another of my customer's gardens

Because I do so many lawns I need an expensive lawn mower. My customers like the stripes but the same mower without rear roller is £150 cheaper and the thing that goes wrong the most( the bearings) is guess where... on the roller. I pay over £600 each for my mowers and because I can't be without one I have 3 so two can act as backups .

£600 is with quite a big trade discount! The mower I use has a years guarantee for trade use and remember ,I do the equivilent of about 40 average gardens a week so the mower does 40 years work a year!

As far as I know no other mower brand offers more than a 3 month guarantee for trade use because of the hammer they get.

This year has been very expensive in mower repairs ( about £400) usually it's nearer £150 pa. It's difficult to know whether to buy a new mower each year and sell it after say one year for about £250 or to keep mowers longer and accept bigger repair bills.

Until this year I was better off repairing but this year has given me pause for thought.Also , I put nearly eight pounds of petrol in my mower a week! It doesn't seem that long ago that that would keep my car going!

All that mowing must really keep you fit Anchorman.

More like knackered! :)

Yes, that's the other option!

:)

Mowing does keep me fit it is hedgetrimming long tall hedges that wears me out! I don't do much hedging work although there are a few I took on by default when I agreed to look after a customers garden in its entirety. Hedge trimming on a big scale is a younger mans game.

As always....you're doing a good job of keeping up your customer's garden. I don't want to offend, AM but I prefer not to have the lines in the grass as it seems too formal. You have mastered the art though and for that you deserve praise.

Actually...I'd almost settle for ANY grass at the moment...lol Weeds grow here! I can see how fit it would keep you with all the mowing.

I am no stripes fan either, I agree too formal, but when customers want that is what they have to have. My oh is groundsman(sportsfield etc) he has a bowling green which when he scarifies it and then has to run over it (with mower) to pick up the bits he comes home also very very K.............ed. He hates trimming hedges, but has a volunteer helper who likes to trim so that is good. It all keeps him fit and healthy. Don't know what he will do when it is time to retire in just over 4 years time. I only know it will not be my garden he gets his hands on. lol. he hates gardening and boy am I pleased, he doesn't know a flower from a weed. Will have to have a bowling green installed me thinks for him to keep his hand in. lol. somehow don't think after 40 years of groundsmanship he will want that though.

I'm 60 in 5.5 years time. I'll get a small NHS pension from a previous career and I intend to cut down a bit on the gardening for customers then but I'd like to think I will continue to work for many years after that and if I could drop dead in my potting shed on a warm summers afternoon many years from now with the scent of something highly aromatic such as rosemary,thyme or lavender it would be a very good way to go.!

That would be a good way to go but not for a long time yet eh! I am enjoying spending my pension too much to go just yet!! lol

You're only a chicken yet Anchorman, compared to some of us 'oldies'......(lol)

Cluck,cluck ;-)

(Lol).... :o)))