401_151431 by Corey S, on Flickr
20160401_151716 by Corey S, on Flickr
20160401_152004 by Corey S, on Flickr


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## Allout (Jun 18, 2015)

Lol how long did it take him to earn that $30 or whatever they pay?


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## HomePS (Jan 24, 2013)

$20 I believe, I took the photos 15min in, then left 10min later. Easy 1.5hrs, was starting to rain too. $6 is $6 I guess

Area code from their van says they are from milwaukee wi, this was twin lakes, wi. Drive alone isnt worth $20, ouch


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## Allout (Jun 18, 2015)

Living the "dream"!


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

got to love them companies that pay a flat rate for lawn. they can have them.no thanks


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## Craigslist Hack (Jun 14, 2012)

Yet people are scrambling to get into this business.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Even starting out, one should be able to find a riding mower at a garage sale or an auction for $200. It would save a lot of time for that poor slob in the pics, and at National prices, should pay for itself in only 30 or 40 mows


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Neighbor next to a job site told us about a couple pulling a wooden apple cart looking trailer like that behind a jeep. They showed up one day to mow with a 40 year old orange sears roebuck rider and a rusty white deck. They didn't have ramps, but instead used a steel exterior security door. Guy laid the door out, the woman got on and started to back the mower up and the deck hooked over the edge of the door; instead of raising the deck she just throttled up and pushed the door off the trailer, causing the mower (and her) to fall out of the trailer arse first. The neighbor thought one of the deck belts broke and they didn't have any tools. After a near domestic situation, they grabbed a weed eater and swept the front yard and around the foundation. We came in a week later for the rehab and mowed the first and last day we were there.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Had to gut a house years ago and the national wouldn't accept our mowing bid. About 2 acres in a small town, grass was over 3' with debris hidden everywhere. This was late June and hot and dusty.
Guy in his 60s shows up with his wife in a nice Ford truck and trailer, but with a 42" Craftsman rider. They look at the yard, talk awhile and then finally unload the mower. This was about 9 in the morning. The sun was setting when they called it quits. He made three trips for parts-first time he ran over rebar and bent the blades; 2nd trip he sliced a tire; third trip was to try and find some more belts.
He could only cut a few feet at once, since everytime he dropped the deck the grass would bog the motor down and smoke the belts. The entire day all we heard was the guy engaging the deck then creeping forward, followed by a loud squall and then disengaging the deck...over and over and over. The wife tried walking in front of him with a weedeater in order to shorten the grass a bit...
We gave them both water and lunch. They signed up with this national to supplement his retirement and he had done 7 jobs his first week, and all were 70-150 miles one way. He was mowing this yard for $125 sight unseen, and tearing the ****e out of his equipment, not to mention beating the sides of his new F150 with sweet gum balls. No money for walking the yard or removing debris.
He should have cut his loss as soon as he pulled up by just taking his wife to see some local sites and lunch and call it a day. I believe that was his last job for them.


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## Craigslist Hack (Jun 14, 2012)

Ran to the dump yesterday and saw a guy in a ragged out Ford Explorer pulling a trailer the size of a wooden pallet. Come to think of it maybe it was a pallet with an axle? Anyway he had some chubby girl who looked like she was in between welfare checks and had attached her financial well being to this genius. He had piled that explorer full to the max with trash. SOO much so that she had it stacked in around her. They saw our load and asked if I did trash outs. I said yep! She goes "how do you make any money doing these? This is our 3 rd trip to the dump and this bag of trash from the refrigerator stinks so bad" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry?

On one hand they are out working not collecting gov checks on the couch. Of course they are probably collecting the check and working. 

On the other hand they are hurting good business people by supplying a workforce for a fraction of what it should cost. 

I think the key to stopping these guys is legislation through the cities. My city isn't even aware that this problem exists.


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## safeguard dropout (Apr 21, 2015)

Craigslist Hack said:


> I think the key to stopping these guys is legislation through the cities. My city isn't even aware that this problem exists.


Keep in mind I am almost never in favor of any gov trying to "fix" any problem, but you've peaked my interest. If you sat on the city council, what kind of new law would you suggest?


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Having the state employ forced labor using minimum security inmates.
Cuts out the nationals, cuts out the fraud and we get an roi on our tax money, then contract repairs and rehabs locally and direct.


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## MemphisREOVendor (Apr 12, 2015)

.50 cents per grass work order?


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## Ohnojim (Mar 25, 2013)

*Yeah, what could go wrong there.*



GTX63 said:


> Having the state employ forced labor using minimum security inmates.
> Cuts out the nationals, cuts out the fraud and we get an roi on our tax money, then contract repairs and rehabs locally and direct.


Let's give the banks free labor, and then we can all wonder why everyone is locked up for jaywalking.


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## Bigtrucker (Mar 18, 2014)

MemphisREOVendor said:


> .50 cents per grass work order?



And they will still get company's that will do it.
But you will get to bid for repair work. And boy you will get some volume.
LOL


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Ohnojim said:


> Let's give the banks free labor, and then we can all wonder why everyone is locked up for jaywalking.


Who do you think goes to minimum security prisons? :vs_smile:


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## Craigslist Hack (Jun 14, 2012)

safeguard dropout said:


> Keep in mind I am almost never in favor of any gov trying to "fix" any problem, but you've peaked my interest. If you sat on the city council, what kind of new law would you suggest?


The licensing laws already on the books have to be enforced. Most contractors in our area dip over into states they aren't licensed or insured to work in. It would be pretty easy to put these hacks out of business. In our city you have to have a permit to do work and you have to have a contractors license to pull permits. If you are on a job for say a roof and the inspector walks up everyone on that job better be a W2 employee for the guy who pulled the permit or fines will start being levied. NONE of my competition is licensed and very few of them have registered their businesses across state lines.

What do you think happens when the state of Kentucky finds out it's been missing out on MILLIONS in taxes, permit fees, etc because some company out of Florida pays a guy out of Indiana who is actually working in Kentucky? These states want their money, they simply don't know they aren't getting it. 

Our industry kind of lurks in the shadows. I'm not saying we are "BATMAN" we just aren't really on the radar. Every law on the books is broken every day in this area by preservation contractors.

I saw a minivan with the push mower on the roof yesterday for a grass cut.


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## safeguard dropout (Apr 21, 2015)

GTX63 said:


> Who do you think goes to minimum security prisons? :vs_smile:


Ready for your daily trashout Hilary?


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## cover2 (Apr 3, 2013)

GTX63 said:


> Even starting out, one should be able to find a riding mower at a garage sale or an auction for $200. It would save a lot of time for that poor slob in the pics, and at National prices, should pay for itself in only 30 or 40 mows


Hahahaha that's hysterical!!


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## IPS (May 24, 2015)

Now that spring has sprung I have seen a lot more mowing equipment on rust bucket trucks and shoddy trailers. The grass has not even grown here in my parts yet, but the nats want their money. I was given a bunch of grass cuts and was told i had to cover all of the area. HA! I told them what ones i will do and what ones I will not. Honestly with out me they would not get any of them done at all. We have a very different situation up here and i feel lucky...somewhat. I have submitted 5 bids for commercial landscaping today and hope I get them because my summer will be full! :glasses:


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## safeguard dropout (Apr 21, 2015)

IPS said:


> .....The grass has not even grown here in my parts yet, but the nats want their money.....


Nothing growing here yet either, but somehow I'm in full swing. Here's a 1/2 done pic from last week. Small town cop drove by 3 times. Thought he was going to stop me a search me for crack.


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## NCnewbie (Aug 6, 2014)

I can pretty much guarantee what "small business" he's needing these ridering mowers for. This is the contractor most of this industry is looking for.


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## IPS (May 24, 2015)

safeguard dropout said:


> Nothing growing here yet either, but somehow I'm in full swing. Here's a 1/2 done pic from last week. Small town cop drove by 3 times. Thought he was going to stop me a search me for crack.


Thats Great! You should have made a design in the snow. I have been told if there is snow on the ground, do not cut the grass (aka ride you mower over the snow). It snowed 3 inches so we have been out plowing since yesterday. 
I would rather plow b/c the money is better, but love zipping around on the z990 JD!:vs_cool:


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