offduty

Horse power and cubic inch are not equal. Horsepower in a particular enginne can be gained or lowered by adjusting fuel and air. You want an engine that has plenty of horsepower "left in it" when it is running at it's advertised horsepower. An 18hp Honda is screaming, running wide open to deliver it's rated horsepower. A kohler just purrs along with plenty left to spare. The torque is much better on the kohler. 13 hp honda is the best small engine on the market. After that, they make junk.

Dan, I told you to come and work with me this winter. You'll make money, work on your website at night, and go home in April with money and a game plan.

I've been fighting to get rid of one, now I have two maybe fight two?

No offense, but I don't know you and don't want care to help others with what I know in all things. Dan and I go back years, I even have a cot in his mom's basement.

Clean out your dadblamed inbox so I can send you something. Believe it or not it's me agreeing with you. We average about the same thing per hour, I just do more in less time.

There you go, congrats. And clean out your PM box so I can send you a message.

All I'm saying is the guy that didn't advertise and used his quality work to land a job is working while you are complaining on the computer. Your numbers are way off on the 6 man crew working all year also. You know I love you but you gotta get out of this funk and get busy making a buck.

How is paying less for quality service a problem? Who cares if the guy doesn't have yard signs and a lettered van? My wife shops at Aldi's because the cost is low due to the fact that they don't have fancy signs/lighting/music like higher priced grocery stores do. I don't have yard signs or advertising either. Low price and good quality=good. Low price and bad quality=bad. From a customers viewpoint that is.

If he did good work I would use him and refer him also. I like cheap.

Doing an extra driveway or gutter cleanout would cost me money in the long run. My day is filled from sun up to cleaning gutters out by flashlight every day. If they took on extra work, something would not get done that day and have to be pushed to the next and it just gets worse from there. If they want something else done, they get on the schedule for the next time I am in there area. I guess I don't turn it down, I just can't do it then.

More money does not make an employee happier for the most part. I tell my guys to turn down any request for extra work as we generally have a hard enough time getting done what is on the schedule as it is.

I've made a lot of money from $40 calls. Just tell him you will get it duirng the week when you are in tht neighborhood. Leave the truck running, throw up a ladder, put the money in your pocket and leave 5 minutes later. Line up a dozen or so and you got work for one guy for a half day or so.

I get it delivered in 100 pound bags from my Landa dealer. Ox does not neutralize bleach.

Ox neutralizes hyrodroxide and potash. Bleach does not belong on a pt deck. I think someone might have been messing with you if they gave you that kind of info.

Barlox 12

The hauling reclaim water stuff is for the birds. I had a 225 in the trailer and a 325 in the truck trying to wsh houses and then go back to the plant to fill up again. Lucky to get 3 or 4 houses a day done. But, a lot of guys went under that couldn't adapt. Natural selection:)

Every business that goes under is one you don't have to compete against or buy out.

I hope that it does not get any busier. Odds are in my region we are going to get stuck with drought again anyway. Hopefully more companies will go under again.

Aaladin is crap. 4 gpm is not enough to wash with. Run away from this one.

I would go after residential house washing. I won't do a deck unless I am doing the house and then I try to talk the homeowner into staining the deck theirself so I don't have to make a return trip. I do roofs but explain to the homeowners that it is merely for looks, and only to wash it if they are putting it on the market, same with driveways. Washing houses is hands down, for me, the best money maker out there. Everything else is a necessary evil.

Gutter cleaner quits working at about 50 degrees. We have washed apartments in the blowing snow at around 30 degrees. Just downstream straight bleach and keep washing.

This has been the best year so far. Why do you think this was the worst recession in 40 years? Ken, I agree. Wow, imagine me saying that. Down turns like this just weed out the weaker competition or make it easier to buy them out.

Please don't encourage him to post:)

If your arms are tired you must be using a wand. Take it off and throw it in the back of the truck. I flow 8 gpm machines and it is like holding a garden hose all day.

My carpet cleaning business was started and maintained by going to motels and asking to speak to the manager. I have no website for it. Face to face and handing out business cards is what works for me.