Talking trimmers

Hand-held trimmers are the lifeblood of any solid maintenance operation. Quality is the top factor landscapers look for when purchasing new trimmers. But with the tough economy still looming, price has become a rising factor as well. “It has always been quality first, pricing second when purchasing equipment,” says Peter Schwalm, owner of Professional Landscape Services in New Hope, Pa., a company with about 24 employees. “That’s how I sell my business, too – quality always comes first. Of course with the way the economy has been, we do watch our nickels and pennies these days, and price has become a closer second than ever before.”

Still, most contractors say that a good quality trimmer is worth the extra cost. “My philosophy has always been to buy top quality equipment,” says Tim Johnson, owner of Tim Johnson Landscaping, a nine-man company that operates March to November in Highland Park, Ill. “When it comes to any equipment, I’m less price-oriented because the idea is to provide the best equipment for my crews. When you have good quality equipment it makes the job easier – and that makes it worth the expense,” he adds.

Johnson, who currently has two trimmers for his small business, adds that top-quality equipment also breaks down less often. “When you have break downs it slows the workflow and becomes expensive to pay for parts and repairs,” he says. “My goal is to have fewer breakdowns. And I always expect good quality equipment to last longer, which is another reason I’ll put the extra money in.” Marc Hyde, owner of Gardeners Choice Concepts in Fayetteville, Tenn., says that trimmers are one of the absolute must-have tools of the business, which is why he looks for quality equipment. He keeps about eight to 10 operable trimmers on hand at all times. “I buy two new ones every year because we use them almost every single day and they end up getting a lot of wear and tear.”

Besides performance and quality, Pete Lucadano, president and CEO of Luke Brothers Landscape Services, a $13-million business in Holiday, Fla., also seeks trimmers that are durable, easy to find parts for and comfortable to use. “These are all major factors we consider when purchasing trimmers of all sizes,” he says. “We use a variety of types of trimmers, therefore a single-line manufacturer that can provide all relevant use products is an advantageous line to purchase.”

Safety First
When it comes to using trimmers, the professionals all say that safety is the absolute main focus of training. “Due to the fact that the use of trimmers is one of the higher rates of injury functions in the green industry, we utilize several levels of training to ensure safety and effective usage,” says Lucadano. “Our company’s safety policy is the first method of curricular training used, followed by hours of field training by experienced supervisors and veteran crew members.”

Johnson, whose clientele is 95 percent residential, agrees that hands-on training is most effective when teaching crew members about trimmers. “Working alongside the crew so they can watch me and I can watch what they’re doing has worked best,” he says. “I also always emphasize wearing ear and eye protection.”

Schwalm also says he takes employees out himself to assess their ability and emphasize key safety points in the field. “We are very serious about safety and have a good record of no accidents,” he says. “In fact we even had our insurance company come out to see what we were doing, and serve as a model for others, because they were impressed that we had no claims. Most importantly, I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to wear safety goggles when working with this type of equipment.”

In addition to hands-on training, led by the company’s account manager and crew leader, Paul LaMontaine, district manager of Austin Outdoor, an all-commercial business with 366 employees in Bunnell, Fla., says that trimmer safety is also discussed regularly at company meetings. “We train employees in our bimonthly tailgate safety meetings. In the meetings, we use the manufacturer’s operational manual as a guide for the training.”

Of course ability and skill are also important in training, but Schwalm says that with the use of trimmers you either have what it takes, or you don’t. “You can definitely teach some things, and the crew can improve on what they’re doing, but you have to have some level of coordination to begin with or you’re not going to be successful. Besides safety, we also talk to crews about going around trees,” he says.

Hyde helps crews focus on how to trim bushes. After all, trimmers are a vital part of maintenance – a segment that drives much of the industry. “A popular expression in our company is: ‘A well-maintained property is an easily maintained property’,” adds Lucadano. “Consequently, we approach maintenance as the lead function as our clients look for us to both meet and exceed their expectations. In lieu of contractual specifications, we attempt to assure that intermittent needs are accommodated so as to provide consistent curb appeal on the property.

Lucadano says that maintenance has proven to be the “life blood” of many landscape contractors through this recession, and tools like trimmers are essential to that role. “In my opinion, maintenance has finally been recognized as the most important and dependable function related to the success of a healthy green industry company,” Lucadano says. “How well a company handles its maintenance responsibilities, while obtaining profitability, is a true test as to the long-term health of the organization.”

The author is a frequent contributor to Lawn & Landscape.