The Forestry Forum

Outdoor topics => The Outdoor Board => Topic started by: thecfarm on May 07, 2017, 08:19:49 AM

Title: mowing the lawn.
Post by: thecfarm on May 07, 2017, 08:19:49 AM
Sure does smell good.  :)
The wife does most of ours. She loves to mow.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: drobertson on May 07, 2017, 08:24:20 AM
Just got a wiff  myself, beautiful morning here, wife does ours now as well, doc says no mowing, so I just maintain and watch.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Don P on May 07, 2017, 08:52:01 AM
Just dropped a new engine in ours, a B&S 19 horse vs the throw away Kohler that came on it. Sounds good but it'll have to wait, the log deck is full  ;D.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sandhills on May 07, 2017, 09:38:05 AM
Wife does most of ours as well, 3rd time was Friday and we had 3" of snow on it May first, go figure  ::).  We have a JD Lt 150 which I love but after owning it for a mowing or two I can see why none of them have hoods or grills left  :D.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sawguy21 on May 07, 2017, 12:42:37 PM
I have to get fuel so I can mow today, I best get on it or I'll need a swather and baler with all the rain we have had.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Chuck White on May 07, 2017, 01:26:37 PM
My rider is a John Deere 1023E with a 54" mower deck!

Fun to mow with, and being diesel it's very economical to operate!

My yard is about 1 1/2 acres, excluding the house, garage and pool!
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Grizzly on May 07, 2017, 04:24:50 PM
Yeah.......we'll just wait till June when things actually start to grow...... :(   But go ahead and enjoy your fine climates.  :)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Texas Ranger on May 07, 2017, 04:38:04 PM
mowing once a week, DanG fertilizer.   :'(
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: SwampDonkey on May 07, 2017, 04:52:53 PM
They been mowing here, but I'm waiting at least another week. It's green but not tall. All I see is mower wheel tracks, not tall enough to cut in my opinion.  ;D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Jeff on May 07, 2017, 05:01:42 PM
I enjoy mowing, but I HATE working on mowers.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: TKehl on May 07, 2017, 06:36:52 PM
Ha!  I'm taking a break from mowing.  Got over most of it the first time today.  Seedheads and all.

This spring I'm going through a used 3 point mower deck on the  back of a Kubota.  Put on a new belts and freed up the spindles.  Was excited how much I'd gotten done in 90 minutes, then thought how the old rider had never gone this long without slipping a belt breaking something. 

A few minutes later, I looked back to see the nut come off one of the spindles with grease/water bubbling up through the zerk.   :(  Back to the shop again.   ::)  Was time to put on the tiller anyway.   :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Magicman on May 07, 2017, 06:52:02 PM
I enjoy nothing about mowing.  An acre here, 7 acres at the Cabin, and then there is the bushhogging.   :-\
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 07, 2017, 07:33:56 PM
MM buy a dozer then you only have to mow 3 times a year spring summer and fall :)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Magicman on May 07, 2017, 09:25:41 PM
Yeah, but with Sweetgum and Black Locust how many times would I have to dozer??   ???
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 08, 2017, 06:46:47 AM
forgot you have all them weird trees down that way :)   hey maybe if you sprinkled grits around there roots it would kill them  :D :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Magicman on May 08, 2017, 08:14:01 AM
Ain't wasting my Grits on no DanG Sweetgum tree!   :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: WV Sawmiller on May 08, 2017, 10:47:30 AM
   I don't know how all you guys get the wife to mow. Please send me your secrets. Mine figures mowing and weedeating are strictly my job.

   I have a White (MTD) brand from TSC with a 24 hp Koehler and a 54" deck. I am hard on it with all the exposed rocks and such I clip and I go through a lot of spindles and such. The last one I replaced I noticed the hole where the screw/bolt goes into the spindle was worn out. I had to shim it up with a couple of washers. That concerns me how long before I have to do some serious repair or replacement on it. The holes are right at a curved spot in the metal and looks to me like it will be hard to repair. We will see.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: nativewolf on May 08, 2017, 12:08:00 PM
Quote from: Texas Ranger on May 07, 2017, 04:38:04 PM
mowing once a week, DanG fertilizer.   :'(

Don't fertilize.  I don't get why people water and fertilize the dad gum grass.  Keeps you out of the woods.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Ox on May 08, 2017, 01:05:33 PM
Don't some homeowners associations force you to keep a better looking lawn?  Like if you allow a bare spot or brown spot you get fined or something.  There is no way....NO WAY.... I could ever belong to one of those associations.

My brother belongs to one.  His own fault, he wants to live like a proper yuppie.  He told me he got turned in for parking his truck on the lawn next to the driveway for a few hours to make room for guests for a birthday party.  That kind of thing would cause the rest of the neighborhood to suddenly burn down if it was done to me.  smiley_devil smiley_furious
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Raider Bill on May 08, 2017, 01:50:19 PM
Quote from: Ox on May 08, 2017, 01:05:33 PM
Don't some homeowners associations force you to keep a better looking lawn?  Like if you allow a bare spot or brown spot you get fined or something.  There is no way....NO WAY.... I could ever belong to one of those associations.

My brother belongs to one.  His own fault, he wants to live like a proper yuppie.  He told me he got turned in for parking his truck on the lawn next to the driveway for a few hours to make room for guests for a birthday party.  That kind of thing would cause the rest of the neighborhood to suddenly burn down if it was done to me.  smiley_devil smiley_furious

Living in a Association controlled community is a big thing to some. Me not so much.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: WV Sawmiller on May 08, 2017, 02:47:16 PM
   I'm with Ox on HOA's. Got a good friend in Tuscon who said they had a house in their community sat empty for a long time and became a crack house. New owner scraped up money to buy it. Had to pull the carpet because of drug needles. First thing the HOA did was send a nasty letter telling them they had so many days to pull the dead weeds (legitimate fire hazard) or they were going to fine them and hire it done. I told my friend why didn't the neighbors get together and have a house warming and pull the weeds to welcome them to the community. That is the way I was raised and figure the way you are supposed to treat neighbors in need.

   I could not live in a place where they told me I could not fence in my front yard for the kids and dogs or plant a fruit tree forward of the front corner or how often to mow my grass and such. To each his own - I'm better off in the woods.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: 21incher on May 08, 2017, 05:29:57 PM
Got some of mine rolled last week, but the monsoons started right after that and it is to wet to even drive on.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/IMG_1761.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1494278492)
The whole bottom of my property is submerged now, never seen it like this before.
Put a Michigan suspension seat on my Kubota this year and it is soooo comfortable compared to the stock seat.


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/IMG_1730~0.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1494278807) 
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sawguy21 on May 08, 2017, 07:29:53 PM
I have to look into that, the seat on ours is killing me.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: thecfarm on May 08, 2017, 09:01:42 PM
21incher,you need some rocks to mow around.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: SwampDonkey on May 08, 2017, 09:42:06 PM
Make a smaller lawn, invest in cattle.  ;D :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: 21incher on May 09, 2017, 08:23:44 AM
Quote from: thecfarm on May 08, 2017, 09:01:42 PM
21incher,you need some rocks to mow around.
I do have 3  ;D the roller pushes the rest back down into the mud.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Chuck White on May 09, 2017, 04:19:42 PM
Well, no rain today, but the grass was still a little on the "wet" side!

I just got sick of looking at it and just started mowing!  I ran the throttle a little higher than I normally do, to aid in blowing the grass out of the deck!

Looks pretty good and it is finally mowed!
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: thecfarm on May 09, 2017, 08:46:20 PM
 3 rocks.  ::)  ??? 
This is behind the house.
Some rocks are 2 feet above the ground.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10436/pasture2behindhouse2013.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1366122630)

This is below the house. I am digging a few out.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10436/002~2.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1400848355)

Just for size. That is a yard stick.I think that is the rock on the right in the above picture.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10436/a_rock_in_bluberry_field_2014.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1402014540)

Can I borrow that roller? :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: SwampDonkey on May 10, 2017, 05:18:21 AM
Better left for the trees.  :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: 21incher on May 10, 2017, 07:08:05 AM
thecfarm I think you are going to need a much bigger roller then the one that I use.  :o :o :o Around here they sell rocks that large for big bucks.   :)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: thecfarm on May 10, 2017, 07:29:33 AM
Just like money in the bank.  :D
Can't really tell by the picture,I bet there is over 100 rocks in this pile.



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10436/rocks2013thecfarm.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1366122769)

As my Father use to say,I could not run fast enough to give them away.
Not much of a market for rocks that size here. Send them my way,I'll give you 10%.  ;D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: 21incher on May 10, 2017, 12:35:06 PM
When I see a pile of rocks like that all I can think of are SNAKES running-doggy running-doggy running-doggy running-doggy running-doggy
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 10, 2017, 07:56:58 PM
hey hey don't be tellen the out of staters about our rock markets   :D :D :D  and ya the bigger the rock piles the bigger the snakes 
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: thecfarm on May 10, 2017, 09:04:37 PM
Nope,never seen a snake in The Rock Pile. I saw many a wood chunks in there. That pile is getting smaller by the day,one rock a day,goes up into the bog.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Magicman on May 12, 2017, 09:17:46 AM
All  the grass at the Cabin got mowed during the past couple of days and the only mishap was when some debris wrapped around the blade spindle. 


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_2330.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1494594932)
This was nothing that some careful knife work and then a trip to the Health Dept. to get a Tetanus shot couldn't/didn't take care of.  Actually they now call it a Tdap vaccination.  Oh yes, and the bandage.   :-X
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sandhills on May 12, 2017, 11:27:00 AM
Lynn, I really enjoy MOST of your pictures but man, you need to start wearing armor or something  ;)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Magicman on May 12, 2017, 12:47:53 PM
Think that it looks bad, you shoulda felt it.   :o
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 12, 2017, 06:53:27 PM
you shur do keep the docs well paid  :D :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: 21incher on May 13, 2017, 08:32:52 AM
Quote from: Magicman on May 12, 2017, 12:47:53 PM
Think that it looks bad, you shoulda felt it.   :o
The pain is there to remind us not to do it again. Hope you heal quickly. Reminds me that I have not had one of those shots in about 5 years. :)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Kbeitz on May 20, 2017, 07:31:22 AM
My wife is from Dominican Republic and they don't mow grass down there.
I don't think I could ever get her to mow the grass. I make it a habit to watch
for tractors and mowers every time I go to the DR. I have only seen one push
mower and it was on a back of a motorcycle.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: WV Sawmiller on May 20, 2017, 08:52:43 AM
   When I first moved to WV I seriously considered posting a sign "Anyone caught stealing the rocks or multi-flora roses will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law". I was hoping people would think they were valuable and might come take them.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Ox on May 20, 2017, 10:55:43 AM
It would have worked around here.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sandhills on May 20, 2017, 03:23:16 PM
Can I add muskthisle, erc seedlings, and leafy spurge to that sign?
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 20, 2017, 07:35:27 PM
do they make steel spindle housing for the mower decks these potmetal ones suck every time I hit something they brake the last time 2 days ago it was a soft ball put the blade through the deck shredded the belt bent the blade  I think I'm going to try to make something different for it they bang me 60 $ a pop for them I think they are making a 55$ profit cause they are junk
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: LeeB on May 22, 2017, 02:12:55 PM
check on amazon. I bought 3 replacement spindles and blades for somewhere around $125.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Ox on May 22, 2017, 02:32:10 PM
Seems like I remember Oregon selling upgraded replacement spindles...
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 22, 2017, 07:53:48 PM
Quote from: Ox on May 22, 2017, 02:32:10 PM
Seems like I remember Oregon selling upgraded replacement spindles...
they are the ones I got but still pot metal  I think that's what its called regardless its junk  ;D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Ox on May 23, 2017, 10:25:03 AM
Nuts.  I'm out of suggestions then...
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sawguy21 on May 23, 2017, 10:51:41 PM
The blade spindles are designed to be sacrificed, they prevent major breakage or injury and are a good money maker. The machine is a grass cutter, not a brush hog or scarifier. Quit trying to move rocks or stumps.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: LeeB on May 23, 2017, 11:42:22 PM
You mean I can't use it to mulch the sticks and debris in the yard? Why the heck did they sell me mulching blades?
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sawguy21 on May 24, 2017, 09:14:59 PM
It depends on the size of the sticks and debris. Leaves and small twigs are not going to break the spindle housings, stumps the size of broomsticks and rocks will. Mulching blades are designed to cut grass into fine clippings and return them to the soil surface as mulch, they are not an alternative to bagging or raking a coarse lawn covered in debris.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: LeeB on May 25, 2017, 02:10:03 AM
Uh, OK. Sometimes humor is hard to express in writing.  :D
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 25, 2017, 07:34:50 AM
Quote from: sawguy21 on May 23, 2017, 10:51:41 PM
The blade spindles are designed to be sacrificed, they prevent major breakage or injury and are a good money maker. The machine is a grass cutter, not a brush hog or scarifier. Quit trying to move rocks or stumps.
I did not hit any of them you mention I hit a soft ball  ;) :)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: gspren on May 25, 2017, 08:57:25 AM
  Coxy, maybe you could try keeping the belt a bit looser so there is some slippage.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: coxy on May 25, 2017, 07:32:02 PM
that's a good thought  8)
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: DelawhereJoe on May 25, 2017, 09:34:28 PM
I've had to replace a spindle from a blade being grossly off ballance, wasn't my mower and I wasn't cutting, but it was missing almost 2.5" from one side of the blade. The culprit is very hard on mowers, mows as fast as possible and sometimes may hit a stump or 5.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: Raider Bill on May 26, 2017, 08:41:29 AM
Our growing season is here. I mow 4 yards [3 rentals]. My yard gets mowed twice a week  once the summer rains start which should be soon.
I like mowing, I hate weed whacking.

Speaking of HOA's there's one in Tampa that set up stop sign cameras. They fine you if you don't come to a complete stop.
Title: Re: mowing the lawn.
Post by: sawguy21 on May 26, 2017, 11:59:43 AM
Our niece got nailed by one installed by the county, $187 fine. She is not happy.
The weather has finally warmed up and the lawn is dry enough I can mow once a week. It is a lot easier especially with the push mower and the lawn looks a lot better, grass is taking over from the weeds.