Lawn Service

[Sable99]

Mom and I have had Stellar (now Service Smart) since we built our home in May 2012. Service Smart called me this week and got a little snarly with me. He then called our property manager and got snarly with her.

I just got the renewal notice. He told me the contract was up at the end of April. He changed the date to May 13th when I told him I didn't even own the home in April and had signed a 13 month contract in May! What happened to the 13 months?

Stellar has been repsonsive when my property manager calls but we have always had a brown spot in the front lawn and crab grass. Our lawn needs weekly mowings in the summer and I couldn't believe Service Smart wants an additional $880 for that on top of what we are already paying.

I have talked to my property manager (and her husband) about other companies and have read the reviews on TOTV. My property manager got estimates from Massey and KB Landscaping.

Since I'm 1100 miles away I like a full service company. Massey does everything. KB does everything but inside termite and pest treatment but is still a little cheaper if I get Massey or Orkin to do that.

Does anyone have any experience with Massey or KB Landscaping? Or, any other recommendations. Thanks!

[GeoGeo]

I have used Massey for maybe 5 years now and am very pleased.

[normandy]

stella merged with service smart this month, both company still suck and they are still not friendly from the women in the office to owners.

[dmatkin]

We had Massey and were disappointed with their lawn care & shrub care. We are gone for months at a time and every time we came back the place looked horrible. That said, we had Stellar and things improved for awhile then got just as bad.

[GaryW]

We are using Heron Lawn and Pest. Had Massey years back, did not like their service. So far really like their service. Yard is coming along nicely.

Pest Control Orlando | Termite Control | Lawn Care Orlando, FL | Heron Lawn and Pest Control (http://heronpest.com/)

You can also try Superior, They were my next in line. I know alot of folks that use them and are happy.

Ocala Pest Control And Lawn Care Service For Central Florida (http://www.1800pestcontrols.com/)

Dont think you can go wrong with either one. :beer3:

[Philip Winkler]

We use Oxford Lawn Service - mowing edging, etc. they also trim shrubs and weed.
We got rid of Massey and have had Dean's for a year now. We are very pleased.

[Tigger33]

We had stellar and dropped them went to Heron for lawn and shrub fertilization and pest control. We went to (The Perfect Mow) to cut and trim grass and they do an excellent job 352-284-LAWN they go above and beyond for service

[villagetinker]

Been using Deans for over 18 months, all good so far.

[JMEZARIC3]

We are using Heron Lawn and Pest. Had Massey years back, did not like their service. So far really like their service. Yard is coming along nicely.

Pest Control Orlando | Termite Control | Lawn Care Orlando, FL | Heron Lawn and Pest Control (http://heronpest.com/)

You can also try Superior, They were my next in line. I know alot of folks that use them and are happy.

Ocala Pest Control And Lawn Care Service For Central Florida (http://www.1800pestcontrols.com/)

Dont think you can go wrong with either one. :beer3:

When we purchased our Patio Villa the previous had Superior for lawn care,pest control and termite bond.We continued with Superior for about $425 a year.Every 5 years they retreat the outside of the house for termites for free.
We only owned the Villa since May 2013 but they retreated for termites last year because the Villa was under contract for the past 5 years.One time some bugs got into the Villa and Superior was at the house the next day and took care of the issue.The lawn looks good.Superior does not mow or trim so you need to hire a mower.My Villa costs $35 a month.
Total $845 for the year.We are snowbirds and are in TV Sept and Oct and then Jan,Feb and March.

[Fraugoofy]

What kind of lawn care do they do if they don't mow or trim?

[bluedog103]

What kind of lawn care do they do if they don't mow or trim?
Superior fertilizes and treats for pests and weeds. We've had them for 3 years and have the nicest lawn on the street. We also have a great lawn guy who mows once or twice a week during the growing season, depending on what it needs. He uses a walk behind mower and edges, weed whacks and trims our shrubs.
Finding a good lawn care company is probably the biggest challenge in home ownership in The Villages. We hired and fired two companies in the first two years. We had to get Seniors vs Crime involved when dealing with the second company which owed us money for damage to our home.

[Fraugoofy]

Thanks for helping me understand...

[Barefoot]

Finding a good lawn care company is probably the biggest challenge in home ownership in The Villages.
I totally agree.
Sable99 has said that she prefers to deal with a full-service company because she is in MI.
We also prefer to deal with a full-service company, so we only have one point of contact.
We've found that it's very challenging to find a reliable company that does everything --
lawn mowing, weeding beds, fertilizing palms, trimming shrubs, pest control in and out, termites, etc.

Sable99, I'm sending you a PM.

[drdodge]

masset is the best

[strike7476]

Don't go with Massey, tried them twice and fired them twice, killed my wife's flowers numerous times.

[Barefoot]

Superior fertilizes and treats for pests and weeds. We've had them for 3 years and have the nicest lawn on the street. We also have a great lawn guy who mows once or twice a week during the growing season, depending on what it needs.

I thought Superior was a full-service company.
Do you have Superior mow your lawn, or do you have a separate lawn mowing guy?

[Barefoot]

masset is the best

Don't go with Massey, tried them twice and fired them twice, killed my wife's flowers numerous times.

The one sure thing about lawn companies is that you will always get people who love them and others who have fired them.
Why do opinions differ so widely? Does it depend on expectation levels? I truly don't know.

[Ozzello]

Opinions differ because people are all different. Same company might have 3,4 or 10 crews and change employees like underwear.

Sometimes I wake in an ill mood, and I like telling the lawn guys what a crappy job they do and firing them. I need to stop doing that though because I WAS getting my lawn mowed for 40 a month, then 55.. and now it is costing me 70. Anyone know a really good lawn guy that's cheap?

The guys that were doing it for 40 cut my siding with the weed eater, but I didn't find it till after I fired them. So I just waited a couple weeks and called the owner of the new company and told him they did it and they better fix it. They did. Probably cost half what I paid him for the year and 10x what he was going to make off me that year.

NO, this wasn't me. but YES, these are true stories in TV.

Most lawn people are trying to scrounge out a living in the highly competitive Villages mowing world.. where stellar ran around undercutting everyone the last 3 years, till they went under because they didn't charge enough. What? 5 bucks more a month to pull weeds? 10 bucks to trim my hedges? No they aren't rocket scientists.. or gardeners. They just want the extra 50 bucks for the year and don't realize it will take another 10 hours at your house to keep up the trimming, 30 or 40 for weeding...

Not sure who to feel sorry for, the home owners getting their lawns scalped, siding broken, badly pruned hedges with the leaves left under them OH NO THERES A WEEEED! ... OR.... for the underpaid overworked broke living at his mom's house guy getting yelled at by the grumpy retiree for..... the weed he missed, siding the last guy broke, fungus he is spreading in the grass he doesn't cut right.

And I really am looking for a new lawn guy who is cheaper than the one have now.

[JC419]

Can you tell me name of the person who cuts your lawn and his number?

Thank you!

[DBWestmoreland]

Does anyone have a good lawn mowing service that you pay once a month for lawn mowing with a push mower. No other services required>
peters81712@comcast.net

[DonnaP]

Are you still happy with the perfect Mow?

[wisbad1]

we use fertigator, the best.do it all !!!!!

[mulligan]

The biggest problem with all of the lawn people is that they don't have employees. They have independent contractors that get paid by the job, have no benefits, no worker's comp if they are injured at work, no taxes taken out of their weekly checks, and can't collect unemployment if they are let go. Some contractors will show you an exemption certificate for worker's comp, nice for the contractor, but it does not protect the homeowner or the worker if there is an injury on the job. Lets face it. You don't have to be the brightest bulb to push a lawnmower, and it doesn't cost the contractor a dime to change people like he changes his socks. Until the laborers demand to be classified correctly, as employees, we will continue to deal with all of the current problems.

[Janet & Carl]

We finally found a great company to take care of our lawn, Heron Lawn & Pest Control. If you contact them ask for Howard the sales representative. Everyday someone is complimenting us on our lawn. Very plush and a beautiful green. Our plants have new life. Shop around and then call Heron Lawn and Pest Control. Janet

2114 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, FL 32703 | 1-800-81-Heron | MyHeronHome.com

[Barefoot]

We finally found a great company to take care of our lawn, Heron Lawn & Pest Control.

J & C: How long have you been using Heron? Are they new in The Villages? Thanks.

[Jima64]

The biggest problem with all of the lawn people is that they don't have employees. They have independent contractors that get paid by the job, have no benefits, no worker's comp if they are injured at work, no taxes taken out of their weekly checks, and can't collect unemployment if they are let go. Some contractors will show you an exemption certificate for worker's comp, nice for the contractor, but it does not protect the homeowner or the worker if there is an injury on the job. Lets face it. You don't have to be the brightest bulb to push a lawnmower, and it doesn't cost the contractor a dime to change people like he changes his socks. Until the laborers demand to be classified correctly, as employees, we will continue to deal with all of the current problems.

The state has been going after pest control companies for years that have employees classified as private contractors. Maybe it is time to focus on the lawn companies also.

[Jima64]

Just a bit of info. Asulux was the best chemical spray for crab grass but the state restricted it to commercial turf areas, no residential a few years ago. Lawn companies are really limited by the state and epa on how they treat problem areas.