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Lawn care gurus use their hardware every day. Routine maintenance is very important. What if you had to change an engine? Equipment will have its troubles. So here is what you do to avoid giving your profits to the mechanic instead of your pocket.
Mowers that are slightly used make great purchases. Brand new mowers will make you eat the depreciation just like a new truck. I do not recommend this, however, if you've got plenty of money, then go ahead. What I recommend once you start a lawn care company is to purchase a lawn mower with under 500 hours or less. Count your self fortunate if you find a mower around 200 hours. It will save you thousands.
The manual is the first order of business when you invest in a new mower. The maintenance section should be focused on. 
Learn when to change the oil, grease the mower, change the fuel filter, air filter, etc. The manual's guidelines are super important. Maintenance costs will skyrocket if you do not perform maintenance. Daily use mowers should have their blades sharpened once per week. Grease the fittings at least every two weeks. The oil should be check every week. Blow out the air filter at least once a week. This will keep you going and avoid some big bills.
Rotate your equipment every 1 or 2 years. As your equipment ages to over 1000 hours of use, you will begin to have problems. Any downtime can cause you big headaches. You will find that you will not lose much in an exchange. Good deals always help you. I think your equipment costs will be lower using this method than if you try to keep an old mower running past its prime. When you are learning how to start a lawn care business, try to avoid the words money pit which is what I called old lawn mowers that keep breaking down
Smaller zero turn mowers are what I always suggest. My very first mower was one with a 44 inch deck. Which was excellent. A 44 inch mower is perfect because there are many backyard gates that won't permit the larger 48 inch mowers. If you want to specialize in non commercial service, get a mower with a deck between 42 and 48 inches. It could be that you buy the one which is the better deal. I started with a 44 inch hustler that had a little over 200 hours on it. That first mower cost me $4000. You can probably get a better deal than that but I would try to get a mower with less than 500 hours if possible. I believe there are great mowers available in the $3000 to $4000 range.
Remember, you don't want to go into debt. When you start out, you will not have many customers. You would be much better served to acquire a slightly used mower and use the other cash on other equipment and the very important area of marketing. I love the Hustler mowers, but there is nothing wrong with a Toro, Scag, Exmark, Grasshopper, or a few others that make a great piece of equipment. You will probably need to settle on the best deal. As your customer list grows, you can justify a more expensive mower. Until then, try to keep your business in the black.