Heavy Equipment Mechanics on Square pay $29/month — $348/year. Over three years, that's $1,168. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 9.6 months. The median heavy equipment mechanic earns $55,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.6% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,168 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Heavy Equipment Mechanics face unique challenges: Diagnosing a hydraulic fault in the field when a dozer is stuck on a job site and can't move to the shop. Pricing field service when travel, a service truck, and crane time eat hours before the first bolt turns. Tracking hour-meter readings so preventive maintenance on a fleet of machines doesn't slip. Keeping undercarriage and component-wear history straight so a contractor plans rebuilds instead of failures. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median heavy equipment mechanic earns $55,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your hydraulic flow and pressure test kit is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Square is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
Want this breakdown emailed to you?
Your exact Square cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| Feature | Square | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $29/mo forever | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Cost | $1,168 | $279 |
| Stop paying? | Lose everything | Keep everything forever |
Most heavy equipment mechanics are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Square Dashboard → Customers → Export. Also export transactions and item library.
15-minute setup. Import your customer list and service/product catalog.
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Test invoicing and booking through Nexa.
Cancel paid subscriptions. Keep free account for records access.
Heavy equipment mechanics often don't work in a shop at all; they work wherever the machine died, which means a muddy job site, a quarry, or a logging deck reached by a service truck loaded with hydraulics tools, a crane, and an air compressor. The day frequently starts with a down call: an excavator that won't swing, a dozer leaking hydraulic oil, or a loader throwing a fault on the OEM laptop. Field diagnosis is its own skill, since the machine can't come to a lift and a hydraulic pressure test in a ditch is the only way to know if it's a pump, a valve, or a cylinder. The work is heavy in every sense, with final drives, track chains, and components that need a press or a crane just to handle. Preventive maintenance is the quieter half of the job: reading hour meters, changing fluids and filters, measuring undercarriage wear, and telling a contractor when a rebuild is coming so a failure doesn't strand a crew. The biggest frustration isn't the iron; it's the logistics. Travel time, crane hours, and parts runs pile up before a single repair begins, and keeping each machine's hour-meter and wear history straight across a contractor's fleet is what separates planned rebuilds from emergency tows. Get that history wrong and the next breakdown costs the customer a day of downtime.
Real heavy equipment mechanics near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a heavy equipment mechanic? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every heavy equipment mechanic on Nexa →
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Square may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Square is $29/month — that's $1,168 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from Square as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $3,100/year on software — and heavy equipment mechanic face their own version of that math. California's 13.3% top marginal rate hits solopreneurs hard; no local income tax but high state burden. LA City business tax registration required. Contractors need CSLB license. Street vending permits required since 2020.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Los Angeles metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Heavy Equipment Mechanics run into with Square, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,168 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once