When you are just starting your landscaping business, getting the right tools & equipment in place may feel overwhelming. You want to invest in the right tools that would make your job easier.
Landscaping tools can be broadly classified into hand tools, power tools, and software. We’ve made a comprehensive list of all the tools you’ll need to get started and set you up for success!
Hand Tools
Hand tools, as the name suggests, are tools that are operated by hand and are not electric-powered. While these may seem basic but you can not do without hand tools. These tools are affordable and extremely useful when you need to do something with precision and extra care.
- Shovel
A shovel is suitable for digging into compacted or rocky soil. It has a long handle and a curved blade. It helps in digging out gravel or other debris. You can go for a shovel with a steel handle as it is lightweight compared to one with a wooden handle. A shovel should also be sturdy and durable. - Spade
A spade is different from a shovel but often confused with it. A spade comes with a square base and can be used for planting and transplanting. It is more suitable for loose soil. It can also be used for digging a hole and scraping a surface. - Rake
Rake is needed for collecting and moving leaves, soil, and other plant material. You will also need a steel rake for moving heavier things like stones or gravel. - Shears
Shears are a kind of scissors that are used for cutting stems and branches. They are usually used for trimming and giving shape to hedges and bushes. Buy shears that are easy to use and come with a good grip. Shears can be used to cut branches up to 2 cm in thickness, anything beyond that may ruin the blades. - Trowel
A trowel solves the purposes for which a shovel may be too big. It is used to dig smaller holes to sow a seed or to take out smaller stones from the soil. - Pruner/Pruning Shears
A pruner is just like shears but comes with much longer handles. It is used to cut the branches of trees which may be difficult to reach and are too thick to be cut with normal sheers. You can look for pruning shears that would be most suitable for the kind of trees and branches you want to prune. - Lawn Mower
A lawn mower is a costly piece of equipment. However, you should definitely invest in it as it increases productivity and saves you time and effort. It helps in mowing the grass and plants. Some lawn mowers come with additional attachments like spreaders or aerators. Buy a lawn mower that is easy to carry from one location to another. - Leaf Blower
A leaf blower helps in easily and quickly collecting all the scattered leaves and plant material in a pile. It not only helps in clearing the garden area but also the sidewalks and entrances. - Weed Wacker
A weed wacker, also known as a weed eater, helps in removing the weeds or overgrowth from places a mower can’t reach. - Hedge Trimmer
A hedge trimmer is used to easily give shape to hedges and bushes. Remember to look for a lightweight, comfortable, and portable hedge trimmer as you will be holding it in your hands for long stretches. - Lawn Aerator
A lawn aerator is essential for the soil to breathe. It allows for water, oxygen, and nutrients to get absorbed into the soil and keeps your lawn healthy. - Route Planner
Route planning software is essential to plan and create optimized routes. It helps you save time so that you can visit more sites in a day. A route planner keeps things simple even as your business grows. It helps you to focus on your core business without worrying about how to reach the client site on time.Sign up for a free trial of Zeo Route Planner and start optimizing your routes right away!
Read more: 7 Features To Look For In A Route Planning Software
- Invoicing Software
An invoicing software helps in ensuring timely payments from customers. You need the cash inflow running to sustain your business. The invoicing system can generate the invoices on time, automatically send them to the customers and even follow up with reminders. - Weather Forecast Apps
Bad weather can easily throw your plan for the day under the bus. It’s best to keep track of the weather using a reliable weather forecast app.
Power Tools
Power tools are the ones that are operated with electricity. They are used for jobs that are time-consuming or difficult to do with hand tools. Power tools can be battery-operated or may need to be plugged into a power source.
Software
Just having the equipment is fine if you are doing landscaping as a hobby. But for a landscaping business, you cannot ignore software and apps as a part of your toolbox!
Other Tools
Other than the tools mentioned above, you will also need tools that help in doing your job well and safely. These involve safety equipment like gloves, eye protection, ear protection, steel-toed boots, and long sleeve shirts.
You will also need buckets and lawn bags to move the mowed-down grass and plants. You can go for plastic buckets as they are cheap as well as long-lasting.
You will also need fertilizing tools as manually fertilizing the lawns is a tedious task.
Where can you find landscaping tools?
You can easily buy landscaping tools from a local hardware store. You can also look online to get the best deals and also check the reviews before purchasing any tool.
You can also check out bigger convenience stores like Home Depot and Lowes. These stores provide a large selection of tools and offer discounts on credit card payments.
You can also consider buying from A.M. Leonard which is a leader in landscaping tools or from Grainger which is a supplier of industrial tools.
How can Zeo help you plan the most efficient routes?
Zeo Route Planner is easy to use and helps you create optimized routes within seconds. While planning the route, it allows you to add details like time slot, stop priority, customer details, and any specific customer notes.
It helps in saving time spent on the road so that you can spend more time doing the work that brings in the money for your business. Spending less time traveling also results in lesser operational costs and improves the profitability of your business.
Hop on a 30-minute demo call to find out how Zeo can be the perfect route planner for your landscaping business!
Conclusion
All the landscaping tools we’ve mentioned above will enable you to run your business efficiently. You can use this list if you are just starting out or even if you want to scale your landscaping business!
