Mowing Survey: Who Mows?

The mowing survey found that more than 89 percent of the survey respondents provide mowing services. Of these companies, more than two-thirds are full-service landscape contractors, while the remaining 31 percent defined themselves as lawn maintenance companies. (Of those companies that don’t currently offer mowing services, only 13.3 percent of them said they expect to offer mowing services in the next two years.)

The respondents’ annual sales breaks down as follows:

• About 53 percent generate less than $100,000 in yearly revenue;
• 21 percent bring in between $100,000 and $250,000;
• 13 percent have sales between $250,000 and $500,000;
• 7 percent have sales between $500,000 and $1 million; and
• 6 percent of the respondents’ annual sales figures top $1 million.

In addition, respondents reported that mowing work accounts for at least 60 percent of the annual sales in more than half of the respondents’ businesses. However, that doesn’t mean these contractors operate their mowers on a year-round basis.

About 25 percent of the respondents said their mowing season only runs between 20 and 24 weeks, while the same number of respondents mow between 30 and 34 weeks, making these the most common season lengths among respondents. The next most common seasons were between 25 and 29 weeks and 45 weeks or more, both of which can be found in almost 17 percent of the respondents’ markets.

More than two-thirds of the respondents indicated that single-family residential properties represent the bulk of their maintenance clientele, which was not a surprise given the fewer demands on residential contractors. On average, these contractors mow about 40 acres each week. While the commercial properties aren’t an area of emphasis for as many contractors, more than half of the respondents do mow some of these larger accounts. The survey also found that more than a third of respondents (36.7 percent) handled clippings in 2001 with a rear/side discharge with mulch kit, while slightly more than a quarter of respondents (26.6 percent) offer dedicated bagging services.

The survey also found that gear-drive, walk-behind mowers still represent the most prevalent category of machines in contractors’ fleets, although the competition is intensifying. More than 41 percent of respondents indicated they have more gear-drive, walk-behind machines in their garages than they do hydrostatic drive, walk-behind mowers (most common in 26.6 percent of respondents’ businesses) or hydrostatic drive riding mowers (36.3 percent).

When making mower purchase decisions, the respondents listed the top four factors that have the greatest impact on their decisions as:

1. Quality of cut (48 percent);
2. Ease of maintenance (42 percent);
3. Price (38 percent); and
4. Productivity (33 percent).

Coming in as the factors least likely to impact buying decisions were:

1. Safety systems (1 percent);
2. Contractor recommendation (3 percent);
3. Transmission system (3 percent); and
4. Dealer recommendation (6 percent).

In addition, the features that respondents listed as their top choices to be included on their next walk-behind mower were: size of 40 to 54 inches (42.9 percent), mulching capabilities (56 percent), zero-turn radius (73.7 percent), gas (85.7 percent), air system (74.7 percent) and hydrostatic drive (65.9 percent).

For riding mowers, the features respondents listed as their top choices were: size of greater than 44 inches (77.5 percent) mulching capabilities (45.1 percent), radius (85.9 percent), gas (76 percent), air system (52.1 percent) and hydrostatic drive (85.9 percent).

The respondents indicated that they keep their gear-drive, walk-behind mowers for just about the same length of time as they do their hydrostatic, riding mowers - 5.3 years - which explains the presence of so many gear-drive, walk-behind mowers despite the climbing sales of newer models. These contractors said they keep their hydrostatic-drive, walk-behind counterparts for about six months less - an average of 4.7 years.

Obviously, such extended mower life mandates considerable and ongoing maintenance. For many contractors, that means going as far as replacing the engines. In fact, more than 54 percent of the survey respondents indicate they keep running machines after having the engines replaced. Almost 45 percent of these mowing contractors have their own in-house personnel who replace the engines, which is somewhat surprising given the aforementioned revenue breakdowns. Clearly, this indicates that in a number of small landscape firms the owner or a similar key employee handles the equipment maintenance as well. Meanwhile, about 55 percent of the respondents said they rely on an independent repair shop or their servicing dealer for engine work.