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24 October 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com LANDSCAPE AND TURF MAINTENANCE Ready for Whatever Winter has in Store Equipment planning for the coming months ■ BY NICK MINAS Although fall cleanup and end-of-season maintenance are top of mind right now for professional landscape contractors, now is the time to start preparing for winter. Whether cold weather marks the end of your work year, or starts the snow removal season, a little planning will ensure you are prepared for the coming months. Working through winter For many landscapers, winter has become a busy season, especially as more businesses expand their capabilities to include snow removal. During the demanding season, it is vital that you have the right equipment, implements, and maintenance plan to keep your business up and running. When severe weather hits, the last thing you want to experience in the moment of impact is downtime on a machine. It is vital to plan ahead with your equipment fleet, keeping a close eye on any needed maintenance to ensure you are ready to go at the first flurry. Work with your dealer to set up a plan for routine maintenance, and schedule ahead if snow is in the forecast. By planning ahead, you can avoid any unnecessary downtime when you need every machine on the job. Work with your local dealer to ensure your parts inventory is stocked ahead of time. Ensure your parts storage area is well organized, and keep detailed records of what parts you are using and how many you have stocked. Your dealer can help you identify what parts you regularly use and the right amount to keep at the ready to best meet your business needs. From there, the dealer will help you develop an easy restocking plan, ensuring you have the parts you need so you are not stranded when roads are blocked by snow. Your dealer can also help you with any equipment needs for the winter season. Your spring equipment can be extended to winter through optional cabs designed to protect your operators from the elements. If snow removal is a key part of your winter services, consider equipment — such as front mowers, compact utility tractors and utility vehicles — that can be equipped for snow removal and salt spreading. Look at attachments and implements that enable you to use these machines for winter jobs. Snow blowers, snow throwers blades and brooms are ideal for efficiently removing snow, and can be easily attached and detached. Utility vehicles can be equipped with bed sprayers, enabling the operator to efficiently spray de-icer. When selecting equipment or attachments/implements, Work with your dealer to set up a plan for routine maintenance, and schedule ahead if snow is in the forecast. By planning ahead, you can avoid any unnecessary downtime when you need every machine on the job.