Meet Leroy: a sole trader with a serious passion for turning overgrown lawns into perfectly manicured masterpieces. Leroy’s been in the landscaping game for years and he’s got plenty to say about hard work, the right gear, and why his Gravely is built like a “red tank.”
Whether he’s tackling overgrown acreage or fine-tuning a perfect finish, Leroy proves that a Gravely isn’t just built to perform, it’s built to last. We sat down with the man behind “Lawns by Leroy” to get his thoughts on living the landscaping life and riding tough terrain with Gravely.
I started back in 2007 but only for a small stint of about 12 months, then I started back up again in 2017. I’m a solo operator and dabble in a bit of everything from overgrown jungles to manicured lawns and turf laying.
I’m hoping to move into larger acreage jobs now that I’ve got the bigger mower… and the fact I’m getting older!
It’s truly on the tools. A typical day depends on the weather: if it’s going to be hot, I like to get out nice and early and might even split the shift.
If it’s cold and dewy, I’ll start a bit later in the morning. Generally, I’m done between 1pm – 3pm when I start early, so I’ve got room to move if I start later.
It’s not easy work! You have to pace yourself. It’s easy to go flat out, push push push, but the body won’t last.
Back in 2020, I was in the market for an entry-level zero turn mower to move on from push mowing and preserve my body.
I needed a smaller one to get through residential gates, and saw the Gravely ZT34 at my price point. After five years, that little machine still doesn’t want to die –even after it once went off a retaining wall with me! It still cuts great when I can’t get the new 44 on the job.
Productivity, comfort, and results.
A bigger deck and more power means faster mowing and more grass per hour, which means more dollars in less time. That’s every business owner’s goal.
My knees haven’t been great since my football days and push mowing all day just ruined me. Now, being able to go home and still function at the end of the day is just bloody amazing.
Absolutely! I took on a massive overgrown acreage job recently and the Gravely HD absolutely smashed it. It was such an enjoyable cut, and going home with a wad of cash after that was brilliant. More of those jobs, please!
These mowers are built tough – like a red tank. You can tell there’s a lot of thought in the design and how they function ergonomically for contractors.
Even the offset front castors are a great idea. It’s like they’re built for essential maintenance, everything’s so easy to access.
Durable, indestructible, and tough.
If I had my time again, I’d find a way to buy a commercial machine. Homeowners might not need it, but for contractors, a commercial mower is a must.
If a new one isn’t in your price range, you’ll get a better life from a well-looked-after used commercial machine than a new residential one.
Back in time 40 years ago to cut my pop’s yard. I used to mow with him when I was 8 or 9 – he’d be amazed by the machine.
Stripes if I’m cutting once, chequer if I double-cut.
