Do you have a technique when mowing your yard?

SAWYER

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
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I usually start at edge and go around and around in a path until I am in the middle. However when I get in the middle I have a couple of strips that are piled up with the trimmings from mowing. What approach should I take? I don't have a guard on my deck, maybe this is my problem.
 

alevasseur14

Golden Member
Feb 12, 2005
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I call the landlord and tell him to get over here and mow! :)

Back when I was in HS and ran my own lawncare business, I'd start along the outside and move in, lap by lap. Do you mow with the clippings blowing out onto the freshly cut area or in towards the middle? If anything, not having a card should disperse the clippings more rather than grouping them closer.
 

venkman

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2007
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Is the thread title an euphemism? I read the OP and I still don't know if he is talking about pubic hair
 

SAWYER

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
16,742
42
91
Yes they are blowing towards where I have not mowed, I am sure this is my issue but it seems excessive the amount that piles up
 

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
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I don't mow my yard. Kid seems to like it better that way, and so does the cat. Less hassle for me.
Frontyard - association takes care of that.

Edit: but if I did, I'd try to do it soccer-field style: striped!
 

El Guaraguao

Diamond Member
May 7, 2008
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i have to "mow the lawn" with a trimmer. 4 acres on a steep hill. takes me 2-3 days to cut the whole shit. now zero turns or push mower here :(
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
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Mow weekly and I alternate the direction that I mow(one week side to side, back and forth the next).
 

coldmeat

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2007
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106
At our old place we used a riding mower cause we had more grass to cut so we would do it in circles from the outside in. Now we have a small lot in town and I cut it with a self propelled push mower going back and forth.

Cut it at least once a week.
 

alevasseur14

Golden Member
Feb 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: Sawyer
Yes they are blowing towards where I have not mowed, I am sure this is my issue but it seems excessive the amount that piles up

Any reason you don't blow them out to where you've already mowed? If my clients asked me to bag, I'd mow it in but otherwise I just blew them out.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
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A shrinking square pattern, edges inward. It just sounds like you're doing it backwards. Instead of going in the direction that allows the cut grass to pile up reverse it so the mower is discharging onto areas already done. That way you're not piling the clipping from 2 passes in the same place. It your mower discharges to the right you go counter clockwise. If it discharges to the left go clockwise.
 

SAWYER

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
16,742
42
91
Well I d it that way because one side of my deck cuts much lower and if I displace the grass where I already cut it will be hard to tell what needs to be cut again
 

alevasseur14

Golden Member
Feb 12, 2005
1,760
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You can get your deck leveled. Or just do it yourself. It's not hard.

As far as not being able to tell where you've been... I've got nothing.
 

Rastus

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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A 16 year old kid and two of his buddies will do it for a six pack of the cheapest beer you can get.
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
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Originally posted by: Rastus
A 16 year old kid and two of his buddies will do it for a six pack of the cheapest beer you can get.

Teens + beer + power tools. Hilarity is sure to ensue. Have your video camera readily available, you'll be a YouTube sensation in no time.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
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we start off by making about 3 rouns in a "circular" design, in order to allow us to have room to spin the mower around, then we do either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal cuts. Depending upon the thickness, we will sometimes do it vertical, and then go horizontal to even out the clippings, if neither works, we pull out the 5hp Lil Wonder and blow it all off.
 

Nohr

Diamond Member
Jan 6, 2001
7,302
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www.flickr.com
I do 2 or 3 laps around the edge blowing inwards so grass clippings don't get on sidewalks or flower beds, etc. Then I turn it around and do the rest blowing outwards in a rectangle pattern, away from where I haven't mowed. Or instead sometimes I'll do the edges and then just do horizontal lines. That takes a little longer but I think it looks nicer.

Don't mow when the grass is damp or the clippings will really clump up badly. You could buy a lawn sweeper to pick up clippings.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
32,886
12,165
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i do the edge first, just so i have some room to maneuver the pushmower and dont throw grass on the walkway.

then: separate grass into large sections. cut the insides of two adjacent sections until the distance between the two becomes too long, then just continually cut around the outside of a given section until it's done.

using the inside cutting method does two things: 1) efficient cutting 2) constant cutting of already cut grass, effectively making a very fine grass "mulch" of sorts
 

Mojoed

Diamond Member
Jul 20, 2004
4,473
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Originally posted by: mofoe2001
i have to "mow the lawn" with a trimmer. 4 acres on a steep hill. takes me 2-3 days to cut the whole shit. now zero turns or push mower here :(

I can't even imagine how bad that must be. I cut about 1.5 acres every 5-6 days and that sucks. :p