Our equipment cost vs other industries

[jwfoulk12]

Why is it that everything for our industry is so much more expensive then others. When i can i buy things from the pressurewashing industry because the same parts are cheaper such as hoses and fittings. Also I was thinking the other day as I mowed my grass I can buy a top of the line self propelled mower with electric start for under $700, but a new rotary is gonna set me back 2100 minimum.

 

[Noidios]

Landscapers might make $40 an hour if they are good. I make better than $100. I'm fine with the pricing in our industry

 

[Becker]

Because the company selling the mower to the pro has many times over the regular person buying.

I'm sure if everyone had a rotary in the garage, even if they hired the carpet cleaning out then prices of rotaries would be less.

How many mower repair places do you know of? Now think. How many rotors repair places do you know of?

 

[carpetcleaner]

The better landscapers around here are making a lot more than $40 per hour. They also are spending as much on equipment as most carpet cleaners.

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/landsca...s/husqvarna-zero-turn-mowers-for-landscapers/

The only thing I know about commercial lawn mowers is that they cost a lot more than $700. I clean for a few landscapers, they all have $30-50K in equipment.

 

[Mikey P]

my white landscaper who had a botany degree charges me $50 and hour or so but he has to pay his help with that..

 

[Mikey P]

a good percentage of shop owners around here (shoe, jewelry, bagels, bikes, nick naks etc) earn less the 40K a year after the inventory,storefront, staff and all the leagl crap is paid for.



consider yourself very lucky to only have chems and a TM payment.

 

[Becker]

How many clients does a truck on a landscaping company need to stay booked all year long? Not a fraction of a carpet cleaning company.

 

[carpetcleaner]

It would be great if every client that you had needed weekly service.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Also I was thinking the other day as I mowed my grass I can buy a top of the line self propelled mower with electric start for under $700, but a new rotary is gonna set me back 2100 minimum.

can you buy a commercial 30-36" walk behind mover for $700??
I'm not sure what rotary you're referring to, but there nowhere near $2100


Never the less, I hear what you're saying..we DO get hosed on some parts and tools that aren't available elsewhere.
Fortunately, there plenty other sources for the parts we need ..as you discovered one in the pressure washing industry.
I understand the need for the carpet supplier didsy to make a buck...but we gotta eat too


as far as the landscrapers ....the few I personally know bid jobs to make $65 pr hour.
Like CCing prices though, with all the landscrapers out there, I'm reasonably sure pricing runs from cheap to GTF'out..
with most being somewhere in the middle


..l.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have to think we are a low startup industy. If you're a hack you can buy a porty for 1k and you're in the carpet cleaning business. Other than a contractor that just needs some hand tools and a saw what other business can you get in so cheaply.

21-inch Commercial Honda mower will cost more like a grand.

 

[Mardie]

The evolution of our equipment cost have taken a great leap in the wright direction with the advancment of moderen technology and advanced chems in the LM and VLM industry. The idea of cleaning carpet with a 60k plus unit has all but gon the way of the dinousour.That being said i believe that their will always be rare situations that could bennifiet from these high priced machines but they have been rduced to just another secondary handy tool to have in the box of a full service carpet cleaner.
Time will tell.
Oh Oh did i just say that. LOL

 

[Steve Toburen]

Most here easily make 120.00 per machine hour with a 20K truck mount. Now take a 100K plus backhoe or dozer and you'll find they charge ... about 120.00 per hour. And you wanna talk getting hosed on parts? Try working in the dirt moving business! (I have zero to do with TM sales or service at Jon-Don.)

Steve Toburen
www.SFS.JonDon.com

PS Mardie makes a good point about TM alternatives. One word especially comes to mind, "encapsulation"! Same (or more) money per hour- 10% of the start-up cost! (And no fuel cost for running either.)

 

[truckmount girl]

The evolution of our equipment cost have taken a great leap in the wright direction with the advancment of moderen technology and advanced chems in the LM and VLM industry. The idea of cleaning carpet with a 60k plus unit has all but gon the way of the dinousour.That being said i believe that their will always be rare situations that could bennifiet from these high priced machines but they have been rduced to just another secondary handy tool to have in the box of a full service carpet cleaner.
Time will tell.
Oh Oh did i just say that. LOL

HaHaHaHa...yeah right.

Oh did I just say that?!

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Zee]

Mardie is now officially a thread killer, with his 2nd grade grammar and writing skills and the points he makes...no one wants to get into the same arguments over and over with an inexperienced guy that just won't listen to seasoned veterans' valid points about the industry as a whole or methods and equipment use.

Such a troll...I am starting to believe that he is not even a real person. Maybe just one of Mikey's alternates to generate comments and clicks??? Mikey??


Edit: I was wrong...apparently a few of us still want to help the guy by commenting on the thread.

 

[truckmount girl]

I always thought the costs to start up in our business is far less than the average biz. When I started I RENTED a commercial porty, then bought a used one, then a bigger used one, then finally bought a new one, then a nice new one, then a small TM, and the last TM I had I had built custom for me.

You can seriously start esidential with an investment of less than $500, if you buy used equipment from a pawn shop/craigslist or a case of pre-spray, a pump-up sprayer and rent a porty. Or you could focus on commercial for the same initial investment with a case of encap, a pump-up and a used floor machine and a few bonnets. A few bucks for some business cards and fliers online... How many businesses can you get into and then grow from there for such a small initial outlay. I know both I and Becker started and grew like that.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Ron Werner]

wanna see inflated prices, buy a boat!

Buying a porty and some basic tools etc, not too bad, 2-3000 and you have some some quality equipment. That and there is no real "exams" or certifications to take to promote yourself as a "professional". Not like being in construction, building, plumbing, electrical, where there are inspectors to satisfy/pay off or even a mechanic. Some quality tools for these guys can be several hundred/thousand. Someone said that its not the price of the tool but what the tool can make you. $7-800 for a wand, $3-500 for an uph tool, $20-60K for a TM, or $3-5K for a OP machine.

As for the obsolescence of a 60K TM, it'll be a LOOOOONG TIME before that will happen. The day they start washing clothes by some other method than with a significant amount of water will be the telling point. As far as I know, even these HE machines still use quite a bit of water. That said, I prefer the old tub machines, clothes just don't seem as clean from a HE machine. (reminds me, have to do laundry, I'll just grab some of that SEBO powder and rub it on my clothes and shake it off, follow it up with a wipe from a damp cloth)

There's a place for LM methods, I've used them from time to time, and in one case was able to correct severe wicking of road tar. However there's something about flushing a carpet with water where you KNOW it's clean

 

[Ken Snow]

The evolution of our equipment cost have taken a great leap in the wright direction with the advancment of moderen technology and advanced chems in the LM and VLM industry. The idea of cleaning carpet with a 60k plus unit has all but gon the way of the dinousour.That being said i believe that their will always be rare situations that could bennifiet from these high priced machines but they have been rduced to just another secondary handy tool to have in the box of a full service carpet cleaner.
Time will tell.
Oh Oh did i just say that. LOL

When the $60,000 machne produces $1,500,000-$2,500,000 over it's first life then sells for $30,000 it changes the mind a bit Mardie. Not sure where you are getting your information from but you might want to check facts.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Not sure where you are getting your information from but you might want to check facts.

from VLM ONLY gEEks

Mardie, you can make plenty money being VLM only..no problem there
However, your ignorance shines like a beacon every time you talk about HWE



.l.T.A.

 

[Mardie]

When the $60,000 machne produces $1,500,000-$2,500,000 over it's first life then sells for $30,000 it changes the mind a bit Mardie. Not sure where you are getting your information from but you might want to check facts.

Ken i am aware of the scope of your operation and given that any numbers you come up with are going to be far from the norm in this industry.I have no doubt that your gross earnings are very immpresive.

Have you started to incorperate LM into your operation?

 

[Mardie]

Mardie is now officially a thread killer, with his 2nd grade grammar and writing skills and the points he makes...no one wants to get into the same arguments over and over with an inexperienced guy that just won't listen to seasoned veterans' valid points about the industry as a whole or methods and equipment use.

Such a troll...I am starting to believe that he is not even a real person. Maybe just one of Mikey's alternates to generate comments and clicks??? Mikey??


Edit: I was wrong...apparently a few of us still want to help the guy by commenting on the thread.

You are a silly little man living in an isolated world of your own beliefs.

 

[Zee]

You are a silly little man living in an isolated world of your own beliefs.

sure mardie..

 

[Ken Snow]

We performed LM cleaning as recently as 73 years ago and it was our primary method through the early 60's.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mardie]

We performed LM cleaning as recently as 73 years ago and it was our primary method through the early 60's.

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I am sure that in over the 70 plus years your company has existed that you have evolved in many different directions.Your evolution as a company will surly continue to evolve. I seen your post on the recent jobs you did using O/P. Are them O/P machines new and was that your first shot at O/P?

 

[Ken Snow]

I am sure that in over the 70 plus years your company has existed that you have evolved in many different directions.Your evolution as a company will surly continue to evolve. I seen your post on the recent jobs you did using O/P. Are them O/P machines new and was that your first shot at O/P?

I don't recall posting about O/P, can you find it and quote it to me?

 

[Mardie]

I don't recall posting about O/P, can you find it and quote it to me?

My mistake.However The reason i remember this thread is because it was a major hwe operater that explored O/P and he stated that their top techs were so impressed.

 

[Ken Snow]

Cool.

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[Danny Strickland]

The day they start washing clothes by some other method than with a significant amount of water will be the telling point. As far as I know, even these HE machines still use quite a bit of water. That said, I prefer the old tub machines, clothes just don't seem as clean from a HE machine. (reminds me, have to do laundry, I'll just grab some of that SEBO powder and rub it on my clothes and shake it off, follow it up with a wipe from a damp cloth)

There's a place for LM methods, I've used them from time to time, and in one case was able to correct severe wicking of road tar. However there's something about flushing a carpet with water where you KNOW it's clean

Ron, yore OCD vacuuming is what REMOVES most of the soils from carpet. The VLM methods just break down/remove the oils that bind those soils to the fibres.

If i see you wearing a coat made out of 666 Nylon, then you better take it to Dusty Roberts for cleaning!!!

 

[Mardie]

Ron, yore OCD vacuuming is what REMOVES most of the soils from carpet. The VLM methods just break down/remove the oils that bind those soils to the fibres.

If i see you wearing a coat made out of 666 Nylon, then you better take it to Dusty Roberts for cleaning!!!

Actually come to think about it Ron the vacuum master would be a perfect candidate for O/P cleaning. He probally dosnt know it but he is spending a lot of unnesesary time money and energy on the ownership of his T/M .

 

[Ken Snow]

Ron- Hopefully you knew I was kidding.

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[ruff]

Mardie. Not sure where you are getting your information from but you might want to check facts.

If I may speak for the "Beacon":
Under no circumstances, will mardie be encumbered by the sheer facts.

Carrie on Mardie