This site uses cookies to maintain login information on FarmallCub.Com. Click the X in the banner upper right corner to close this notice. For more information on our privacy policy, visit this link: Privacy Policy
NEW REGISTERED MEMBERS: Be sure to check your SPAM/JUNK folders for the activation email.
Specific Ways to Cut One's Grass
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 12:19 pm
- Zip Code: 53809
- Location: Fennimore, Wi
- FarmLadyWannaB
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:22 pm
- Location: MA/Southwick
WOW You folks on this list continue to impress me. I had no idea there was a science to lawnmowing, but I DO know all too well about thatch, the issue having occasioned a running argument bet. me & my husband, who has a 'mulching mower' 'cause he didn't want the trouble of bagging. I can attest that the 'mulching mower' is a good thing IF AND ONLY IF you mow often enough, before the grass (or do I mean weeds) gets up to your knees. If you don't remove the clippings in the latter case, the thatch builds up so the grass dies and then you get MOSS. (I'm referring to our former home in eastern CT, where the soil is hard-packed clay & glacial rocks & there's lots of shade & hardwood leaves.)
And SATELLITE PHOTOS I am in awe, truly. Did you get those off the web somewhere?
But now I have A CUB QUESTION: I love mowing 'cause I can practically do wheelies with the Cub by now, but I wonder what's better/worse for the engine, tranny, etc., especially since I've had a problem w/the engine running hot--I will often go into a tight spot to mow, then reverse out, so I do quite a bit of reversing. We have a slope on the property and I don't mow often enough (i.e., the grass is always too long) so I am in first gear most of the time while going fwd. I keep going w/out stopping until Lil runs out of gas. What do y'all think about the way you mow having more/less wear & tear on the engine?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks, Jocelyn
And SATELLITE PHOTOS I am in awe, truly. Did you get those off the web somewhere?
But now I have A CUB QUESTION: I love mowing 'cause I can practically do wheelies with the Cub by now, but I wonder what's better/worse for the engine, tranny, etc., especially since I've had a problem w/the engine running hot--I will often go into a tight spot to mow, then reverse out, so I do quite a bit of reversing. We have a slope on the property and I don't mow often enough (i.e., the grass is always too long) so I am in first gear most of the time while going fwd. I keep going w/out stopping until Lil runs out of gas. What do y'all think about the way you mow having more/less wear & tear on the engine?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks, Jocelyn
1948 Farmall Cub ("Lil")
--------------------------
"All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all."
--------------------------
"All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all."
- Lurker Carl
- Cub Pro
- Posts: 3970
- Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2003 9:54 am
- Zip Code: 16685
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: PA, Todd
Hey Jocelyn,
You get moss when there isn't enough available nutrients or organic matter in the soil to support grass. Similarly, thatch buildup doesn't come from mulching mowers or grass clippings, it's a result of poor soil conditions with too much fertilizer and water. Basically the grass is growing faster that the soil can support the root system.
Mowing often is better for the grass plants.
I try to not back up as much as possible. Wastes time!
Carl
You get moss when there isn't enough available nutrients or organic matter in the soil to support grass. Similarly, thatch buildup doesn't come from mulching mowers or grass clippings, it's a result of poor soil conditions with too much fertilizer and water. Basically the grass is growing faster that the soil can support the root system.
Mowing often is better for the grass plants.
I try to not back up as much as possible. Wastes time!
Carl
"Chance favors the prepared mind."
- Louis Pasteur
"In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Louis Pasteur
"In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 1484
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 1:21 pm
- Zip Code: 43449
-
- Team Cub Mentor
- Posts: 20370
- Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2004 9:52 pm
- Zip Code: 65051
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Mo. Linn
FarmLadyWannaB wrote: I have A CUB QUESTION: I wonder what's better/worse for the engine, tranny, etc., especially since I've had a problem w/the engine running hot--I will often go into a tight spot to mow, then reverse out, so I do quite a bit of reversing. We have a slope on the property and I don't mow often enough (i.e., the grass is always too long) so I am in first gear most of the time while going fwd. I keep going w/out stopping until Lil runs out of gas. What do y'all think about the way you mow having more/less wear & tear on the engine?
You are not going to hurt the Cub with frequent reversals and running the engine for hours at a time. It's actually better for engine (less wear) to operate continuously rather than having frequent start ups and shut downs - warming up the engine then cooling the engine down. Most wear takes place during the engine's startup.
Mowing in 1st gear or 2nd gear. Most tractor PTO driven equipment is designed to operate at or near the engines maximum RPM - actually at the PTO's maximum RPM. So, keep the engine RPMs up and adjust the ground speed (1st or 2nd gear) and mower height to accomodate mowing and ground conditions.
Eugene
I have an excuse. CRS.
- gitractorman
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 2679
- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:35 am
- Zip Code: 14072
- eBay ID: toysforjake
- Tractors Owned: Lots of Cub Cadets!
1951 Farmall Cub
1977 IH Cub
1966 IH Cub
1965 IH Lo Boy
1964 IH Lo Boy
1949 Farmall Cub
Several IH 154 Lo Boys
1979 IH 184 Lo Boy
Simplicity 4416 Sovereign
Simplicity Conquest
Simplicity Legacy 4x4 Diesel
Mitsubishi MT180D 4x4 Diesel - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Grand Island, NY
I am going to agree with everyone here. Reason is, it is your place so do with it what you want, and everyone likes something different.
However, I ran a landscaping company for the better part of 10-years, during high school and college, which basically paid for my education.
I was mowing mostly residential property, 1/2 acre to about 2-acres, and had a couple of parks and road easements that I mowed in a private community. During my peak years, I had approximately 35 customers, and was able to mow all of them during 5 days of the week, between 07:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon, and figured that I mowed about 30-acres per week. I used evenings and weekends to make up for rain. I did all of the work myself, and only hired help during the spring and fall if I got behind, or needed help with leaf collection.
Here is what I learned early on in my career.
1. If you mow regularly (weekly, bi-weekly, etc., based on grass growth rate), and keep the grass long but mow off no more than about 1 to 2" at a time, the grass will stay green longer, and will choke out most weeds.
2. If you mow in alternating patterns each week, the lawn will not track, and the grass will not begin to lay in one direction, and will provide a better cut. I typicaly cut north/south one week, east/west another week, then alternated diagonal directions for the next two weeks. So, I rarely ran the same direction in one month.
3. High vacuum mowers such as those made by Simplicity and the newer commercial mowers, actually pick up the grass before cutting, and will give the light/dark look like baseball diamonds. They do provide a much better cut than anything else, and the light/dark looks great, which makes really happy customers! Also, because they provide a better cut, you can mow faster, with a better finish look.
4. There is no need to bag grass if you keep on a steady schedule as mentioned above. Also, if you alternate directions, cut throw one way, return cut, cut clippings, and throw the opposite direction, you can mow some really heavy grass without leaving visible clippings on the lawn. The only time that I ever bagged grass was in the fall when leaves fall. Even then I mow the lawn first, on a high setting, mulch up the leaves, then attach my collection system and re-mow the lawn picking up the cuttings. This does a couple of things, provides a nice mulch for the lawn, and picks up the largest debris, both feeding the lawn and providing a nicely picked up look.
5. SHARP BLADES!!!!! I used to have 3 or 4 sets of blades, and I changed them out weekly. I always kept a couple of sets sharp, so I was never in a pinch, and could change blades in 10-minutes if I damaged one, or started seeing a poor cut.
6. Believe it or not, there is (my preferred) a best way to mow a lawn. String trim everything first. Push mow cutting in around trees, beds, and narrow areas where you cannot get the tractor. Then trim with the tractor around the outsides, then mow the middle. This does a couple of things. String trimming and cutting in with a push mower cause a lot of garbage. Tall weeds, mulch from flower beds, etc., get thrown into the lawn. If you do this first, these things disappear during the actual mowing.
That is basically it. "Bill's Guide to Lawn Mowing" It is a very proven method, and makes for a beautiful lawn. I still to this day tend to mow in this manner, even though my work, kids, hobbies tend to take up 99% of my time. Now, I try not to rush it. I will string trim one night, push mow another night, and break it up into smaller parts so I can do the lawn and relax. I still have the nicest lawn on the street!
Bill
However, I ran a landscaping company for the better part of 10-years, during high school and college, which basically paid for my education.
I was mowing mostly residential property, 1/2 acre to about 2-acres, and had a couple of parks and road easements that I mowed in a private community. During my peak years, I had approximately 35 customers, and was able to mow all of them during 5 days of the week, between 07:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon, and figured that I mowed about 30-acres per week. I used evenings and weekends to make up for rain. I did all of the work myself, and only hired help during the spring and fall if I got behind, or needed help with leaf collection.
Here is what I learned early on in my career.
1. If you mow regularly (weekly, bi-weekly, etc., based on grass growth rate), and keep the grass long but mow off no more than about 1 to 2" at a time, the grass will stay green longer, and will choke out most weeds.
2. If you mow in alternating patterns each week, the lawn will not track, and the grass will not begin to lay in one direction, and will provide a better cut. I typicaly cut north/south one week, east/west another week, then alternated diagonal directions for the next two weeks. So, I rarely ran the same direction in one month.
3. High vacuum mowers such as those made by Simplicity and the newer commercial mowers, actually pick up the grass before cutting, and will give the light/dark look like baseball diamonds. They do provide a much better cut than anything else, and the light/dark looks great, which makes really happy customers! Also, because they provide a better cut, you can mow faster, with a better finish look.
4. There is no need to bag grass if you keep on a steady schedule as mentioned above. Also, if you alternate directions, cut throw one way, return cut, cut clippings, and throw the opposite direction, you can mow some really heavy grass without leaving visible clippings on the lawn. The only time that I ever bagged grass was in the fall when leaves fall. Even then I mow the lawn first, on a high setting, mulch up the leaves, then attach my collection system and re-mow the lawn picking up the cuttings. This does a couple of things, provides a nice mulch for the lawn, and picks up the largest debris, both feeding the lawn and providing a nicely picked up look.
5. SHARP BLADES!!!!! I used to have 3 or 4 sets of blades, and I changed them out weekly. I always kept a couple of sets sharp, so I was never in a pinch, and could change blades in 10-minutes if I damaged one, or started seeing a poor cut.
6. Believe it or not, there is (my preferred) a best way to mow a lawn. String trim everything first. Push mow cutting in around trees, beds, and narrow areas where you cannot get the tractor. Then trim with the tractor around the outsides, then mow the middle. This does a couple of things. String trimming and cutting in with a push mower cause a lot of garbage. Tall weeds, mulch from flower beds, etc., get thrown into the lawn. If you do this first, these things disappear during the actual mowing.
That is basically it. "Bill's Guide to Lawn Mowing" It is a very proven method, and makes for a beautiful lawn. I still to this day tend to mow in this manner, even though my work, kids, hobbies tend to take up 99% of my time. Now, I try not to rush it. I will string trim one night, push mow another night, and break it up into smaller parts so I can do the lawn and relax. I still have the nicest lawn on the street!
Bill
Cub Cadets 682, 1811, 1864, Simplicity Legacy XL 4x4 Diesel with FEL, 60" mower, 50" Tiller
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 3034
- Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 12:09 pm
- Zip Code: 74070
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: OK, Skiatook
- cowboy
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 3414
- Joined: Sat May 15, 2004 11:10 am
- Zip Code: 49229
- Location: MI, Britton
Other than one horse pasture and the front yard everything I have is pie shapes and odd angles due the the creek that cutts kitty corner through my property. But boy does it look good when its all mowed
As to starting and stoping you are better off finding a way to mow that allows you not to. You are putting more wear on the through out bearing and clutch every time you start off.
Billy
As to starting and stoping you are better off finding a way to mow that allows you not to. You are putting more wear on the through out bearing and clutch every time you start off.
Billy
Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. 1964 cub. Farmall 100 and 130.
"Those that say it can’t be done should not interrupt the ones who are doing it.”
"Those that say it can’t be done should not interrupt the ones who are doing it.”
- TractorChick
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:35 am
- Zip Code: 63023
- Skype Name: The Chick
- Tractors Owned: 2006 exmark zeroturn
1949 farmall cub
1948 farmall C
1963 Tilly Tiller
1951 Farmall Super A "lil' devil"
1945 farmall a "Apple"
1955 farmall cub - Location: Dittmer, Missouri
- Contact:
wow john, that picture looks so much different than what your place really looks like, at least to me it does.
As far as mowing goes, being in the lawn care business we vary what our patterns are for the most part. This is quite simple because we are using zero turn tractors instead of cubs or other tractors. It all depends on the yard really, size, shape and type of grass. Also depends on how many obstacles that there are in the yard. With a lot of things in the yard, it's extremely hard to try and have a certain pattern in the first place. Most of our yards can handle doing a criss cross pattern. I make it look awesome when I go over it both ways and make it look like a checkerboard. One way to make a yard look great easily is just striping it. With my zero turn mower i don't have a stripping kit on it yet but it does quite nice on it's own for now. We cut a yard for a lady last week and I went over it twice just going back and forth. Made it look awesome!! When you're cutting and you see different colors in the yard, then you know which way that you went. If it's dark color, then you just came from that way, light means that's the way that you're heading. Kinda confusing how i just said that but maybe you guys know what i'm talking about. Guess it just comes with practice. It annoys me when i see people mowing in a circle, my dad does it here at home, bugs the heck outta me. Anyhow, switching the pattern does make a yard look nicer and gives it a more clean look, at least in my opinion.
Happy cuttin'!
As far as mowing goes, being in the lawn care business we vary what our patterns are for the most part. This is quite simple because we are using zero turn tractors instead of cubs or other tractors. It all depends on the yard really, size, shape and type of grass. Also depends on how many obstacles that there are in the yard. With a lot of things in the yard, it's extremely hard to try and have a certain pattern in the first place. Most of our yards can handle doing a criss cross pattern. I make it look awesome when I go over it both ways and make it look like a checkerboard. One way to make a yard look great easily is just striping it. With my zero turn mower i don't have a stripping kit on it yet but it does quite nice on it's own for now. We cut a yard for a lady last week and I went over it twice just going back and forth. Made it look awesome!! When you're cutting and you see different colors in the yard, then you know which way that you went. If it's dark color, then you just came from that way, light means that's the way that you're heading. Kinda confusing how i just said that but maybe you guys know what i'm talking about. Guess it just comes with practice. It annoys me when i see people mowing in a circle, my dad does it here at home, bugs the heck outta me. Anyhow, switching the pattern does make a yard look nicer and gives it a more clean look, at least in my opinion.
Happy cuttin'!
Silly Boys, Trucks are for girls....
1963 Divco milk truck
1998 chevy Z71 truck
1984 SS Elcamino
1963 Divco milk truck
1998 chevy Z71 truck
1984 SS Elcamino
- beaconlight
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2004 2:31 pm
- Zip Code: 10314
- Location: NY Staten Island & Franklin
- TractorChick
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:35 am
- Zip Code: 63023
- Skype Name: The Chick
- Tractors Owned: 2006 exmark zeroturn
1949 farmall cub
1948 farmall C
1963 Tilly Tiller
1951 Farmall Super A "lil' devil"
1945 farmall a "Apple"
1955 farmall cub - Location: Dittmer, Missouri
- Contact:
- John *.?-!.* cub owner
- Cub Pro
- Posts: 23701
- Joined: Sun Feb 02, 2003 2:09 pm
- Zip Code: 63664
- Tractors Owned: 47, 48, 49 cub plus Wagner loader & other attachments. 41 Farmall H.
- Location: Mo, Potosi
Return to “Farm Life and Better Half Forum”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests