Teen Work

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 04/15/2020 at 12:23 • Filed to: None

2

45

I got an email in my neighborhood email group from a dad who is trying to drum up work for his son. His kid wants to mow yards. His rates :

Mow $40
Mow and Trim $50

I have no idea what a service charges. But damn, that seems like a lot of money for a teen to mow a lawn.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:26

11

I actually like mowing the lawn. No way I’m paying anybody for that service. 

For Sweden > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:26

2

Is a man no entitled to the sweat of his brow?

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:27

5

Highly dependent on lawn size and how it's landscaped, but that's a lot of money unless yards are a half acre or so to me.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:27

0

My head could really use a now and a trim

jimz > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:29

14

da d

I see the problem.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 04/15/2020 at 12:29

0

Yards in this neighborhood are pretty small.

412GTI > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:34

1

I think I charged $20 + tip back when I was 16. The yards weren’t huge but had a hills so it seemed fair for the time. Hey there’s an ass for every seat, maybe he’ll find someone to pay that. 

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:34

0

Then I’m guessing it’s maybe a 1 hour job at most? $40-50 per hour is crazy, even factoring in gas and maintenance costs on the mower.

We pay $36, and it takes them a little over 1 man hour, but that's a business with a truck etc and I didn't factor in transportation for 3 people to come over to the house.

PyramidHat > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:36

0

I’d reckon it’s a convenience fee.  Let the free market sort him out...

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:38

2

I just pulled a quote For my lawn  from lawnstarter.com. It was $37.99 for professional service. What’s included? Mowing, edging, and blowing the clippings off of porches, sidewalks, and driveways. 

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:38

2

Seems steep for a teen m owi ng of a normal neighborhood sized lawn . I would say $ 25 at most for a weekly mow /edge/trim. My guess is this could go one of three ways:

1) some neighbors that are doing th e y ard themselves but have extra money, will pay his requests fee.

2) others might negotiate the price to be more inline with the $25/wk

3) the vast majority will wish him luck and say thanks, but no thanks. These folks either; have a service they won’t want to cancel or are doing it themselves and like Highlander might enjoy the task or are like me and too cheap to pay someone to do it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > WilliamsSW 04/15/2020 at 12:40

1

Figure in expenses and $36 is way cheap.

Chuckles > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:41

2

If it's a good cut, I don't think that it should matter how old the person cutting it is. But I agree that it seems a little steep. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/15/2020 at 12:41

0

Missus mows ours. I keep the mower fueled and serviced and yank the start rope for her once in a while because she has a bum shoulder.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:45

2

I took my van to the new Bit O a couple miles from here to get a tire mounted. Their flat fee for that was $2 4.99. Seems like a bit much on the surface, but the tire machine and the balancer would be like $15k, and the guy spent a good fifteen minutes on it. And then installed the wheel back on the van. So really, I’d have to say it’s a fair price. For that. Neighbor mowing price seems a little pricey. Not out of sight, but pricey. If he were really thorough about it, I’d say it’s probably fair. Get your boys to do it for $50 and then pull a Trump and not pay them.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/15/2020 at 12:46

1

Swing by my house once a week, I’ll have a beer sitting on the mower waiting for you.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/15/2020 at 12:46

0

Get an E-GO. Missus love it because no starting issues/loud noises. I like it because the missus mows the yard.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:48

1

I used to mow an old woman’s lot on the opposite side of the lake as my childhood home. It to ok 2 hours, and was on a pretty steep grade. I got $20 for it each time.

If you adjust for inflation it would be about 15 bucks an hour today. So unless it takes him 3 hours to mow your lawn, then yes, it’s too high.

Do you live in a fancy ass neighborhood or something?

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/15/2020 at 12:49

0

I go to my parents just to mow their lawn since I live in an apartment.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/15/2020 at 12:49

1

Yeah, I’ll help out at my mom’s house when I’m there. She has a nice ride-around.

ttyymmnn > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 04/15/2020 at 12:50

1

Nope, solid middle class. 

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:51

8

Why, back in my day we had to mow lawns in the snow, uphill both ways, fill gopher holes, pick out snails and dog shit, all while evading the man in the black pajamas. Worthy fuckin’ adversary. Kids these days got no backbone, always wanting something for nothin’, I tell you . Need to learn the value of hard work, the reward of a job well done. $50?!? Why, my first car cost less than that! Get off my lawn.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > For Sweden 04/15/2020 at 12:51

1

“No,” says the man in Washington, “it belongs to the poor.” “No,” says the man in the Vatican, “it belongs to God.” “No,” says the man in Moscow, “it belongs to everyone.”

Future next gen S2000 owner > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 12:52

0

25 seems more appropriate. Rates negotiable?

WilliamsSW > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/15/2020 at 12:52

0

For a business with trucks and overhead, yes, I agree.

For a kid with his dad's mower?  Not so much.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > jimz 04/15/2020 at 12:53

0

Well he’s gotta make his 50% of the cut for the marketing, right?

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > For Sweden 04/15/2020 at 12:57

2

.....would you kindly....mow the lawn Jack

oldmxer > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 13:04

1

depends on size and time, some seniors think you should stay there 1/2 a day for $25

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > WilliamsSW 04/15/2020 at 13:11

1

40-50/per hour is reasonable for a business. A kid, thats nuts

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 13:14

1

40-50 per hour isn’t crazy for business with overhead, taxes etc . For a kid thats insane.

If I recall your yard is pushmower size. $ 20 max.

fintail > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/15/2020 at 13:17

0

I remember when I took over lawn mowing duties as a kid, I was happy to do it.  I didn’t even ask for (or get) anything (extra).  

fintail > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 13:18

1

All he needs are  a few takers a week, and he’s doing pretty well for a kid.

66P1800inpieces > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/15/2020 at 13:20

2

That kid probably closes the deal at $50 and subs it out to a guy for $36.

ClassicDatsunDebate > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 13:20

1

I get a lawn company to mow my lawn (I know).  I pay $35

facw > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/15/2020 at 13:34

0

$25/wheel seems pretty normal for a mount and balance, don’t think you got taken there.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > facw 04/15/2020 at 13:47

0

No, it’s pretty standard.

The Snowman > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 16:00

1

How large are these yards? That would be a steal or a rip off depending.

ttyymmnn > The Snowman 04/15/2020 at 16:14

0

About this big . Back yard is about twice as big.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 16:35

1

My kid gets $10 an hour for yard work. 

Our kids get their age in dollars every two weeks for other chores around the house. 

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/15/2020 at 17:26

1

Paying a kid hourly only teaches them to work slowly. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 18:53

1

Ha! He hasn’t figure that out yet, thankfully. 

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/15/2020 at 18:56

2

There’s a union joke in there somewhere. 

Thisismydisplayname > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 22:33

1

My yard is roughly 13,000 SF and it cost me $25 a cut, with trimming.  My old house was half that size yard and cost me $20 per cut and trim.  So extrapolate to your yard size and that’s what a reasonable service costs.  

Thisismydisplayname > ttyymmnn 04/15/2020 at 22:35

1

Yeah then you should be somewhere in the $20-$25 a cut range for that.  

Thisismydisplayname > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/15/2020 at 22:40

0

I used to enjoy it, then we found a service to do it when my mower broke one year prior to the first cut. That was over ten years ago, it’s so much nicer to have that time to do whatever I want to do, and it takes the service all of about 1/2 hour to cut my yard, the old house was less than that, and It’d take me an hour to cut and trim the old place. I haven’t tried the new house yet, but the mower is fixed now, so might give it a go since we’re all holed up at home anyway.

But it was nice to have the service for sure, especially with the kids now. But my boys are nearing the age where they can run a mower. Probably in a year or two.

But I can appreciate you taking enjoyment in it.  I used to, but it’s funny how that can change.