YouTube video by Mike Andes explaining how the Stihl Kombi (Combi) system can serve as a cost-effective, versatile starter kit for a lawn care business. The presenter demonstrates that one Combi motor head plus many interchangeable attachments (blower, pole saw, hedge trimmer, edger, rototiller, sweeper, extensions) can replace buying many separate machines, reducing startup cost to under $1,000 for a workable set. He notes trade-offs: some large attachments need higher-power motors and the coupling can wear if many employees swap tools.
Questions this video answers
KM111R
KM56
$130
$199
Under $1,000
Chapters
The Swiss army knife of the lawn care industry.
Hey everyone, it's Mike andes here@landscapebusinesscourse.com today I'm going to show you a very cool way to get started with your lawn care business without spending a lot of money on different equipment. It's like literally the Swiss army knife of the lawn care industry. This is what's called the Combi system. It's the steel system. There's other brands that make similar products in terms of having these adjustable different tools that can connect to the actual head. Now the reason why this is so great is because I don't have to go buy a completely different chainsaw and then a backpack blower and then a hedge trimmer attachment and then a weed whacker trimmer and then a rototiller and then an edger. I can literally buy one head and then buy the attachments that are literally half the price of the actual thing. So for example, this blower Right here is $130 this attachment. Whereas if I went and bought a BR600, I'm gonna literally pay three to at least four or five times that much money just to buy the backpack blower. So if you're just getting started, this is a great option. Let's go through some of the different tools and options and attachments that do fit on the steel trimmer. Now this steel trimmer here is the KM111R. This is going to be an entry level, commercial kind of middle, middle commercial type of trimmer. This is what we use at Augusta long here. Locally you don't need this if you're just getting started. You can go with even a residential type trimmer. If you're only doing 10, 15 lawns a week. Definitely a great place to get started. And it's a lot cheaper and it'll still work with the Combi system. If I want to get a cheaper option though, I can actually go up here, go to the KM56 and this is literally going to cost me $200. So almost half the price. Again, though still compatible with all the same Combi system tools. Alright, so let's go through some of the different attachments now that can work with any of these Combi motors. First of all, the pole saw great for trimming limbs that are, you know, 2, 3 inches in diameter up above you. Again, once this is on the Combi system, I actually have a little bit of reach here. I can reach some limbs up in the side of a tree. So again, great option. So I don't have to go buy a separate chainsaw completely differently and I can reduce my cost to get started. We already talked about the blower, but one of the things that's very surprising about this to me is the amount of force that actually comes out of this. It's very, very surprising. One thing about the Kombi system, you really don't want to have to use it. If you have a lot of employees over time putting these in and out, a lot of things can break. There's a spring inside here, this wing nut inside of here. This has to align just right. So if you're starting a lot of employees and they don't care for your equipment quite as much, you might not want the Combi system. But this is a great place to get started. So, for example, this is the edging attachment. So again, this is going to be a straight. This is a straight bar. This is 199, this whole system here. There's a cheaper one that's bent, a bent bar here. But again, this is going to be great for edging along walkways, concrete driveways, etc. Then you got the wheel on the back, adjustable, etc. There's just so many different attachments they have for this. Obviously, the hedge trimmer reciprocating, you'll be able to trim bushes and shrubs. You got your weed eater head doing your line and you're able to just obviously use their bumper system. You'll refill the line inside of there. What's really cool though too is even for flower beds, you got a rototiller here. Again, this is not going to be like a 2ft wide, 24 inch massive rototiller. Not going to be doing this for like half an acre or anything like that, but definitely for getting weeds out of your flower beds, garden areas, small beds like that, we need to turn over the soil. Definitely a great option. Literally connects right into this bad boy and you're good to go. Quick note, as you get some of these bigger attachments like this one, the street sweeper, et cetera, you're probably going to want one of the larger motors on the Combi system. The smaller ones kind of struggle with the amount of torque that is required to like break up gravelly soil, for example, if you're using the rototiller. So another cool feature about the Combi system is their extension shafts. So if you're trying to get higher up into a tree and you don't have to get on a ladder, et cetera, there's two different extensions. This is the new carbon fiber one costs a little bit more, but it's very, very light. And that's the big thing when you have a really long pole in these kombis is it's very heavy. It's very taxing on your shoulders. So this is the new carbon fiber one. Otherwise, this one's only $75. This is the typical heavy duty metal extension. So again, getting up in those tall branches, even trimming tall shrubs or tall hedges, great option for the Kombi system. Other, other type of attachments the Kombi also has is the. The saw that is actually adjustable. So this is a side. But they also have the same thing for a hedge trimmer where you can actually adjust the top of the head. So what's really cool about this is when I am. So I just pull this down, I can move this out. So this is the side. So this is what's gonna be going down below me. But the same thing is true for their hedge trimmer attachment, where if I'm trying to trim the top of a hedge, I can put this up and then trim the tops without having to get on a ladder and try to get all flat and all the rest of it. So again, another great attachment for the steel Combi system. I hope that was helpful. The Combi system is a great place to get started with your lawn care business. Spend under $1,000 and get a lot of different pieces of equipment, a lot of different uses, and be able to sell more services to your customers and get them on property cleanups and mulch jobs, trimming bushes, taking care of the flower beds. Just a great place to get started and when you're getting your business off the ground. Thanks so much, everyone. I'm Mike Andes, Landscapebus. We'll see you next time.
