Firstly, Is back-up equipment necessary? 

There should actually be two Questions here

1. Do you need back-up equipment?
2. And if so when do you get it?

Is back-up equipment really necessary? 

When you are busy with your lawn mowing business, it can seem like a go-go-go. 

Lawns to mow, quotes to do, and days to plan. 

Who has time for a breakdown?

It is certainly never something that can be planned for or scheduled, and it always seems to come at the worst possible time. 

My number one tip here that can save you hours of running around is a simple one. 

I used to pack up and take my machine straight to the mower shop when it broke down. Then after a few years (yes, I’m a slow learner), I noticed that the first thing they always did was replace the spark plug. 

So I started carrying spare spark plugs for all my gear. A new sparkplug gets the machine going nine times out of ten. One trip to the mower shop saved. 

But what happens when replacing the plug doesn’t work? 

What do you do then?

Sometimes when you run it to the shop, it’s a quick fix, and you’re back on the road half an hour later. 

The real problem starts if the shop needs to order parts to get the job done. 

If you are just starting and working only a handful of lawns, this will not be a massive problem. Just tell your customers you are running a few days late, and there won’t be too many issues. 

However, if all your days a fully booked, you will have a problem. You can’t sit around and wait for that call to say your machine is ready. 

We always have back-up equipment available at home to avoid this situation. 

We didn’t go out and buy new machines for this job. We use the machines that we put aside when we purchase new equipment. It is a good idea to keep your old machines and take them out for a day now and then to keep them in good working order. 

I always try to buy the same make and model every time too. Doing this can help when your mower shop needs to order parts. It is not uncommon for me to shoot home and pick up a dead machine to cannibalise for details to get back on the road again. 

When Testarossa parts became hard to get, I had four old machines sitting in a shed out the back, so I simply helped myself to parts as I needed them. 

When do you buy your back-up Equipment? 

The time to buy your second machine is when the first one is in the shop, and you cannot afford to wait for parts. Then once the initial machine is back in service, you have your first backup. 

Don’t sell your old equipment unless you will no longer use that model. 

In these uncertain supply and delivery issues, having those old machines for parts can be a great help if you need them. 

What back-up equipment do we use, and how do we store it?

Lawnmowers. 

We like to run at least one more mower than we need. Currently, we are running three mowers daily, so we make sure that we have a fourth one sitting in the garage. 

To ensure that your backup mower is in good working order, I would suggest that you rotate your mowers if possible. I use a labeller to put a number and a purchase date on my machines as they are all identical, and I want to know what machine I am using. 

On the first Saturday of the month, I service all my mowers. This is when I swap the backup machine with one of the working machines. 

Using this method, I can be sure that my backup machine has not been sitting for months before I use it.  

Weedeaters and blowers

We also carry extras with these machines, although we don’t rotate these machines. I find weed eaters are likelier to break down than blowers, so I have different ways of handling these machines. 

With the weedeaters and blowers, I carry spare parts and accessories in the vans, such as spark plugs, air filters, and speed caps for the trimmers. 

Dealing with breakdowns

When I am in the field and a mower breaks down, I will run a few simple tests in this order before I pack up any machine and take it anywhere. 

1. Check the fuel – This may sound obvious, but there are two reasons for doing this. 
   1. To make sure you have fuel (the obvious reason)
   2. If there is an airlock in the gas tank, then opening the cap will fix that. If the airlock keeps happening, you will need to replace the cap as they have a breather built in, and it may get clogged or break. 
2. Change the spark plug. (as mentioned before)
3. Remove the air filter and try starting the mower. If the mower runs, then your air filter needs cleaning or replacing. 

If none of the steps above works, it’s time to take the machine to the shop and pick up the back-up equipment.  

If it is a weedeater or a blower that breaks down and we are doing regular jobs, we will finish off the day, drop off the machine for repair and that the spare machine out the next day. 

If your blower breaks, you can always tip a weedeater on the side and extend the cord to use it as a blower. And if your weedeater breaks and you run without it for an afternoon, it is not the end of the world. 

In closing

We all deal with breakdowns in this industry, and they always seem to happen at the worst possible time, but as long as you have back-up equipment and sound systems in place, it won’t really be a problem.

You can get out there and focus on doing the things that really move the needle in your business, such as mowing those lawns.