quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Yes you should. More importantly you should use a reel mower and sharpen blades regularly. Rotary mowers tear the grass blade rather than cutting cleanly. Of course if you want do not need your lawn to be manincured it does not matter. Heavier mowers also compact the soil and make it harder for nutrients to get to the roots.

As you can see that is a full time job, if you combine that with a regular pesticide and fertilizer program.

The reel mowers I'm familiar with are the smaller push-type or the golf course machines. Is there something in-between for residential use that won't break the bank and is durable, too?

My father had a Jacobsen reel mower when we were growing up. It was still functional up until his death in 2007. Our yard was meticulously maintained.

https://www.mte.us.com/new-models/jacobsen-1119

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:


As you can see that is a full time job, if you combine that with a regular pesticide and fertilizer program.

Don't be a damn fool! That junk makes the grass grow faster and require more cutting. I've considered using the remains of the road salt from last winter.

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:

The reel mowers I'm familiar with are the smaller push-type or the golf course machines. Is there something in-between for residential use

I remember using a gas-powered reel type mower the summer I was twelve years old. It wasn't much bigger than a manual push type. It was a neighbor's, he paid me a quarter to mow his lawn with it.

I have no idea what brand it was, but that was seventy years ago.

quote:

Don't be a damn fool! That junk makes the grass grow faster and require more cutting. I've considered using the remains of the road salt from last winter.

I guess you should have astroturf instead. Just paint ever so often.

I vary the pattern of mowing just for variety. Don’t believe it is required, riding mowers have been built for years with “fat” tires so they don’t create ruts in the lawns.

Mower manufacturers are trying to sell mowers, how well would that go with a reputation “That brand makes ruts in my yard, sold it and love brand Z”

My lawn care guy varies the pattern every week. It looks really good.

I've got a few more years before retirement, my plan is to move to Arizona and have a gravel yard. NO grass. No mowing, no edging, no this that or the other.

Just occasionally rake the gravel or blow it off with the blower.

I'm getting into easy care.

Tell you what, you can get some nice looking, actually quite attractive gravel.

My yard is nearly 2 acres but odd shaped; no rectangles and lots of sidehill. In the 25 years I've lived here, I've discovered the best way to do it so that tedious task is completed in the shortest time and I can get on to other chores or interests. I don't live in suburbia, my yard is green from weeds, grass, clover, whatever and doesn't erode. That's all I'm concerned with.

I have tried mowing the same direction and alternating directions and never seen a difference in lawn quality.

I do counterclockwise, offset clockwise and diagonals.

I'm a changer. 1/4 acre lot, does not impact speed too much. Front to back, side to side, diagonal on a rotating schedule.

Dunno about modern mowers being that much lighter than old ones, my 62" cut ZTR with 12" rear tires weighs 1,200-1,300 pounds and some are even heavier. I find the finish result looks better when varying the pattern each time so that's usually what I do. Might as well make my mowed weeds look the best I can.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Yes you should. More importantly you should use a reel mower and sharpen blades regularly. Rotary mowers tear the grass blade rather than cutting cleanly.....

I thought that myth was debunked with the advent of modern rotary mowers? Hell with a tip speed of over 18,000' per minute (and even reasonably sharp blades) my weeds are cleanly cut, not torn at all. Real mowers would make a mess of the high grass/weeds I have to cut.

I like a little variety so I vary from reclining, to seated, to laying flat, to not being anywhere near it. I should mention that I have a lawn service.

I apply my own chemicals (fertilizer, weed preventer, fungicide, insecticide, iron, etc) though so I'm not a total slacker.

I only vary my cut about 30% of the time and I have obvious unsightly ruts from last year when the ground was saturated for 3+ months. Not only that, but because I use grass seed blends, the grass that is heartier and resistant to traffic thrives where the tires travel. It has a wider blade and slightly darker appearance than the grass between the wheels. It was less obvious in the spring than late summer. The ruts also promote an uneven cut. I have been trying to vary the cut more frequently to reduce the ruts, but we’ve been in a bit of a draught this year, and the ground is very firm. Overseeing might improve the appearance, going to change to a 90 degree pattern next year even though it’s far less time efficient to try to reduce the existing ruts.

Shoot, I just go out and mow the damn thing once a week. Same direction...no ruts. I do keep the blades sharp and that makes a difference. I ride a zero turn.

quote:

Originally posted by greco:
I use a 1955 Ford 640 with a 60” Woods mower on the back. Here in Michigan the ground doesn’t really dry out well until June or July. (This year I had a pond until August). If you don’t vary your pattern you will sink each time you cut until the wheels are deep in the dirt and the mower body is dragging. Later in the season, you can’t mow very fast either without standing “on the pegs” like a motorcyclist or you will bust up your back or kidneys. That a good enough reason to vary your pattern?

I have a similar situation at the lake place. I mow over 2 acres. If we get a lot of rain like we have been lately I get standing water in spots. I refer to mowing the lawn as lawn mower rodeo because you feel like you’ve been riding a bucking bronco for 2 hours when you’re done. I’m hoping it dries up enough so I can disc plow this fall and then drag a rake around to help take the high spots and ruts out. Let it sit over the winter then seed and roll it in spring.

Maybe then I can worry about which direction I mow. Right now the lawn makes that decision.

My neighbor never alternates direction and he has little brown ruts where his wheels always go.

My weeds and crabgrass like to be mowed the same way every time.

“Consistency is the hallmark of a champion”

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I still do it. Why not?

I do lengthwise, side-to-side, and diagonal.

When I’m mowing someone’s lawn for money I do this. My own grass...HA, rip n run. I’ve got so many obstacles though that I’d spend half the day turning and eventually a zero turn will start doing more damage that way unless you’re very skilled and/or patient.

Ideally I would like to vary the pattern but its not realistic. I live in a suburban housing plan .3 acres. The short runs between the house and property line make for more work turning around every 20 ft.