1 Man vs 2 Man Mowing Crews - Which is Better?
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- www.lawncaremil... -- Should you use one man or two man lawn mowing crews for your lawn care business? Learn how many crew members is the optimimal size for a mowing / maintenance crew. These are my thoughts on lawn care crews and what number of people you need for maximum efficiency in your lawn care business.
i have 1 full time year round guy that works with me. When working by myself, I was doing 12-17 a day, depends on the area. I have 20 in one neighborhood and can do it in 6 hours by myself. With my one helper, we get finished in 2 1/2 hours. My theory is this: the mowing is the longest part of the job, usually 8-10 minutes. Your helper should be done edging and weedeating, and in the blowing process as you finish mowing. Then you can grab the sprayer or trimmers, or move on to the next.
Switch it up too. Let the helper mow and do some of the lighter work. Then they don't feel like the "grunt" of the company. Keep the morale high, stay motivated this production stays up. If they know they're coming to work just to string trim, edge, pull weeds and clean up, they aren't going to be as productive and potentially lay out time to time and they're a good employee.
I agree. With two people they seem to work together well. However, when you go to three there always seem to be people standing around
I do six houses a day by myself. However, I do bushes, weeds, etc.. Basically a full care service. The only thing I don't like about working alone is the loneliness.
Michael Taylor Cry me a river... Smh
I understand you brother
Michael Taylor your never alone. I'm always in your heart..
Michael Taylor yeah it does get lonely at times ha. Same here
Try trucking. I promise you you will appreciate where you’re at, and I’ve done 15 yards a day by myself when I was in the business
I work alone and always will. It's a preference and every week, I get more business from people who are tired of the companies with multiple workers. They are sloppy and destroy property as well as never clean up hedge clippings. They pay me more for attention to detail that the "crews" fail to do
that is good is you are just doing this for fun, but if you are trying to build a company good workers are a requirement. Hiring people will allow you to multiply your efforts.
I got 60 accounts and I do it all myself.
In business 30 years. Tried 8 employees yrs ago and went back solo. Works for me . 100 to 120k a year, dog goes with me.
joe williams I’m looking to make 100 to 120k a year. How many lawns a day do you mow or how many lawns a week do you mow In Order to make 100k to 120 a year
@@BoBPrivateSecurity1 he dont reply because he lies 🤣💁♂️🤦♂️
This is true when I first started i was by myself sometimes I would end early or start late. When its me and my guy I always start at 8 always end at 5 and we do double the work. With half of the exaustion
Labourers do not care about the business or your gear and tools like you do.
This is very true. If it’s not building something for them and their future, then they never will.
It’s because you don’t pay them to
Really good advice and some excellent examples given. A local company here went to single man crews, they do 15 accounts a day, 10 hours a day, 4 days a week. One thing I would add is safety and health. Having worked with one guy doing 15 accounts a day for many years my forearms hurt from pull starting tools, your shoulders start to hurt, you wear out. And what if someone gets injured? Two guys are much easier on the body because you can trade off, one trims, one mows then switch. The example you gave concerning asset utilization was one I hadn’t thought of! Thank you.
well heres what i do.... and maybe this is dumb but im thinking about dedication to this business....first i have my high school age kids help me. they are almost as invested in this thing as i am....prolly because i pat more then dq down the street lol with that said i also hire other high school students that are interested in lawn care. i groom them to run their own crews within 2 seasons of starting. this gives me time to generate enough work for another full time route and also gives me the ability to offer more pay for them
It really depends on the volume of work that you are doing. In my business I am only doing 10 lawns in a week, thus I do not need to hire another labourer.
totally agree!
I tried to run all my (mostly large commercial) clients solo and dang... 1 week wore me out! I'm for sure going to bring a trimmer guy going forward!
9 thumbs down r other but hurt lawncare guys that beleive they r the smartest lawn guy,and they r the most efficient,and they know more then u do,theres alot of those guys out there with channels,but gotta say brian with top notch is probably the most humble.
I started out with a 52 inch walkbehind I was able to get 19 done each Saturday normally 30 to 40 min lawns
from my experience it is most valuable to hire someone with previous commercial lawn mowing experience. They have all been good.
RubberBandProductions where did you find them?
I keep a crew foreman who keeps track of the schedule and then gets out of the truck and works where ever he can. I also have 2 laborers in that crew one runs the mower and the other runs the trimmer and edger. Then the mower guy or foreman will run the blower, we get yards done super fast.
My experience is one man per yard. Two men tend to B.S. Riding on mower is not exhausting, conserving energy to weed and other tasks. Everyone has a cell phone, call if job problems occur. You ever see city or state employees, one working while the rest of crew are watching? Pride in one's work is an individual thing.
it doesn't quit double because you are both riding in the truck going to the same job, vs one guy driving to one job starting it and the other starting his job. you do get more done but not double. But if a guy gets stuck or has a problem you have a guy to help right there than calling someone and waiting.
It's hard to find good employees that show up everyday.
I hear you man. the thing is maintenance yard is very labor intensive and when first starting out customers don't want to pay high. so in return you can't pay high. an employee will think all this hard work for 10 to 12 dollars an hour ain't worth it.
A.C. Tilly I'm with you it's hard to find good help
A.C. Tilly always think this.... if someone doesn't show up am I able to effectively do it myself..
IF YOU PAY THEM REASONABLE PAY THEN THERE SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM INCASE THEY'RE JUST LAZY..
i offer guy 1500 a week driving paid for his cdl school and he didn't even bother getting it people think they are worth allot of money when they are not even worth 5 dollars an hour and all i hear from him now that there are no good paying jobs and how poor he and his family is
I run 16 to 25 props a day solo. If one man can do 10/day it doesn't necessarily mean that a two men crew will do 20/day unless they are right next to each other. This is because even though two people can do a property twice as fast, it does nothing for your driving time. So in other words : If you mow one property and then you drive to another and another and another all day long, at best you'll increase your production by about 50% +/- which means you better do your math if you wanna still be profitable. What I mean by that is that you might be making some more money but your cost of operations will also go up. You now have an employee which you have to pay, you will need workers comp which you have to pay for, your fuel costs go up since you are hauling around more weight, your vehicle maintenance will increase due to heavier work load on the vehicle anywhere from heavier tire wear to heavier wear on engine/transmission. I guess the main point I'm trying to make is that you need to do your math first as far as what your business model can produce( profitability), find out your cost for what ever change you might be considering for your business and then you crunch those two numbers against your projected gains from the change ( how much more or less in some cases will you be making ). It's all in the numbers, either model can be profitable as long as you do your homework and account for every penny. 10 years
Right now I'm solo but don't have enough customers to support hiring another guy. Really want to add someone else though because it's much easier with another guy and you can accomplish a lot with two guys focused.
I'm 50 and can work 5-8 yds in a day before I get whupped. But I need 4-5 yds a day, 6 days a week, 4 weeks a mo to support hiring someone else.
Steven L oh my god... your going to burn that guy out! Try to do 20 a day for 5 days.
I have systems in place that cater to the quality of life needs of the workers. Some work better alone, while others work better with others. Happier workers do better work!
What a loophole! Phenomenal emotional intelligence in my opinion.
@@jimmyminor2072 Thanks for your comment, and, nice to meet you!
In my business, we have Maintenance Specialists who go on the monthly maintenance appointments, and we have an Overhaul Crew who do all the initial clean-ups (we call them Overhauls).
While there is great benefit to the team approach (logistically, emotionally, and security), some people are just happier working alone (myself being one of them), while others prefer the social interaction of a team situation (ok, I'm also one of these at times).
Even on my Overhaul Crew, there are things that can be done by a one man crew, since my Overhaul Crew is all salaried, full time workers with lots of time between overhauls.
Ok so for each employee on a w2 cost on averages a extra $700 a month for taxes and insurance on top of salary.... and your saying by completing an extra 3-5 properties justifies this cost.... I would like to see your employee retention rate.... and know what your average windshield time equals out per week.... truthfully a well paid 1 man crew is far more profitable unless your 2-4 man crew averages less than 1hr windshield time per day or do multiple sites that are 3 to 4 hours of work per stop.... If your running around all day from place to place doing 20 min to 1hr stops... their is way to much windshield time to make the second man worthwhile in a profit sense
It's lonely cutting grass by yourself. Yeh you don't have the extra expenses, but it just becomes mind dulling. Really the only time for socializingetting is lunch.
I got one for you if you have 2 guys running around moweing one runs the zero turn one runs the weed eater and blower and one stays on the zero turn all bay and don't help the other guy. Now that sucks when you have 7to10 yeards when the hot sun
I'm lucky I work with my son so we always help each other he always cuts I always strim and we share the ancillary jobs and set up tasks so we level load the work. 2 gives more flexibility, added safety and takes away the boredom
Some of the knowledge you are given is exceptional and i completely agree with you. What credentials do you have to pass this information. Some of your ideas i don't completely agree with. I own .5M Dollar business. I grew up with the business and have tripled sales since i took over. I would really like to know how you acquired your knowledge.
Well as for myself I work alone.Tools buy better tools hydro mowers I have a wright mower 32inch cutlery big timesaver I also carry a 34inch cut gravely yes its a belt drive but at the time its all I had money for.Snapper 21in cut and a honda mower which I use it only for mulching. I carry 8 shindaiwa trimmers 3 hedge trimmers 2stihl and one shindaiwa.The way you save time is having extra tools.If a string trimmer does not work grab another dont waste your time.I have a 14 foot trailer enclosed never buy anything on time.If I cannot pay cash I do not need it simple as that.If you hire another person will they treat your tools like you would no because they really do no care they just want your money simple as that.
You need a lot more equipment for 2, 1man crews than you need for 1, 2 man crew. LIke another truck, mower, trimmer, edger, blower, gas cans, Tools, etc. I think 2, 1 man crews would be a little more productive but I don't know if it would make up for the added expense.
I do not know how I can get in contact with someone that I REALY respect how they no how to run there business as a one man crew. So if there is any way I can get in contact with one of the guys that posted a comment and that is mr. John Bailey. I will truly like to get in contact with you to get a bit more advice on how to run a business the same way you ran your business. Like you said I do this tip of work because I love doing it and the money is a bonus.
Hey I have a question I just started working at a landscaping company it's pretty cool I'm on the mowing crew and we have a blast most days. But we have the other crew that does trimming is lazy as shit and don't get shit done. I don't know how my boss doesn't notice this but it pisses me off because the Forman of the crew gets paid a ton more than me and we do so much more work than he does. Like when we help the other crew mulch large beds this Forman runs like 2 wheel barrels the whole day and tells bullshit stories the whole time. He takes an hour lunch break everyday at least too. What's the best way to handle this situation? I feel like it's gonna get to a point where me or wanna my crew guys is gonna exploded and do something with out thinking.
Thank you for this. Very interesting and helpful perspective.
Really good content, thanks!
Risk vs reward. Even if every employee nets you 5 dollars an hour to your income, with 10 employees, that's 50 dollars an hour. (After pay and expenses). Obviously there is a TON of risks with employees, though. If you can count on your commercial mower to last 5 years with you running it, you probably can't count on that same mower lasting even half that time with employees on it. Things like that.
Well the bad when you put on another person.You need to ins him or her incasen they get hurts there goes your profit.Will they work as hard as you do it yourself no.I start early and I am always done before noon.Some I only need to mow and trim light care.Then the others I do total care I break them up so this way I get done early.I also have 21inch mowers snapper and hondas.I also have wide cut mowers 34inch which I am useing it more it has save me a ton of time.I do 61 lawns every week and only work 4days a week.The costumers tell me they can set there clock I there the same time and day every week.That another thing dont show up at 8am then next week show up at 6pm that really sucks for the costumers .The coustmers like to know the time and day.I have been doing this for 50 years not for the money but because I like what I do the money is a plus.
You have been doing lawn care for 50 years?!?!? That is unbelievable.
I have 2sons and it seems like I do all the work
I do 18 houses a day with my 61 in 52 in stander on a regular day
Very awesome helpful video
buddy system is the way to go
If you've got a lot of volume go with a 2 man crew
You can make more money with 2 people, but it's more stress and difficult to control quality.
How do you manage when someone cuts vs trims...... guys seems to fight over that the most!!!! What’s your suggestion?
50/50
If I hear that being on a Ryder is not that hard one more time I'm going to lose it.... I WOULD much rather whip or Edge any day of the yr!! I hate cutting grass but it's a part of my life and my company so I need it to get into other jobs.. and I got a question why do individual company's refuse to NAME!!! there company!! If it was mandatory to name your outfit I can almost guarantee we wouldn't have everyone doing it... just my two cents..
The company im with now runs a variety of crew sizes. We have 20-25 lawns we do in a single day we have two or three trucks each with a mower and run together and separate so it varies from one guy all the way up to four guys. i am looking to go out on my own and plan on running a one man crew until i can afford to hire someone what would you say the threshold would be to add a helper?
I think you can double your work with a two man crew if you don't have much travel time.
How do I introduce myself to Banks to get a chance to bid on thier forecloser bid jobs .
r those write standers lol
Handle your business with intention
Another great video thanks. I asked before do you make house calls? My partner and me have been cutting for 30 years. Our company cuts about 12k homes a week.
Do you pay by the lawn or by the hour?
Mow by your self is best
I think he was trying to say a week
What about a mulch crew
i tried that this year 2016 and a mulch crew was extremely effective generated about 1k a day after expenses. Really good idea if you have the work for that specific crew.
how many men on specilaity crews
👌
WHUT ABOUT GIRLS WORKING FOR YOU?
Matthew. Schulze. everyone's different but in general most women do not have the same output as a man for the harder labor stuff but of they are just running a mower or rider, they can be as productive as anyone else at those tasks.
I've actually noticed when I hire female workers that neighbor's take more interest in the work. it helps that these women tend to be attractive and fit.
a major barrier for many employers though is the risk of gender-related risks like unintended sexual harrassment or even the potential of a false claim of harrassment.
Wow. Are you serious?? Perhaps there are specific tasks that females are not equal in based on their structural build being different than from a male, but other than that.....females work just as hard as males. Also, females bring a natural tendency to be more detail oriented. I have owned a landscape company for 18 years. We have ALWAYS had females on our teams and they are an asset to the company because of the work output they are capable of doing. NEVER has 'attractiveness' been an indicator for how someone will perform or the value they bring to the company. Good Lord.
Loriena Harrington
wow get off your pedestal.
first off everyone works hard - different people have different talents skills and physical output.
If I can't hire someone to push a mower because he OR she can't pull the cord hard enough to get it started, I don't want him OR her on my team. and yes that is a specific and necessary part of the job and yes it has actually happened. I won't hire someone that can't do the basic work so that they can take less laborous jobs like a ridemower over someone who has already proven themselves a value to the company just because of gender. THAT IS GENDER PREFERENCING.
If there is shoveling to do I need full output from all staff, Not more from one and less from another.
Take it personal. its not MY fault that upper body strength isn't a woman's gift but happens to be a requirement for labor work.
as far as attractiveness, talk to the old perverts that are looking out their Windows or coming to talk to me about mowing their lawn BECAUSE they want a reason to look at the female worker I hired to help me. I didn't incite them, scold THEM! but then ALSO talk to the ladies that are staring at bronze-tanned thick strong sweaty arms EVERY SINGLE TIME time my crew shows up. Women gawk too. Lets not be children about the topic.
having said that, it got me more business having a female employee.
as far as harassment, many women just like yourself are hyper-sensitive to choice of words and paranoid perceptions and take offense easily while projecting their own issues. guys do it too but are less likely to cause a scene, quit,or sue when someone says the wrong thing or behaves in a certain way she deems unsatisfactory.
I never once said women don't work hard. that's you putting words in my mouth. but the output in labor is not equal between genders. 100% for a man and 100% for a woman yeild different results.
so now your rebuttal - how do they work just as hard at the same labor? or are you saying they are more suitable for certain kinds of labor and not the MANUAL labor we both know I was referring to? how about the 5 gallon backpack sprayer she can't lift and put on herself? what about lifting the push mower into the truck by herself? what about it?
or do you suppose I should instead treat women with preference and special kid gloves? should I only assign light duty work and weed trimming?
Pete, that was very insightful. I'm glad Loreiana upset you. While in the Army as an officer, the females always had the "I'm a female" card in their back pocket. Meaning their was always a guy who would carry their weapon or ruck sack. Which, I did frequently. We needed to move quicker and a subconscious issue with seeing suffering.
Either way, I feel like youth is the real problem. The younger an individual is the more apt they are to not realize their potential, intestinal fortitude. Meaning they are more likely to be overwhelmed by the physical or mental challenge of an atypical situation. But, great points of most important, physical aspects/abilities of a smaller frame. But, showing up is 90% of the situation. I wouldn't mind carrying a ruck sack/weapon or loading a lawnmower or take down riding mower so long that the I dividían showed up.
Thanks again, not trying to be biased, just thinking out loud my daughters learned early on to charge harder and not worry what aman has to think I about their abilities, no one is imoortnt enough to try and impress other than the entity feeding or paying them.
2 heads are better than one.
do you have an instagram? let us know.
How about ONE GOOD WOMAN:)