Weststone Lending explains how Elyria, Ohio lawn care companies finance stand-on mowers and trailers: dealer programs, loans and leases side by side, Lorain County, OH landscaping counts, paying crews before commercial clients pay, financing beyond the mower, trailers and trucks, a worked two-mower example, a contract checklist and used or demo mowers.
The Short Answer: Machine Loans, Dealer Programs and Leases
Three routes finance a stand-on mower or a trailer. A dealer program, arranged at the counter through the manufacturer's finance arm, can carry promotional terms on new machines. An equipment loan from a bank or an equipment lender can finance new or used machines from any seller. A lease lets the crew use the machine for a term and then return it, renew or buy it.
All three put the machine up as collateral. The equipment financing page covers loans and leases in general, and the landscaping page covers the rest of a crew's funding.
Financing Landscaping Equipment: Three Routes Side by Side
| Feature | Dealer program | Equipment loan | Lease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the mower | The business, with a lien | The business, with a lien | The lessor |
| New or used | Mainly new, from that dealer | New or used, any seller | Mainly new |
| Promotional terms | Sometimes, on selected models | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Cash discount | May be given up for promo terms | Keeps the cash price | Varies |
| Several brands on one contract | No | Possible | Depends on lessor |
A promotional rate on a dealer program can come with a higher price than the cash price. Ask for both before comparing.
Landscaping Equipment Financing Near Elyria, OH and the County Counts
Lorain County, OH had 149 landscaping service employers in 2023, with 1,216 employees and $65 million in payroll; 103 had fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023). Nonemployer Statistics separately counted 439 landscaping businesses without paid employees in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024). Of those landscaping employers, 16 gave a ZIP 44035 address, the ZIP around the Weststone office (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
For a crew of one or two, the owner's credit and a year or two of bank statements carry a request. For a company running several crews, the fleet list and commercial contracts do.
Paying Crews Before a Commercial Property Manager Pays
Commercial maintenance contracts with property managers, office parks and homeowner associations pay on invoice, sometimes thirty or more days after the work. Crews are paid every week. A company that adds a commercial account adds payroll and fuel before the first check arrives.
A line of credit drawn for that payroll and paid down when the invoices clear covers the gap; working capital covers a one-time start-up of a large contract.
Landscaping Financing Options Beyond the Mower
Beyond mowers, a lawn care or landscaping company may need trimmers and blowers, aerators, spreaders, a compact loader for installation work, hardscape tools, and software for routing and billing. Smaller tools can be bought outright; the bigger items suit equipment financing.
Buying another company's routes is a separate purchase that fits a term loan.
Lawn Care Financing for Trailers and Trucks
Open and enclosed trailers carry the mowers; pickups and dump trucks pull them. Trailers and trucks are titled, and some partners finance them separately from the mowers. A truck may be financed through a vehicle loan rather than an equipment loan.
Illustration only, invented figures: a crew truck priced at $41,000 with $5,000 down, financed at an invented annual rate of 9.5% over 60 months, costs about $756 a month (our arithmetic).
Illustration: Two Stand-On Mowers on One Loan
Illustration only, invented figures: a crew buys 2 stand-on mowers at $12,750 each, $25,500 in all, and finances them at an invented annual rate of 10% over 48 months: about $647 a month and $31,044 in total payments (our arithmetic).
If the dealer offers an invented $1,500 cash discount that the buyer gives up by taking a promotional program, that $1,500 belongs in the comparison: the promotional program costs the payments plus the lost discount, and the loan costs its payments on the lower price.
Checklist Before Signing a Mower Contract
- Get the cash price and the financed price in writing.
- Note the term, the payment, and any fees or documentation charges.
- Check whether payments are deferred and whether interest accrues during the deferral.
- Read what happens if a payment is late.
- Confirm the serial numbers on the contract match the machines delivered.
- For a lease, read the end-of-term options and any wear charges.
Used and Demo Mowers
Used and demo mowers from dealers are priced below new and can be financed where a partner accepts their hours and condition. A demo machine may still carry part of its warranty; ask for that in writing.
The article on where contractors finance a mini excavator compares dealer and lender offers for larger machines.
By Weststone Lending · Updated
