Adding Equipment for Profit: Hydroseeding & Curbing

The C95 Trailer hydro-seeder from Easy Lawn Inc. has a 50 HP diesel engine. With an empty weight of 7,180 pounds, it has a tank capacity of 1,050 gallons. It also comes with a cast iron centrifugal with hardened impeller 150 gpm at 100 psi pump. Special features include a stainless steel tank, as well as an all hydraulic drive mulch grinder, bale breaker. Accessories include an electric reel and a stainless steel flush tank. With a 1 year (2 years for the engine) warranty, it comes with a price tag of $32,995.

>With the ever-changing economy affecting business in the landscape industry, it is often prudent to diversify your business. By adding services to your portfolio you will ensure stability in these turbulent times, while also adding to your overall bottom line. LCN decided to take a look at two lucrative profit centers ?EUR??,,????'???hydro-seeding and curbing?EUR??,,????'??? the equipment you?EUR??,,????'???ll need and how they will improve the overall health of your business.

The Border Magic??????oe BM 2000 will set you back $12,000. For that you get a Honda 5.5 HP engine with compaction chamber delivering over 5,000 psi. At 50" L x 36" H x 26" W, it can create a curb at 208 Feet per hour. Weighing 285 pounds, it has a steering radius of 36 inches. Capable of creating 3-foot wide sidewalks, retaining walls as well as over 30 standard and custom molds. It comes standard with a 5 year limited warranty.

Hydro-seeding

The hydro-mulching/hydro-seeding industry provides grass planting services for large scale turf projects, medium sized grass planting jobs, and even small home lawns. In the last 10 years, better mulch products have made it easier to provide reliable grass growing results. With high performance machines costing less and less, profit opportunities are now available to smaller landscape contractors. Laying sod will always be an important part of planting grass and providing instant turf. However, planting grass with hydro-mulching provides the customer with better turf and the opportunity to choose from the latest improved turfgrass varieties. High value hydro-mulching also benefits the contractor because it is far less labor intensive, easier, faster, and more profitable than laying sod.

The lower cost of hydroseeding enables you to expand your customer base. It is a gateway to a segment of clients that would otherwise never be on your radar. Furthermore, once you get their foot in the door, you have an opportunity to network and offer other landscaping services.

This Titan 400 Hydroseeder from Finn Corp. comes with a Cummins QSB Tier 3 compliant, 170-horsepower turbo diesel engine. Meant for the heavy duty jobs, it has an empty weight of13,180 pounds and a working weight of 47,750 pounds. Its tank also has a liquid capacity of 3,975 gallons. It measures 23'7" long by 7'6" wide and 8'11.5" high. It includes six boom, two narrow fan, two wide fan and two long distance nozzles. For the hose there is one narrow fan and one wide fan nozzle. It comes with a centrifugal 6" x 3" 500 gpm@175 psi, 3/4" solid clearance pump. Accessories include a standard third agitator, a deluxe hydraulic hose reel package, dust control and watering options, air flush system, truck mounting, and an optional remote control. Its special features include up to 320 feet of discharge distance from the tower; an independently controlled pump/agitator operation; three mechanical paddle agitators; liquid recirculation; hefty hydraulic system; convenient discharge boom and optional second boom; as well as a control panel with digital display. At a cost of $84,990 + freight it comes with a 2 year warranty.

Renting Vs Buying Equipment

Renting equipment is an option if you simply want to test the waters of hydre-seeding. A way to add the service while determining what works best for your business, renting will essentially let you do a test run without getting too financially invested. Once you see the economic benefits, you can then think about moving on to purchasing.

The Concrete Edge Company?EUR??,,????'???s Lil' Bubba EP curbing machine comes with a price tag of $5,370 and has a 4 HP Honda Engine. At 52" L, 32" H, 18" W, it can work up to 16 feet per minute. It also has a 14 inch Steering Radius. Capable of extruding 24 inch wide concrete walkways, commercial or residential curb up 8"x 8" and curb with rebar or wire re-enforcement; patented self feeding, and a no clog drive system. It also comes with a lifetime limited warranty.

Purchasing equipment is the best option to fully take advantage of hydro-seeding profit. Most manufacturers will have a breakdown of the price per foot of use and how long it will take to pay off each machine. If you are able to pay for the machine in six months, purchasing is a good investment. If it takes twelve to eighteen months, however, you may want to stick to renting.

The Curb Depot GT1000 has a Honda 3 HP and can reach up to 16 feet per minute. Weighing 175 pounds, it has dimensions of 42" L x 32" H x 22" W. Special Features include a belt, tensioner, quick cam release for molds, 2 removable access doors, adjustable plunger, and vertical and horizontal steering adjustments. With its limited lifetime warranty, it costs $4,995 (includes 3 residential 4" x 6" slip forms and trowels.)

The Right Size

To fully take advantage of the profits in hydro-seeding, you must use the correct equipment. Getting too small a piece of equipment may cost less initially, but may end up being too small as your busness grows. Also, just like purchasing a mower, you need to chose the right piece of equipment for the size and amount of work you plan on doing. Different seeders work better for different lot sizes. Also consider the type of projects you are doing. Commercial hydro-seeding requires a different machine than residential, highways, golf courses, or even erosion control projects.

The 207 Decorative Curbmaking Machine from Decorative Curbmaking Machines Inc. has a 6.5 HP Honda engine, is 39" L x 23" W and can reach a speed of Up to 16' per minute. With a steering radius of 12", it features small patented hydraulic auger driven curbmaking, a forward and reverse two speed system, as well as the ability to extrude an actual concrete product with up to 3/4" rock. At $2,500, it comes with a lifetime limited warranty.

In recent years a new generation of low-cost hydroseeding machines has become available. Coupled with the simple process, fast green-up, high survival rates, rapid erosion control and precise application in difficult areas like slopes, hydroseeding can provide landscape contractors with generous profit margins. This is why more landscape contractors are buying their own equipment and promoting the service, as opposed to sub-contracting the job.

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Profits in Hydroseeding

From James Lincoln, President of TurfMaker??????oe Corporation, here is an example of a profitable hydroseeding job done correctly.

Using a machine with a 600 gallon tank, the tank can be loaded with 200 lbs of 100% wood mulch, along with enough seed and fertilizer for 2,700 square feet. A good tackifer product should also be included in the mix. A slightly larger nozzle can be used to apply this 600 gallon slurry onto 2,700 square feet. This will result in the wood mulch being applied at 75 lbs per 1,000 square feet. This application will have a high likelihood of a good final result. Even in the face of hot weather or significant rains, such an application will likely yield excellent results. In most cases, the end result will be better than laid sod. Considering the cost of sod, the very best hydro-mulching job is a bargain. For this type of job, Landscape Contractors can charge from $100 to $250 per 1,000 square feet (10???????? ?EUR??,,????'??? 25???????? / sq.ft.), depending upon the size of the job and seed costs. Note: The very best application will not produce a good stand of grass without appropriate moisture, either from rainfall or irrigation. On sandy soils, and in hot temperatures, as many as five waterings each day for the first 3-10 days may be required for initial seed germination. On other soils, and/or in different weather conditions, very different watering applications may be needed.

This 1200 G2C Vortex Diesel hydro-seeder from Kincaid Equipment MFG comes in both a 20' 6'' x 8' x 10'7'' bumper pull trailer, or a 24'8''x 8' 10'7''gooseneck trailer. With a 1,200 gallon tank capacity, it?EUR??,,????'???s empty weight is 9000 pounds while its loaded Weight is 18,200 pounds. It?EUR??,,????'???s special features include a 98 Hp Kubota Diesel, MCM vortex pump, a 200 ft spraying distance, as well as both variable speed pump and agitation. With a price tag of $37,000 to $42,000 depending on options, it comes with a one year warranty.

Curbing

Curbing is another lucrative profit center for Landscape Contractors. Whether your need is industrial, commercial, or residential, curbing machines give you the ability to construct a unique and site-specific curb for almost any situation. A large selection of colors, stamps and impressions to match most any project are available. Many feature lighting elements, different shapes, styles, and designs, with will only lead to more business for you.

This Hydro Terra HT1000 Gas Hydroseeder is 66" wide and 126" long. With a price tag of $9,995 and weighing 1,530 pounds, it has a 24hp Honda Electric Start Engine, a commercial 4"x4" cast iron pump, continuous vortex mixing action and quick connect fittings. The warranty on the tank is 3 years; the engine is 2 years, while the pump and workmanship comes with a one-year warranty.

The 116 Twin Auger from Curb King is 36" L x 36" H x 16" W and has a speed of 17 feet per minute. A zero steering radius and a curbing radius of 14" are standard along with its patented vibrating Twin Auger machine. Independent adjustable legs on swing arms allows the wheels to be adjusted to fit different situations. Also, the compact light design makes for maneuverability in and out of tight places. Costing $5,980, it comes with a 2 year warranty.

This RHS-500-VBT hydro-seeder from Reddick Equipment Co. Inc. has a16 HP Vanguard Briggs and Stratton engine, a tank capacity of 500 gallons , and a Banjo 333P116 pump. Featuring a square tubular frame, a bale loading platform, a large bale tray, it also has running lights, convenient manifold fittings, dual bale jets, drain/cleanout valve and a range of 85 feet. At a cost of $9,647, it comes with a 1 year warranty on parts, pump, engine and manufactured parts (3 years on tank).

Profits in Curbing

According to decocurb.com, a three man experienced crew can produce between anywhere from 600 to 1000 feet of curb per day, with the average revenue being $3.50 per foot.

Labor Costs

The average labor cost is approximately .65 cents a foot based on $3.50 per foot, and approximately 750 feet per day.

?EUR??,,????'???? Forman/hand finisher at $10.00 per hr. (.20 cents per foot)

?EUR??,,????'???? Mixer/prep person at $8.00 per hr. (.15 cents per foot)

?EUR??,,????'???? Machine Operator at $8.00 per hr. (.15 cents per foot)

?EUR??,,????'???? Optional laborer/wheelbarrow person at $8.00 per hr. (.15 cents per foot)

The landscape and commercial concrete landscape curbing machine market is growing and expanding. As consumers become aware of the product and its benefits and more operators promote the concrete landscape curb products, this market is expected to grow.

With some training for you and your staff can become proficient with concrete landscape edging equipment. Furthermore, while many look at entering the concrete curbing business as a part-time effort, it often becomes lucrative enough to be full-time.

This HS-1000ZX hydro-seeder from Turbo Technologies, Inc. has a 27 HP Kohler engine and weighs 2,300 pounds. With a 1,000 gallon tank capacity, it has a skid size of 5 feet wide by 10 feet long and 8 feet high. It comes with five nozzles, a 4' x 4' 740 GPM pump, an optional hose reel and a spray platform with standard turret gun. With a 1 year warranty (2 year engine), it has a cost of $12,895.

Purchasing a HSR500 hydro-seeder from MS Sprayer will cost you $6,300. With an 11 HP Honda gas engine; manual or electric start; oil alert protection, it also comes with a 500 gallon Polyethylene tank. A direct drive, 300 gpm 3 inch cast iron centrifugal pump comes with 2 interchangeable nozzles of 10 to 20 feet spraying distance. The manual hose reel including 150 feet of 1-inch hose and can cover an area of 6,500 square feet with 150 lbs. of cellulose mulch. Warranty: 1 year engine, 1 year machine.

Overall Analysis

Based on 750 ft of Curbing:

750 Feet at $3.50/ft ?EUR??,,????'??? $2,625.00
Material, Labor etc. 1.10 /ft* ?EUR??,,????'??? $825.00
Profit ?EUR??,,????'??? $1,800.00
* Costs per foot
?EUR??,,????'???? Cement, sand, and mesh $.30
?EUR??,,????'???? Fuel, Insurance, etc. $.15
?EUR??,,????'???? Labor $.65
?EUR??,,????'????Total Expenses per foot $1.10

(Colored and stamped curbing can go for as much as $5.00 to $7.00 per foot, virtually doubling the price per foot charge while adding only pennies to expense. Keep in mind that unusual ground preparation/removal incur additional expenses)