# Market for reel mowing?



## DFWdude (Aug 28, 2020)

Is there a market in DFW for a lawn service that reel mows? I'm toying with the idea, but question John Smith homeowner signing up for 3 mows/week. Especially because no one offers this service today.


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## thelawnlife (9 mo ago)

Use of PGRs to keep your return mows down to 1 per week should be in the budget I'd say.


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## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

I'd have to charge a lot. I thought about this a while back. Most people don't even know that their grass could look so good. I think you'd have to do some free cuts to demonstrate and get a client. Im no expert but seems like a tough sell.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I think it's a niche market and might only work in high end neighborhoods. I think it's doable but will require a lot of leg work and patience to build a clientele to sustain the business.


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## thelawnlife (9 mo ago)

Lots of leg work and hand-holding in yes high-end neighborhoods.


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## Dono1183 (Oct 11, 2021)

I echo the high-end neighborhood sentiment. You sell them with a golf course look for their lawn. Those folks all golf, and they'd love to show that off to their friends. You don't need too many customers. You just need the ones you have to pay well for your services. I would also note that you could couch it as a concierge service for your lawn, it's completely bespoke, and a one off. Now that I think about it, you could definitely find like 30 lawns that would pay for this service. I would also note that it's likely a fairly elastic service that may suffer in economically challenging times. Good luck!


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

Lots of variables to consider. You going to dial in their irrigation and get them on a agronomy program or just mow and go? Would hate to lock down a customers yard with pgr and then have armyworms or a fungus issue.

You planning on walking the yard before mowing so you don't ding a reel on debris or something left out?


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

In Vancouver we have lots of landscapers reel mowing in high end areas. My buddy even maintains a lawn tennis court at a $40 mil home. He also provides a monthly spray program for the landscapers that includes nutrients and PGR.


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## DFWdude (Aug 28, 2020)

I live in a high-end city, with plenty of fancy neighborhoods. But I still wonder if I could get enough business to make it worth leaving my job. Would certainly be more enjoyable though!

I would mow, fert etc. not mow & go. But no landscapers here reel mow, hence my general question about it.

Once the lawn is low, there would be no need to walk it before mowing. Should be able to see any debris from a far at that point.


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## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

Do you need a license to apply fertilizer there? That's something worth looking into. A buddy got reported for not having a license (probably by a competitor).


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## DFWdude (Aug 28, 2020)

Biggylawns said:


> Do you need a license to apply fertilizer there? That's something worth looking into. A buddy got reported for not having a license (probably by a competitor).


Good call. Would def need to investigate.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

DFWdude said:


> Biggylawns said:
> 
> 
> > Do you need a license to apply fertilizer there? That's something worth looking into. A buddy got reported for not having a license (probably by a competitor).
> ...


I would get one regardless to help protect you down the line plus it would look good while trying to sell your service. I do think having a service like this would snow ball very quickly once you get a few clients as the "Jones's" like to keep up with each other


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I think you could find some business clients who want to catch eyes at their establishment as well. I agree with whoever mentioned above about keeping fewer but higher paying clients. I still wonder if it would work out though.


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## DFWdude (Aug 28, 2020)

Worst case, maybe the biz craters but I can write off some of a new triplex lol


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I don't think a commercial applicators license would be difficult to get if you halfway know what you're doing and can study for/pass a test.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

DFWdude said:


> Is there a market in DFW for a lawn service that reel mows? I'm toying with the idea, but question John Smith homeowner signing up for 3 mows/week. Especially because no one offers this service today.


Are you talking about using a GM1000 like @Greendoc? Or are you thinking about a higher height of cut machine Trucut like Manicure Touch near Atlanta in Douglasville, GA?






Maybe you sell the higher HOC initially and lower your clients lawn's HOC over time??? Everybody starts out saying they are going to cut around an inch. Then, the virus slowly causes one to lower the HOC every season. :lol:


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## atticus (Dec 30, 2021)

i mentioned it in a different thread, but I'll bring it up here to underscore the point that if you found the right clientele, you could absolutely make a viable business. There is a lawn service near me in Atlanta (not in a fancy neighborhood) that advertised a new lawn leveling and pgr program they are starting this year. For just my back yard (~4500sqft) the leveling was quoted at ~$1500 and the pgr at $48/PER APPLICATION.

Looking at the cost of sand ($55/yard for 5 yards) and the cost of renting an aerator ($100) and a topdressing machine like they would use ($250) that's basically $900 for the labor. If you were to eventually buy and aerator and topdressing machine, they would pay for themselves in no time and you'd shave another couple hundred off of your overhead.

The pgr is the most absurd mark up though (if people are actually paying that price for it). At $48 per application you'd pay for a gallon of tnex that would last a lawn my size for YEARS in just 3 applications.

I don't know of any services that are offering reel mowing, but plenty of my neighbors pay for lawn services to cut/edge/blow and I imagine the ones with turf grass would pay a little extra to have their yard look as stripey as mine &#128514;


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## DFWdude (Aug 28, 2020)

$55/5 yards of sand?! Thats a steal!


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## atticus (Dec 30, 2021)

DFWdude said:


> $55/5 yards of sand?! Thats a steal!


Sorry, that's $55 per yard haha. I wish I could find that kind of deal.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

You need an applicators license in TX if you are applying anything other than fert. You would probably need to have a small fleet of reels as any downtime and your going to be stuck doing hoc resets.

I would maybe put a feeler post on your neighborhood group forum and see if people would be willing to pay however much you figure out to charge. I would strongly consider what your time is worth and estimated expenses such as licensing and insurance as well as application costs.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Are we talking strictly about reel mowing? Or achieving a golf-course look on John Q Homeowner's lawn?

Assuming the former:

For a business case, the first question would be, in a given area, how many John Q's are willing to spend $XXXX on their lawn annually? What is the typical mowing season duration for DFW? 35 weeks, give or take? Mow 2x week minimum @ 1"+, no PGR, and collect 2x what typical premium mowing service gets. You are still at a sizable disadvantage due to the cost of the equipment and it's upkeep. Don't forget that a backup mower or cutting unit(s) is just about mandatory. Who is maintaining the equipment? They need to get paid too. Even excluding irrigation work, chemical applications, and any aeration/top-dressing, levelling, etc. I still don't see it earning more than a standard mow & blow service before it prices itself out of even the most premium of clients. For the 99.9th percentile that have f-you money, want the golf course lawn but want to remain hands-off, they've already started a management company for their property which has absorbed the expense of purchasing the equipment, the supplies, and hiring a full-time gardening staff.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Ware said:


> I don't think a commercial applicators license would be difficult to get if you halfway know what you're doing and can study for/pass a test.


That depends. Many states have a provision where you need to "apprentice" under a certified applicator for at minimum of a year and/or a degree in agronomy.


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## Big Yard Needs Help (8 mo ago)

Just a comment about Reel Mowing.

I've mowed my lawn for years... actually kind of hated it. Always had to go take a shower after the mow from smelling like gasoline. This year (2022) decided on ditching the gas mover and will be using the "Real" Reel mower. Picked up a Roller. Get to roll my lawn first in an effort to level things out. Wish me Luck.

But where I was going with bringing this up.... Maybe you could push the "Gas-Free" version of Reel mowed Lawns. Not gassing the neighborhood(s) when you mow.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Big Yard Needs Help said:


> Just a comment about Reel Mowing.
> 
> I've mowed my lawn for years... actually kind of hated it. Always had to go take a shower after the mow from smelling like gasoline. This year (2022) decided on ditching the gas mover and will be using the "Real" Reel mower. Picked up a Roller. Get to roll my lawn first in an effort to level things out. Wish me Luck.
> 
> But where I was going with bringing this up.... Maybe you could push the "Gas-Free" version of Reel mowed Lawns. Not gassing the neighborhood(s) when you mow.


If you are mowing anything larger than a postage stamp of a lawn and using a push reel mower you will wear yourself out FAST. I know there are some electric reel mower options out there but I'm sure they are priced pretty high. I think it may depend on what type of grass you are mowing too as I know bermuda and zoysia can get really thick in the Summer.


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## DFW St Aug (10 mo ago)

Other than the issue of finding the right customers, you are probably not likely to find customers that are that close to each other unless you can get a lot of them in a large, upscale development. The travel time between properties would most likely be much greater than the typical lawn crew has between houses, so less income earning time per day.


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## CLT49er (Jun 19, 2020)

I gave this a thought as well. Think it would only work if you make it an inclusive package of fert, pgr, preventative fungicides and preventative grub treatments. Upsell to sand leveling, aeration, verticut, overseed and scalping.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

DFW St Aug said:


> Other than the issue of finding the right customers, you are probably not likely to find customers that are that close to each other unless you can get a lot of them in a large, upscale development. The travel time between properties would most likely be much greater than the typical lawn crew has between houses, so less income earning time per day.


Not to mention constant transportation of reel equipment poses some risk too. Adjustments get knocked out of whack easier than you'd think.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet. My first thought is it would probably take some initial prep work to the grade of someone's property before I'd even attempt to come out with the reel. Most people reel mowing have made considerable efforts to level their property and then maintain that level as well.

Someone who has hired a service probably has no interest in maintaining their grade so it falls on the contractor. Seems like it could get pricey/out of control fast. Not to mention all it takes is one hit to the reel and business comes to a halt.


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## Big Yard Needs Help (8 mo ago)

I actually just did a rough walk-off of my primary lawn

55' x 44' with a Reel Mower. No wonder why I'm seeing my acupuncturist Monday 



Mightyquinn said:


> Big Yard Needs Help said:
> 
> 
> > Just a comment about Reel Mowing.
> ...


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