Lawnmowers 101...help please...

[TJN23]

Can someone please help me convince my mom that we need to get a "mulching mower" for our lawn. We recently moved and our yard is way too big for a bag mower, b/c it needs to be emptied every 2 mins.

She says the mower is still good, so why should we get a new one. She's right, its a Honda and we paid $500 for it about 7 yrs ago and it still runs strong. It's too old so we can find a replacement mulching blade for it. I've looked everywhere (online and in the yellow pages)

A mulcher would have our yard done in an hour tops. For a $220 investment at Sears, why can't she see my logic?

Does anyone know of a decent mulching mower to get (at a good price)? Do you have to mow the lawn more frequently?

TIA

Tim

 

[Eli]

Uhh.... You should be able to get a mulching blade for your mower at any lawn and garden center. Just make note of the size of the mower (20 inches, 21 inches, 22 inches..) and get the appropriate blade.

As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

I guess your grass may grow slightly faster since it's being fertilized by the mulched grass, but it's not really going to be noticable.

As for the mower you linked to at Sears.. the Briggs and Stratton engine on it is really no comparison to the Honda you currently have. While the Briggs will still be running in 7 years, it will be worn out.

<--- Resident ATOT small engine nut.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Lesson 1 with any mower: If something gets stuck in it turn it off/unplug it before trying to remove it with your bare fingers.
Had my mum's dentist followed that advice she wouldn't have had to wait 2 months for his fingers to set and heal again.

P.S. Don't try lifting it with your foot either, heard about someone doing that too...

 

[TJN23]

Originally posted by: Eli
As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

My neighbor has a mulcher and he cuts his lawn every 3 to 4 days....i dont think thats necessary but maybe its cause he's a lawn buff...who knows

i've checked with local lawn and garden shops...they said they dont carry blades for honda mowers of that old model (HRS21), so basically which mainstream place (i.e. sears, home depot) can I go to after I take a measurement of my blade?

thanks

Tim

 

[AlienCraft]

LOL, sorry, but when it comes to lawn mowers, Moms are not likely to respond to logicaly thought out pleas to reduce the amount of work involved.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: TJN23

Originally posted by: Eli
As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

My neighbor has a mulcher and he cuts his lawn every 3 to 4 days....i dont think thats necessary but maybe its cause he's a lawn buff...who knows

i've checked with local lawn and garden shops...they said they dont carry blades for honda mowers of that old model (HRS21), so basically which mainstream place (i.e. sears, home depot) can I go to after I take a measurement of my blade?

thanks

Tim

Any place that has lawnmower accessories usually has generic replacement blades. I imagine that Home Depot and Sears would.

Fred Meyer(If your in the Northwest), Wal-Mart has a few...

It looks like Sears has a pretty good selection.

You might want to take note of how the blade is attached.. But most of the generic replacement blades I've seen come with a small pack of hardware to fit whatever mower you have.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
LOL, sorry, but when it comes to lawn mowers, Moms are not likely to respond to logicaly thought out pleas to reduce the amount of work involved.

Even more, her point is logical.

Unless she is mowing the lawn and emptying the bag, how does this reduce HER work?

 

[flot]

Have you tried just not bagging it?

Seems to me that back when I was in charge of mowing my parents lawn, we didn't have a bag on out mower, it certainly wasn't a "mulching" mower, and nothing bad ever happened. Assuming it's a side discharge, just mow so that the grass clippings land on the spot where you'll be mowing next. When you go over that, you'll effectively "mulch" those clippings because they'll get sucked up by the blade again.

If it's a rear-discharge mower, that might be a little more difficult, but again if you mow the lawn more frequently, I don't necessarily think it would be a problem.

I'm under the impression that the "mulching mower" craze was something that popped up over the last 10 years or so, and before that you either bagged your lawn or just left the grass clippings all over the place. What's wrong with that?

PS: Eli, I just bought almost that same mower. Or at least, a craftsman mower with a 6.5 horse 4 stroke Briggs and STraton engine. (I guess it's a 4 stroke, right? You have to change the oil in it occasionally and it's "california compliant" ) What's wrong with that?

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

You can't mulch that often anyway, particularly if your grass grows quickly. If you mulch too frequently, the cut grass doesn't have a chance to adequately decompose before the next layer is deposited on top of it (the next time you mow), and you create a heavy thatch layer which chokes off new growth and creates areas that trap moisture, inviting mold and/or pests.

I find it's easier to just dump the bag of grass when it's full, then go back with a rake and a wheelbarrow later.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
LOL, sorry, but when it comes to lawn mowers, Moms are not likely to respond to logicaly thought out pleas to reduce the amount of work involved.

Even more, her point is logical.

Unless she is mowing the lawn and emptying the bag, how does this reduce HER work?

It means he finishes earlier and can do the dishes too.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: flot
Have you tried just not bagging it?

Seems to me that back when I was in charge of mowing my parents lawn, we didn't have a bag on out mower, it certainly wasn't a "mulching" mower, and nothing bad ever happened. Assuming it's a side discharge, just mow so that the grass clippings land on the spot where you'll be mowing next. When you go over that, you'll effectively "mulch" those clippings because they'll get sucked up by the blade again.

If it's a rear-discharge mower, that might be a little more difficult, but again if you mow the lawn more frequently, I don't necessarily think it would be a problem.

I'm under the impression that the "mulching mower" craze was something that popped up over the last 10 years or so, and before that you either bagged your lawn or just left the grass clippings all over the place. What's wrong with that?

PS: Eli, I just bought almost that same mower. Or at least, a craftsman mower with a 6.5 horse 4 stroke Briggs and STraton engine. (I guess it's a 4 stroke, right? You have to change the oil in it occasionally and it's "california compliant" ) What's wrong with that?

There's nothing wrong with that. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Briggs and Stratton(I collect antique Briggs engines).. but you can't really compare them to quality like Honda, unless it is a Vanguard or I/C(Industrial/Commercial) Briggs.

If you change your oil on schedule and use synthetic, the Briggs will last a very long time.. But the Honda is still higher quality.

Oh, don't forget about the air filter too. You will kill any engine quickly if you neglect it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1

Originally posted by: Hayabusarider

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
LOL, sorry, but when it comes to lawn mowers, Moms are not likely to respond to logicaly thought out pleas to reduce the amount of work involved.

Even more, her point is logical.

Unless she is mowing the lawn and emptying the bag, how does this reduce HER work?

It means he finishes earlier and can do the dishes too.

LOL that argument should work!

 

[Ornery]

Originally posted by: TJN23

Originally posted by: Eli
As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

My neighbor has a mulcher and he cuts his lawn every 3 to 4 days....i dont think thats necessary but maybe its cause he's a lawn buff...who knows

i've checked with local lawn and garden shops...they said they dont carry blades for honda mowers of that old model (HRS21), so basically which mainstream place (i.e. sears, home depot) can I go to after I take a measurement of my blade?

thanks

Tim

Wow, that's not too pathetic, is it?

John Deere, Simplicity, Wheel Horse, Cub Cadet, Snapper and other American made mowers stock parts for their equipment forever. I can get any part I need for my 17 year old machine, and it was discontinued two years after I bought it. I can't believe what import fan boys will put up with just to avoid buying American.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: TJN23

Originally posted by: Eli
As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

My neighbor has a mulcher and he cuts his lawn every 3 to 4 days....i dont think thats necessary but maybe its cause he's a lawn buff...who knows

i've checked with local lawn and garden shops...they said they dont carry blades for honda mowers of that old model (HRS21), so basically which mainstream place (i.e. sears, home depot) can I go to after I take a measurement of my blade?

thanks

Tim

Wow, that's not too pathetic, is it?

John Deere, Simplicity, Wheel Horse, Cub Cadet, Snapper and other American made mowers stock parts for their equipment forever. I can get any part I need for my 17 year old machine, and it was discontinued two years after I bought it. I can't believe what import fan boys will put up with just to avoid buying American.

It could just be the shops he contacted were sh!tty. I agree, it seems weird. Mower blades aren't exactly some complex part that has to be fitted precisely or anything.. that's why there are generic replacements.

 

[Ornery]

"generic replacements"

They probably have some queer, metric sized, locating bushing or something...

 

[morkinva]

Did you try honda authorized dealers

 

[Ornery]

Don't cut your grass too short:

• Most turf experts recommend that cool-season grasses be cut no lower than 2-3 inches above the soil's surface, warm-season grasses no lower than 1-1.5 inches. Why? Because grass plants need a certain amount of blade surface in order to collect sunlight for photosynthesis. When you cut too short, grass plants react to the crisis by growing back quickly to restore their capacity to absorb UV light. Result: Stressed turf and more frequent mowing for you. Longer grass, by contrast, grows more slowly and develops a deeper, more entrenched root system, which not only reduces the number of times you need to mow each season, but also improves the drought-resistance of the lawn.

 

[TJN23]

i did try contacting the honda dealers as well as 6 different local retailers....maybe i'll try my luck with the generic blades and see how that goes...

thanks for all the tips too

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Just take of the bag, duct tape over the hole, and boom you have a mulching lawnmower.

tips:

trim off the top, mow twice if necessary.
never miss a week.
have yoru blade sharpened.
change the pattern you mow in. eg. diagonal rows perpendicalar to the direction of hte previous cut.
be prepared to rake if you get a pile up of grass.

dont expect to be done in an hour.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Don't cut your grass too short:

• Most turf experts recommend that cool-season grasses be cut no lower than 2-3 inches above the soil's surface, warm-season grasses no lower than 1-1.5 inches. Why? Because grass plants need a certain amount of blade surface in order to collect sunlight for photosynthesis. When you cut too short, grass plants react to the crisis by growing back quickly to restore their capacity to absorb UV light. Result: Stressed turf and more frequent mowing for you. Longer grass, by contrast, grows more slowly and develops a deeper, more entrenched root system, which not only reduces the number of times you need to mow each season, but also improves the drought-resistance of the lawn.

Interesting.

 

[TJN23]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
Just take of the bag, duct tape over the hole, and boom you have a mulching lawnmower.

tips:

trim off the top, mow twice if necessary.
never miss a week.
have yoru blade sharpened.
change the pattern you mow in. eg. diagonal rows perpendicalar to the direction of hte previous cut.
be prepared to rake if you get a pile up of grass.

dont expect to be done in an hour.

is this gonna work? really?

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

why wouldn't it? try it. put in a peice of plastic if you are concerned about a peice of debris being shot through the duct tape.

I bet your lawnmower has a plastic flap already.

 

[Electric Amish]

Just keep the bagger and move the mower up so you cut less or mow more often.



amish

 

[Ylen13]

Originally posted by: TJN23
Can someone please help me convince my mom that we need to get a "mulching mower" for our lawn. We recently moved and our yard is way too big for a bag mower, b/c it needs to be emptied every 2 mins.

She says the mower is still good, so why should we get a new one. She's right, its a Honda and we paid $500 for it about 7 yrs ago and it still runs strong. It's too old so we can find a replacement mulching blade for it. I've looked everywhere (online and in the yellow pages)

A mulcher would have our yard done in an hour tops. For a $220 investment at Sears, why can't she see my logic?

Does anyone know of a decent mulching mower to get (at a good price)? Do you have to mow the lawn more frequently?

TIA

Tim

just hire a gardner to mowe your lawn

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: Ornery

Originally posted by: TJN23

Originally posted by: Eli
As for mowing the lawn more frequently.. No, why would you? A mulching blade just cuts and recuts the grass, chopping it into fine pieces.. instead of pushing it into the bag.

My neighbor has a mulcher and he cuts his lawn every 3 to 4 days....i dont think thats necessary but maybe its cause he's a lawn buff...who knows

i've checked with local lawn and garden shops...they said they dont carry blades for honda mowers of that old model (HRS21), so basically which mainstream place (i.e. sears, home depot) can I go to after I take a measurement of my blade?

thanks

Tim

Wow, that's not too pathetic, is it?

John Deere, Simplicity, Wheel Horse, Cub Cadet, Snapper and other American made mowers stock parts for their equipment forever. I can get any part I need for my 17 year old machine, and it was discontinued two years after I bought it. I can't believe what import fan boys will put up with just to avoid buying American.

And ornery brings us to a new level of xenophobism....