We all know the kid who spent his or her summers going from neighbor to neighbor with a push mower and rake to make some extra cash. This scenario is surprisingly not too far from the reality for many people starting out as a lawn care professional.
Although you don’t need to begin with expensive and advanced tools, you’ll need to adapt to the increase of jobs and new services you’ll offer as you start a lawn care business.
From the right mower to a quality laptop, in this article, we’ll break down the equipment you’ll need to manage your business, different tools for different jobs you might encounter, and the importance of caring for them properly.
It may seem like you need a wealth of expensive tools to operate your lawn care business, but in reality, a push mower and rake are all you need to begin.
As you gain more clients and expand your services, you can begin reinvesting that money into more equipment, including:
Equipment Needed for Lawn Care and Landscaping
The type of tool you need to start a lawn care business depends on your budget and the services you offer. When you first start out, a push mower and weed eater can keep your neighbor’s lawn green and healthy, but what if they need aeration or want to add new mulch?
As you gain a more extensive customer base or take on different jobs like hedge or tree trimming, the tools you need will change.
Some of the equipment you need as you start on your lawn care journey include:
- Leaf Blower
- Edger
- Weed Eater
- String Trimmer
- Hedge Trimmer
- Snow Shovel
- Rake
- Bags for Leaves
- Leaf Blower
- Aerator
- Spade
- Hand Pruner
- Spreader
- Lawn Mower
- Oil for Gas Engines
- Garden Hose
- Fertilizer Sprayers
- Mulcher
- Diggers
- Markers
- Measuring Line
- Storage Space
Some lawn care companies also decide to offer winter maintenance services as their business grows to keep the money flowing in the lawn care off-season. Common winter services offered by lawn care companies include snow removal, pressure washing, tree pruning, and holiday light installation. You’ll need different equipment for each of these jobs, as well.
With the amount of equipment listed here, you may be thinking, ”I’m going to need a bigger shed.”
Thankfully, you don’t need to get all of these tools right away, and you can take your time learning how each tool works and what style works best for you.
Check out our pricing guides on all types of lawn care equipment like leaf blowers or mowers, so you can make the best decision on what equipment you need without breaking the bank.
Pro Tip: Always make sure your mower blades are sharp, check the oil in your gas engines before starting, and store your equipment securely when it’s not in use.
Care and Maintenance of Your Equipment
The equipment listed in this article needs to be cared for to avoid damage to yourself, your customers, or the yard you’re working in. For example, you don’t want a string trimmer’s faulty line to whip a blade of grass into your eye.
Lawn mowers, string trimmers, edgers, leaf blowers, and other lawn care equipment needs to be maintained properly, and that includes winterizing your lawn mower.
Caring for your equipment also means cleaning underneath your mowers and stinger trimmers at the end of a job or making sure your mower batteries are charged and your mower blades are sharp.
Truck and Trailer
Having reliable transportation is essential to any successful lawn care business, and you’ve probably seen the classic white lawn care van or the nice truck with detailing on the side and a mower in the bed.
From getting to each appointment on time to storing equipment, having a truck with a large bed or a trailer for all your tools can make your job much easier.
Note that if you’re hauling your lawn care equipment in a trailer you’ll use more fuel and have trouble squeezing into tight driveways.
Pro Tip: Check GasBuddy for the lowest gas prices in your area and hit that station on the way to or from a job.
Safety Gear
Having safety equipment in your truck, van, or trailer is just as essential for every lawn care professional as measuring tape and a hammer. From thick gloves to shielf your hands from poison ivy to sunscreen to avoid a classic farmer’s tan, you should be as protected as possible while mowing, trimming, and edging a yard.
Some examples of safety equipment you should have on hand include:
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Ear Protection
- Face Masks
- First Aid Kit (Check our guide detailing what you should include in your Lawn Care First Aid Kit)
- Boots
- Sunscreen
Lawn Care Software and Laptop
Lawn care is a business, so you’ll need more than the tools of the trade to get started. You’ll need to make some technological investments as well.
Some tools that can keep your business organized and running smoothly include:
- Laptop
- Lawn Care Software (check out our comparison/review of your 10 Best Lawn Care Software options)
- Accounting Software (if that’s not included in your lawn care software suite)
- Printer
- Business Cards
- LawnStarter Pro App
Why do you need a printer, lawn care software, and a laptop? You can print flyers promoting your business. lawn care software is essential to make sure you don’t have issues around tax season, and a good laptop can help you do it all.
How LawnStarter Can Help: The LawnStarter Pro App uses geographical information to show mowing, weeding, and other outdoor jobs near you, so you can build your customer base faster within your community and grow your business more quickly.
What’s Next to Start Your Lawn Care Business
Having the right lawn care tools doesn’t mean you’ll make six figures with your business. Far from it starting out Check out our articles on the Pros and Cons of Starting a Lawn Care Business, How to Stand Out as a Lawn Care Business, and How to Start a Lawn Care Business to help get a better picture of what you need to be successful.
LawnStarter can help take some of the stress of running a lawn care business. Check out our lawn care pro FAQ and some testimonies from current pros to see if we’re the right fit for you.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Herman / LawnStarter
