Where my winter profits went

[Mark Oomkes]

Here's some pics of our new enclosed trailer. Learned the hard way (once again :( ) to not skimp when buying trailers. First one we bought is a POS, so I specced this one to have a little longer lifespan without a lot of repairs.

[Mark Oomkes]

Here's a couple that I never posted of the Toolcat. (Actually last year's profit.) 2 with the 810 SS--should've mounted an 8611 on it and 1 with the broom we bought last year too.

[Mark Oomkes]

And finally, got a butt ugly red and gray truck painted to match the rest of the fleet. Good thing the paint shop still has Oomkes green. Although since Dave\GMC Driver has green trucks we might need to rename this as Dutch Landscaper Green.

[nickv13412]

Nice! I really like that toolcat, id love to have one, they look wicked fun. Nice truck and trailer too! - Nick

[OSCLandscaping]

Trailer looks good, well all of it looks good. I really like your logo, standsout nice.

[Jerre Heyer]

Mark, Looks good. J

[EIB]

Mark,

Nice equipment.
What brand of trailer and model did you go with? What kind of upgrades did you go with? I've been looking at trailers and everybody and their brother makes them. I always thought that Hallmark and Wells Cargo are the top of the trailers.

[Mark Oomkes]

Everett, it's a Wells Cargo, Express Wagon 8' X 24' with an extra 6" so we don't have to fold down ROPS on tractors.

Added the Landscaper's Package, 7 ton axles, extended tongue, tool organizer, 48" side entry door, reinforced tailgate so the Toolcat can be loaded and not fold the door in half, and 1.5" tongue and groove flooring.

I bought an Avenger, same size, 6 years ago and it is and has been an absolute POS since day 1. You get what you pay for, and a year later when they were out of business I know why. Tires wear uneven because the Torflex axles aren't right, side door just about falling off. It wasn't going to make it another year with everyday use so this purchase was actually planned last fall. We'll use the old one for fert and or a tool trailer. Just so it isn't being used hard all the time it will last.

I would agree, and with a 6 year warranty on it, I figured it was well worth the money. And a company that will be there if something is wrong. Sort of worried the engineers when they saw my specs. :grinz We have a great dealer that carries them, so I didn't check into the Hallmark, but I would have.

Thanks Roger. We don't have any mowers like that and haven't for several years, but the basic design has been the same for around 20 years, so it isn't likely to change. And it's on everything: letterhead, envelopes, checks, business cards, uniforms, Pro-Techs, etc. It gives us the appearance of being a much larger company than we really are. And there is only one other 'scaper that has all green trucks by me. All the others are white trucks\red trailers or all red trucks with some grass on the side, but there's 3 or 4 of them now, so they all start to look the same truck-wise and you can't tell them apart anymore.

[Landgreen]

That's a heck of a trailer. I know what you mean about getting what you pay for. I skimped on our leaf trailer and have regretted it ever since.

Ford is lookin good. Better paint that plowframe too.:D

[pbeering]

Does fountain maintenance fall under "total landscape management?"

[atgreene]

Where do you carry the life ring?:D:wink





















Nice trailer. I need to look into one to store my stuff on-site.

[chtucker]

The last open trailer purchase opened my eyes up to..

Why I ever bought a a car trailer that was only rated at 6k, had open wiring with crimps everywhere, no paint on the underside, no primer anywhere, and tires that were barely rated to carry the load...

New trailer is ordered... H&H trailer with all LEDs, enclosed wiring, tilt deck with built in d rings, guards on the lights, tie down storage, 5k axles and brakes on both axles.

About twice the price of the first trailer.

[DanG]

Nice set up.
I know what you mean about all the trucks starting to look alike.Here most are green or red.Every once in awhile you'll see other colors

[Snowboy]

Mark,

Did u look at legend Trailers? I know they are somewhere in your neck of the woods. I ordered a 7'x18' last month should be picking it up from a dealer in Buffalo early may.

Unfortunately they do not offer an 8' wide model in the deluxe models. They wanted $1000 more just to make the door opening wider from 71" to 77".

Nice toys and trailer.

Dave.

[Firstclasslawn]

NICE TRAILER. I like the bigger logo.

I have to agree with color. The red trucks in town are all blending together. Plus, now everyone and their brother is putting grass on the bottom. I have white, which there is a bit of too. But with my new trailer graphics (which i have posted on here once) I think that my main lawncare trailer will stand out a bit. I also use "bass boat" glitter type graphics to catch the light nicely.

ps, i am glad to see that you still have nice chrome simulator covers on your trucks wheels. I can't stand the new Black/ flat black craze that everyone is going to. YUCK! wheels are made to shine!

[Pickering Snow]

Looks good Mark, glad you bought the 450 was a good purchase with the 7.3 and the miles. The Trailer is awesome looks big enough for a hot tub :D.

Your Logo stands out even being up here when i see the image i now think of you guys still trying to get that one image out of my head with the Dodge that was up here with the dirty boxer shorts laying on the floor and the logo on those to. Have seen Marks fleet and set up and still to this day is probley one of the nicest Landscape places i have been to the Diesel tanks and fluid film tanks are my favorite. See ya saturday,,,,,,

[GMC Driver]

Looks good Mark - I've got a little wooden shoe envy here. I would love to add an enclosed - but it just seems like something else always comes up. For now we'll have to keep the open trailers. Just spent a few days last week redoing all the bushings, brakes, and paint. They look pretty again.

Like the green too - unfortunately GM decided it wasn't a popular enough colour. The newest rig is some kind of grey. Not sure what I'll do when the next real work truck is ordered - might have to convince them it should be a fleet colour.

[Mark Oomkes]

Dave, your envy would evaporate if you saw the invoice. :o And I thought my 35' gooseneck was expensive.

Sterling doesn't have a green, either. Back to painting trucks, like the 450 in this thread. Came out looking very good, best paint job I've gotten from that shop.

Fred, funny story related to undies. My grandfather started one of what used to be our largest competitors here in GR and my father's cousin still owns and operates it. (My dad bought his grandfather's company) They named their company Tender Lawn Care and were the original company in GR to have grass on their trucks--no copycat truck design on their part. It looks very nice, because the rest of the truck is white, the bottom half is the grass.They also have a small red heart on their trucks. My dad made a comment shortly after they started with the heart on the trucks wondering if they had hearts on their underwear as well. Apparently, his cousins didn't\don't have much of a sense of humor, because it raised all kinds of crap in the family.

Jon, your trucks stand out nice because the lettering is different than the others and looks great on white. Trailer looks nice too.

I know what you mean about the black wheels, looks very cheap IMO. I do need to find some other wheels for this trailer eventually as the 7K wheels are pretty boring.

PS Peter and Alan, there's a special place in my heart for both of you. And in hell. :grinz

[hlntoiz]

Mark, Love the trailer, I will have to talk to you about it next weekend. I want to get a new one also. You pretty much specked it out like i want. As for the the Truck......you should see the winch setup I had for it!

Looks great though. She is a good one! Still very tight like virgin:eek: :haha :rolling

[Firstclasslawn]

Jon, your trucks stand out nice because the lettering is different than the others and looks great on white. Trailer looks nice too.

I know what you mean about the black wheels, looks very cheap IMO. I do need to find some other wheels for this trailer eventually as the 7K wheels are pretty boring.

:grinz

Why thank you sir

I didn't want to mock the new trailers wheels, but Now that you said it i will chime in. CHANGE THEM. or just paint them black because you don't charge enough to afford nice ones and are ruining the industry...........:D

Just buy some nice aluminum ones.

[hlntoiz]

Mark, Cant you fit your pontoon (I mean skid steer) in that thing?

Would you mind PMing me what the cost was for just the trailer. So I can start saving. That is my next purchase.

[GMC Driver]

Well depite the cost, if it performs as expected, than the extra $$$ are worth it. That is usually why things end up costing me more up front as well - I prefer to pay for peace of mind up front than be fighting with crap during the ownership experience. It's just one less thing to frustrate you when the work needs to be done.


... and yet we still use cars to plow our snow!

[Durwood]

Looks good Mark, that trailer looks like it ought to hold up for a while to come.

[Assured Services]

Mark, all your hard earned profit looks good :grinz
We have been looking into going into an enclosed soon.
I may need your dealers info, as our closest in town doesn't return phone calls like promised??? Guess I'm just a dumb scotch man looking for service when spending $$$$$:rolleyes:

Scott

[skennedy]

Nice trailer Mark.

[SCB]

Mark, haven't seen the trailer around at all. Kinda wondering if you ever changed the wheels and if so, what you went with.

PS, a couple of weeks ago I noticed what appears to be a lot of black rubber marks at the end of your road. Has someone there been practicing 5000 rpm hole shots? Maybe beta-testing new tires?

[Mark Oomkes]

Steve, been tied up mostly on 1 big project which we're wrapping up, so it ought to be out on the road more.

As for the burnouts, my light in the loafers neighbor is a car buff\restorer and has a party once a year. So they pour the soapy water down and perform burnouts at the end. I'd be more impressed if they did it on dry pavement, but to each his own.

[SCB]

Mark, "light in the loafers neighbor"? Haven't heard that one before.

I did see your new trailer by Kentwood Lowe's the other morning but it was too far ahead of me to check out the wheels before I had to turn. There was not mistaking the logo, very noticable. Now that I've seen it once, I'm sure it will be popping up all over.

Good to hear you're back and I'll be getting with before long regarding a large yellow lawn ornament.

[Pickering Snow]

Its one nice trailer thats forsure, the operator i seen with it made it even more of a eye piece.....:D:D

[JD Dave]

That is a real nice trailer! Our trucks use to be all green too (I"m also half Dutch) but somehow everything we own is white now, well except for most of our farm equipment.

[Big Dog D]

Hey Mark do you have any pics of what if anything you did to the inside?

[skennedy]

Here are some pictures of mine picked it up used CHEEP....waiting on the trimmer racks to be delivered so i can install and signage.

[DABINC]

I like the wheels, looks very heavy duty. I have the same trailer and I opted for the aluminum wheels, I like yours a lot.