Mowing ..

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Toro walk-behind mowers are designed for the American market

^This^
They do adapt them to our conditions but usually in the series two models. We got stuck with an early version of the 4500D that overheated badly after the radiator choked with clippings. When we got the updated model they'd fitted a reversing fan set at intervals to blow it out but by then it had been choked by new emissions regulations and wouldn't cope with our thick Ky grass.

We hand mow greens with the Flex 1018.
https://www.toro.com/en/golf/greensm...flex-1018-1021
Seems to cope but we mow every day and remove less than 1mm. The clippings are like dust. Its a well thought out machine ergonomics are adjustable and the controls are all within reach. Everything just seems to flow, makes a big difference when you spend a few hours using it

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Done a fair bit of travelling in regional WA, every smallish town with a bowls club, 2 greens size, all had synthetic surfaces, seems they worked OK, grass depth was varied by sand I think, locals and visitors liked it, but I only went for the cheap meals and grog!

And it saves labour costs and in particular water use!
So what are the pro's and cons of synthetic versus natural grass, if any!

The synthetic surfaces get hot, alot of clubs then have to install shade sails to offset this and stop the oldies from keeling over or resort to morning or evening play.

Watering is not so much about availability than quality, with alot of groundwater turning saline or suffering from bicarbonate alkalinity/ hardness.
Its six of one half a dozen of the other. Its quite a process to treat the water but alot of resources also go into producing, shipping, installing and eventually replacing and disposing of the synthetic stuff.

[Citroënbender]

That’s very insightful, thanks. I wondered why some of the Riverina greens (browns, actually) were persevered with vs synthetic.

[MITCHAY]

A lot of rain recently here so more weeds to pick out and even the lawn ready for a haircut. Gradually thin the weeds out as the season goes on

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

^This^
They do adapt them to our conditions but usually in the series two models. We got stuck with an early version of the 4500D that overheated badly after the radiator choked with clippings. When we got the updated model they'd fitted a reversing fan set at intervals to blow it out but by then it had been choked by new emissions regulations and wouldn't cope with our thick Ky grass.

We hand mow greens with the Flex 1018.
https://www.toro.com/en/golf/greensm...flex-1018-1021
Seems to cope but we mow every day and remove less than 1mm. The clippings are like dust. Its a well thought out machine ergonomics are adjustable and the controls are all within reach. Everything just seems to flow, makes a big difference when you spend a few hours using it

Interesting that even the commercial grade machines struggle too.

My comments were aimed at the residential type machines like this -



Note the four adjusters for height on each wheel, compared to one for most Aussie market mowers.

My dislike for these Toro machines stems from the frustration I suffered with that John Deere mower I had. The bar blade combined with the tiny rear chute meant anything other that taking the tips of very dry grass meant the chute would block, the engine stopped, the chute cleared, the engine restarted, over and over and over. These style of mowers are really designed for mulch mowing, but again, the grass needed to be 100% dry and only tipped. This is not how Aussies mow lawns, or what a customer expects.

The area circled in yellow shows how small the rear chute is.



A lot of Honda mowers have half chutes as well, as does my Bushranger, but nowhere near as bad as those Toro's. Plus, the four blades on a disk help here too. Also, hit something hard enough with that bar blade and you will be bending your engines crankshaft.

Honda -



Bushranger -



If you are cutting less regularly, often cut very tall grass or use your mower to clean up autumn leaves, you need a machine with a full width rear chute. This allows for sufficient airflow for efficient catching. Most mowers sold in Australia are like this.

(Honda 196 for reference.)

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

The synthetic surfaces get hot, alot of clubs then have to install shade sails to offset this and stop the oldies from keeling over or resort to morning or evening play.

Watering is not so much about availability than quality, with alot of groundwater turning saline or suffering from bicarbonate alkalinity/ hardness.
Its six of one half a dozen of the other. Its quite a process to treat the water but alot of resources also go into producing, shipping, installing and eventually replacing and disposing of the synthetic stuff.

Well sell sythetic turf at the nursery. We sold and installed a lot during the drought years.

I'm not a fan of it myself but it does have a couple of key benefits. For smaller areas where a mower wont fit, for high traffic areas where establishing and maintaining a lawn is difficult and also for heavily shaded or damp areas where lawn establishment is hard. Plus the usual reduction in water consumption and maintenance costs.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Plus, the four blades on a disk help here too. Also, hit something hard enough with that bar blade and you will be bending your engines crankshaft.

Yep, been there. Done That...

[.:4:.]

Thats actually a question ive wanted to ask. So, ive changed the blades on my mower before, theyre swingbacks. My understanding is if you wang something solid they dont get as munted as possible. How do solid blades go when you incidentally hit the unexpected?

[LG17]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Thats actually a question ive wanted to ask. So, ive changed the blades on my mower before, theyre swingbacks. My understanding is if you wang something solid they dont get as munted as possible. How do solid blades go when you incidentally hit the unexpected?

Not good at all...


I changed my Husky ride on to swingbacks after breaking a couple of spindles.

[roKWiz]

Well got around to picking this little 110 series John Deere up today as a bit of a experiment to see how it goes as a mini front end loader and who know maybe even cut the lawn with it.
Good to see its all US made, including the Kohler 19hp engine.(sorry DFB no Briggs) Needs a little tidy up etc usually ride on ripped seat, some scratchers but all works well.

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Well got around to picking this little 110 series John Deere up today as a bit of a experiment to see how it goes as a mini front end loader and who know maybe even cut the lawn with it.
Good to see its all US made, including the Kohler 19hp engine.(sorry DFB no Briggs) Needs a little tidy up etc usually ride on ripped seat, some scratchers but all works well.

image

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Nice.

Mini front end loader, 4 in 1 bucket?

I can see a back hoe attachment would come in handy also!

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Work Horse

Nice.

Mini front end loader, 4 in 1 bucket?

I can see a back hoe attachment would come in handy also!

Yep, but using lineal actuators. You can buy those already from JD. plus a box blade, rake, rear mini crane.

[.:4:.]

So my mate who is useless towards the use of tools asked me if i had the new chain for my petrol powered motor sword. So this mate came in late in the game when i was helping out my other mate removing a tree stump and with chainsaws you dont have to be a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon to know the moment you hit the dirt, chains shot. Also, cutting tree roots in the dirt, no need for further explaination.
Anyhow, so shot chain didnt do very good once its goose was cooked.
So my inept mate took the bits of the stump for firewood. He asks me today if i have replaced my chain. Answer being yes, i also have a spare. I only make bets financial if i know im going to win. In this case i didnt make it financial, just verbal. My mates angle was no chance my crappy motor sword can cut that. My angle was pig ignorance and arrogance. I knew it would deffinately make a dent as underpowered as it is, went in with low expectations as in loose the bet, hence why it wasnt financial.
I should have put $50 on it. My crappy chainsaw just ate. 20 cuts, all clean cuts no friction burns, the biggest being pretty well the legnth of the bar so not heaps confidence boosting but it did it. I didnt lean on it, just let the tool do the work. So suitable preassure, nothing over the top. Chains still deadly, i did check chain tension like a paranoid android, never needed to adjust that. Chainsaws scare me, id rather check chain tension and adjust as opposed to cutting my face off.

[Tonz]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Well got around to picking this little 110 series John Deere up today as a bit of a experiment to see how it goes as a mini front end loader and who know maybe even cut the lawn with it.
Good to see its all US made, including the Kohler 19hp engine.(sorry DFB no Briggs) Needs a little tidy up etc usually ride on ripped seat, some scratchers but all works well.

i have same model but use simply as a mower, tough little basket, I am not gentle or nice on mowers, but it keeps coming back for more.
The only hassle is the reverse peddle takes some getting used to and fine balance of the foot.

[DFB FGXR6]

Got screwed on a job today. I don't normally take "walk-ups" anymore, they can be more trouble than they are worth. This one was a neighbor to an existing client so sounded like a pretty easy one to pick up. I accepted the job yesterday after talking to the lady, agreed on a price as I knew it was only a couple of small sections of lawn around a small unit. I should have looked it over then and there because when I got there today the grass was near knee high.





The trick with these sort of "feral" jobs is to cut it twice, once on a high setting and a second pass to get an even finish. This is easier on the machine and the operator. The Victa dug in hard and got the job done, not stalling once! So what should have been a quick 20 min job turned into 1.5 hours. Needless to say, I made no money out of this job.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Got screwed on a job today. I don't normally take "walk-ups" anymore, they can be more trouble than they are worth. This one was a neighbor to an existing client so sounded like a pretty easy one to pick up. I accepted the job yesterday after talking to the lady, agreed on a price as I knew it was only a couple of small sections of lawn around a small unit. I should have looked it over then and there because when I got there today the grass was near knee high.



image



image



The trick with these sort of "feral" jobs is to cut it twice, once on a high setting and a second pass to get an even finish. This is easier on the machine and the operator. The Victa dug in hard and got the job done, not stalling once! So what should have been a quick 20 min job turned into 1.5 hours. Needless to say, I made no money out of this job.

Haha. My 90+ year old neighbour came over one afternoon and asked if I knew how much a Jim's mowings was going to cost to do her lawn. It was her backyard so I hadn't seen it recently, but I knew it was a nice easy square shape. So I volunteered to do it for her.

The grass was knee height. Even at the highest setting, my mower struggled. Kept dying on me. In the end I had to angle it upwards to get the first few inches off. Took me 2 hours to do what was a relatively small backyard. I literally had to empty the mower every one strip .

[xkxlxm]

Electric plug-in Ozito hedge trimmer. It was OK but now will only operate if cutting the side of the hedge - if I hold it like I am left-handed; won't cut the top of the hedge - ie, will not operate if held horizontally; even when cutting the side of the hedge, it stops and starts.

I did open it up a while ago but couldn't see anything wrong. Any ideas? Probably not worth paying to get it fixed? (I haven't priced a new one.)

[Tonz]

Bunnings still do refunds ????
don't know just asking.
otherwise the rubbish bin I'd say

[Citroënbender]

Probably a broken wire on the lead-in. Easy to test by manipulating the cord when it should be running, but isn’t.

[xkxlxm]

Thanks. I will try manipulating the cord. I got this trimmer from a family member; he wouldn't have a receipt so a refund isn't an option.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

Thanks. I will try manipulating the cord. I got this trimmer from a family member; he wouldn't have a receipt so a refund isn't an option.

I bought an ozito 1/3 sheet orbital sander, run it on bog for 30 seconds and it started smoking! ( no, not cigarettes )....
I unplugged it and walked outside and decided I was an Olympic hammer thrower, I grabbed it by the plug and spun around and let go, I was aiming for the dam, dident make it over the trees, its probably still up there, lol..that was 2007, RIP......

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Haha. My 90+ year old neighbour came over one afternoon and asked if I knew how much a Jim's mowings was going to cost to do her lawn. It was her backyard so I hadn't seen it recently, but I knew it was a nice easy square shape. So I volunteered to do it for her.

The grass was knee height. Even at the highest setting, my mower struggled. Kept dying on me. In the end I had to angle it upwards to get the first few inches off. Took me 2 hours to do what was a relatively small backyard. I literally had to empty the mower every one strip .

Why people don't own a 2 handed scythe is beyond me, sharpened and used properly you can cut acreage with em, they really are so easy to use, just not sure if you can still buy them, be great on small jobs and as quick as a struggling mower!.....

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Why people don't own a 2 handed scythe is beyond me, sharpened and used properly you can cut acreage with em, they really are so easy to use, just not sure if you can still buy them, be great on small jobs and as quick as a struggling mower!.....

You know what? After struggling for the first 20 mins, I had honestly considered getting a pair of scissors to start trimming the tops off .

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

You know what? After struggling for the first 20 mins, I had honestly considered getting a pair of scissors to start trimming the tops off .

I just wonder if you can buy battery powered shears?.....

[xkxlxm]

Citroenbender: I did the cable manipulation test you suggested and you were right about a break in the lead-in cable. One of the two wires was broken through completely. I have shortened the wires, fixed them in place etc and it seems to work well now. Will fully test it this week on the hedge. Thank you.

I had never bothered to read the tag on the cable: "NOT INTENDED FOR TRADE OR HIGH FREQUENCY USE" - ie don't expect it to last .....

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

I had never bothered to read the tag on the cable: "NOT INTENDED FOR TRADE OR HIGH FREQUENCY USE" - ie don't expect it to last .....

It is after All an Ozito.......

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

Citroenbender: I did the cable manipulation test you suggested and you were right about a break in the lead-in cable. One of the two wires was broken through completely. I have shortened the wires, fixed them in place etc and it seems to work well now. Will fully test it this week on the hedge. Thank you.

I had never bothered to read the tag on the cable: "NOT INTENDED FOR TRADE OR HIGH FREQUENCY USE" - ie don't expect it to last .....

They should put a second tag on " to be used only on small toy cars and dolls houses "

[danzvtil]

I picked up another baller customer, this time on acreage, a day a fortnight, money no object.
Because of this I picked up a backpack sprayer
https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-to...652/SG-51.aspx
What a beast! Only problem is, the straps aren’t well padded and hurt your shoulders, I might have to make some modifications.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

I picked up another baller customer, this time on acreage, a day a fortnight, money no object.
Because of this I picked up a backpack sprayer
https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-to...652/SG-51.aspx
What a beast! Only problem is, the straps aren’t well padded and hurt your shoulders, I might have to make some modifications.

Very nice!

Well done on the new customer too.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

I picked up another baller customer, this time on acreage, a day a fortnight, money no object.
Because of this I picked up a backpack sprayer
https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-to...652/SG-51.aspx
What a beast! Only problem is, the straps aren’t well padded and hurt your shoulders, I might have to make some modifications.

Congrats on the new customer, glad to hear you're doing well.

The spray pack looks nice, haven't seen the Stihl ones before. They're never comfortable are they, if I'm spending alot of time using one I've taken to only half filling them. The extra refilling time is a small trade off to compared to a sore back and bruised shoulders at the end of the day.