TCO for trimmers and edgers

They may not catch the eye like a zero-turn mower, but handheld trimmers and edgers play just as important a role for the typical maintenance crew.

“A maintenance crew’s trimmers, edgers and other small equipment are really the nuts and bolts of their productivity,” says Ben Hewlett, co-owner and chief operating officer of EarthScapes Lawn & Land Service in Norfolk, Va.

“Providing excellent service is about both quality and efficiency,” adds Russ Marsan, co-owner of Carpenter & Costin in Pittsford, Vt. “If your equipment isn’t reliable, your efficiency suffers, which impacts your margin, which impacts your ability to maintain quality.”

Smaller tools like trimmers and edgers can cause big problems if not managed correctly. It starts with buying reliable equipment that gives employees an advantage in the field. Hewlett says there have been minor but meaningful improvements to these tools that have directly impacted his bottom line.

“Some manufacturers have done a good job at making engines smaller and improving fuel efficiency without losing power,” Hewlett says. “Weight and balance have also gotten much better, which makes employees happier and more productive.”

Jeffrey Johns, owner and CEO of Coastal Greenery based in Brunswick, Ga., says there are a few top-tier brands of handheld equipment that a maintenance company really can’t go wrong with choosing. Given that belief, he tends to lean into what he calls “market-driven standardization.”

“We always look at who the best dealer is in a given market and which brand they sell,” says Johns, whose company also operates two additional branches in Savannah and Fernandina Beach, Fla. “If the dealer sells one of those top-tier handheld brands, that’s what we’re going to go with. At that point, the dealer’s service is the most important factor. We actually switched brands because our dealer switched brands.”

Versatility boosts utility

One product advancement that has proved valuable to both Hewlett and Marsan is the multi-function string trimmer. Users can swiftly swap out the string trimmer head for another work tool such as a hedge trimmer, chainsaw or edger blade.

Marsan’s maintenance crews are typically outfitted with dedicated string trimmers, whereas enhancement crews have been utilizing multi-function (aka split-boom) trimmers.

“Those split-boom trimmers tend to be a bit heavier, which is why we still prefer our maintenance crews to stick with string trimmers for the lighter weight,” Marsan says. “Our maintenance crews may start using split-booms at certain times of the year, however, like when we’re mulching in early spring, and they want to recreate some nice edges with an edger blade. They may also use them later in the season when they start doing more pruning and shearing. We just want to make sure they have the best tool possible to be as efficient as possible.”

Hewlett’s general managers and crews have also become big fans of multi-tasking string trimmers. EarthScapes services some large commercial accounts; it’s common for multiple crew members to simultaneously operate handheld equipment on a given property. Hewlett says they’ll typically outfit a maintenance crew with a combination of dedicated trimmers and split-booms, giving each operator an opportunity to be as versatile and productive as their individual duties require.

TLC drives down TCO

Due to the cost of a typical string trimmer or stick edger, Johns considers them a one-year investment — at least on paper. In reality, he’s hopeful to get two or three years out of them.

For Coastal Greenery, the maintenance season generally runs all 52 weeks of the year. To get a three-year life out of a trimmer or edger, Johns says you need strict preventive maintenance protocols in place. His team of in-house technicians do just that.

“Our technicians clean out the air filters on a weekly basis,” Johns says. “Then, every 50 hours, they change both the air filters and fuel filters. That’s really the only maintenance we do, but it’s very important. If there ever is a major breakdown that cost upwards of $200 to repair, we’ll just trash that trimmer and get a new one.”

Proper trimmer/edger care goes beyond preventive maintenance though, and requires crews to exhibit some “tender love and care.” These tools can easily be tossed around on jobsites, bounced around on trailers and maybe even run over by trucks if inadvertently left sitting in a parking lot. Johns, Hewlett and Marsan all agree that trimmer tracks for their trailers have become a no-brainer investment. Additionally, documentation like inventory sheets has helped to establish crew leader accountability in taking good care of handheld equipment.

Hewlett is adamant that crew leaders need to be accountable for the equipment in their possession. But they also need to be empowered to do a good job. To assist in that, EarthScapes has implemented an online asset tracking system.

“We put barcodes on every piece of equipment we have, including trimmers,” Hewlett says. “All employees have the app on their phone. As operations manager, I’m able to look at the app and see every piece of equipment that is on board a specific maintenance truck. When a trimmer happens to go down, the crew can scan it out of their inventory and give it to the shop technician. Then it shows that it’s in for repairs.“

Can battery power really work on big commercial sites?

Another product advancement more landscape contractors are embracing is battery-powered handheld equipment. By starting off slowly with a select handful of clients, contractors are able to see how the equipment performs and how employees respond. They’re also able to refine their systems for recharging batteries in the field.

Operating on the Georgia-Florida coast, Coastal Greenery services several resort-type accounts. “A lot of these clients don’t want the noise of your typical gas-powered handheld equipment,” Johns says. “So, we’ve converted over to more battery-operated handheld equipment on these types of properties.”

Johns and his crews have been pleased with the results. A big reason why is because they have developed systems to ensure ample battery power on a jobsite.

“We like to use enclosed maintenance trailers,” Johns says. “One of the many benefits is that we can set up battery charging packs that connect to the truck power. We mount them right on the walls of the enclosed trailer. It’s very easy to do and has worked very well. We generally have two batteries for every trimmer, one in operation and one getting recharged on the trailer.”

Up in Vermont, Carpenter & Costin also started using battery-powered trimmers on their lakefront, resort-type accounts. Due to the size of some of these properties, trimmer operators utilize backpack batteries that offer extended runtimes.

“Those units haven’t caused us any problems in four years now, and we’re honestly starting to think about why we don’t completely switch over to battery,” Marsan says.

At the end of the day, reliability is what matters most when it comes to trimmers and edgers.

Add in a great power-to-weight ratio, a little extra versatility and superior service support from a great dealer, and the only thing standing in the way of lower trimmer TCO is a little TLC from the crews that are using them.

The author is a freelance writer based in Wisconsin.