The Home Improvement Thread

[Silverback]

Damn I have become really really lazy. A yard service is worse than Crack or Heroin. Its so fucking easy. Today, I was planning to do my yard. As I have planned to do every weekend since Spring. But the very first time I was to mow the guys who did the landscaping around the pool offered to mow/edge/etc for a pretty good deal. So yeah, one time. Sure... fat chance.. they have done it 4 or 5 times now. I was really gonna mow it today... but the same guys where next door mowing. So.. yeah I gave in. I have mowed my yard zero times this year. I need to check into a 12 step clinic and learn to mow my own yard again. Next weekend... next weekend I will mow.

 

[tex]

Damn I have become really really lazy. A yard service is worse than Crack or Heroin. Its so fucking easy. Today, I was planning to do my yard. As I have planned to do every weekend since Spring. But the very first time I was to mow the guys who did the landscaping around the pool offered to mow/edge/etc for a pretty good deal. So yeah, one time. Sure... fat chance.. they have done it 4 or 5 times now. I was really gonna mow it today... but the same guys where next door mowing. So.. yeah I gave in. I have mowed my yard zero times this year. I need to check into a 12 step clinic and learn to mow my own yard again. Next weekend... next weekend I will mow.

Im going to hire a crew myself. Waiting till end of summer before I have them start. Had the talk with the realtor today that we are probably not selling but waiting till Tuesday for some remodel estimates.
If they come in near the ballpark I need them at I will hit the ground running with some demo work. I need to get everything ready for painters in August so we can hit Colorado for a week while the pop corn gets scraped and inside gets painted.

 

[Taco Loco]

Speaking of mowing. Installed new blades on both machines, and an oil change on one. I put sand blades on the Hustler ZTR and some dealer bought after market blades on the Gravely ZTR, but it appears the factory Gravely mowing blades had a full length cut.

Left; 42in cut with sand blades @ 1.5".
Right; 52in cut with reg blades @1.5".
Outside the main yard is where the sand blades will be most useful.

5 acres and county road easements, I can't justify the cost of a lawn crew, besides I enjoy mowing, just not using the weedeater/edger. After the fourth of July, I usually minimize or stop watering of the main yard.

 

[tx_shooter]

Damn I have become really really lazy. A yard service is worse than Crack or Heroin. Its so fucking easy. Today, I was planning to do my yard. As I have planned to do every weekend since Spring. But the very first time I was to mow the guys who did the landscaping around the pool offered to mow/edge/etc for a pretty good deal. So yeah, one time. Sure... fat chance.. they have done it 4 or 5 times now. I was really gonna mow it today... but the same guys where next door mowing. So.. yeah I gave in. I have mowed my yard zero times this year. I need to check into a 12 step clinic and learn to mow my own yard again. Next weekend... next weekend I will mow.

Your yard is barely big enough to use a large push mower.

Im going to hire a crew myself. Waiting till end of summer before I have them start. Had the talk with the realtor today that we are probably not selling but waiting till Tuesday for some remodel estimates.
If they come in near the ballpark I need them at I will hit the ground running with some demo work. I need to get everything ready for painters in August so we can hit Colorado for a week while the pop corn gets scraped and inside gets painted.

How many square feet do you have that needs mowing?

 

[Silverback]

Your yard is barely big enough to use a large push mower.

Feel free to come down and push mow it then. LOL Takes a "professional" 2.5 hours to push mow and edge it. When its 98 degrees out.. no thanks.

 

[tx_shooter]

That is amazing. It only takes me 3-4 hours to push mow my acre. I do not edge it every time though - I'm lazy.

 

[tex]

It's not just the grass. It's the flower beds, trees, and ivy ground cover. I will be looking for a crew to do everything. New mulch and flowers in the spring, trim bushes, leaves in fall, and fertilize 2-3 times a year.
I'm done touching the yard. I have better ways to spend my weekends.

 

[tx_shooter]

It's not just the grass. It's the flower beds, trees, and ivy ground cover. I will be looking for a crew to do everything. New mulch and flowers in the spring, trim bushes, leaves in fall, and fertilize 2-3 times a year.
I'm done touching the yard. I have a live in yard slave a few years away from working age.

FIFY

 

[Taco Loco]

That is amazing. It only takes me 3-4 hours to push mow my acre. I do not edge it every time though - I'm lazy.

I think he has a riding lawnmower also.

It's not just the grass. It's the flower beds, trees, and ivy ground cover. I will be looking for a crew to do everything. New mulch and flowers in the spring, trim bushes, leaves in fall, and fertilize 2-3 times a year.
I'm done touching the yard. I have better ways to spend my weekends.

I hear ya, our next house preferably and probably a barndominium will have zero flower beds, and a few trees. I rather spend the time outdoors in my Victory Garden. I complete 80-90% of my outdoor work is during the workweek, less TV time for my fat aass, I do buy nice equipment though, because it pays for itself many times over, my boys are slowly getting OJT which will free up more time for me.

 

[tx_shooter]

@Taco Loco so what is a sand blade? Starting to do my research on riding mowers. The zero turns are nice but are pricey for the 1.25 acres I need to maintain. I do not predict the size of the yard going over 2 acres in the next 5 to 10 years. So a standard 30" riding mower is "okay" but a +40" would make it so much easier. Just the damn things are an expensive way to save time.

 

[Taco Loco]

What type of soil do you have?

 

[tx_shooter]

Rocks with some clay and good dirt.

 

[Anathollo]

@Taco Loco so what is a sand blade? Starting to do my research on riding mowers. The zero turns are nice but are pricey for the 1.25 acres I need to maintain. I do not predict the size of the yard going over 2 acres in the next 5 to 10 years. So a standard 30" riding mower is "okay" but a +40" would make it so much easier. Just the damn things are an expensive way to save time.

 

[Taco Loco]

Anything over 1/2 acre, a ZTR is the only way to go, buy once, cry once. A 42in is what you will want for that size. I cut my main yard which is less than 3/4 acre in about 35 to 40min depending on grass height and because trees and flower beds.

@Taco Loco so what is a sand blade? Starting to do my research on riding mowers. The zero turns are nice but are pricey for the 1.25 acres I need to maintain. I do not predict the size of the yard going over 2 acres in the next 5 to 10 years. So a standard 30" riding mower is "okay" but a +40" would make it so much easier. Just the damn things are an expensive way to save time.

3rd blade from left, new med to high lift blade.
All 5 blades on the right are all the same blades, except some are just worn out/blasted. Blade lift, is a means to pull the grass up to cut and it mulches the grass/leaves with the lift in the blade.
1st blade on the left is a used gator blade, high lift mulch blade.

Sand blade, 2nd from left, new flat iron, it has a cutting edge on both sides, after X amount of hours, remove and flip blade and reinstall. No lift will result in longer blade life, use during spring to summer months.

My soil is 100% sand, lots of sand blasting on blades.

Rocks with some clay and good dirt.

well your cut height should always set above to clear hitting any rocks.

 

[Taco Loco]

Look for heavy gauge mowing decks and serviceable hydro gears

Do not waste your time looking at any ZTR with weak mower decks.

I would buy from a reputable dealer, Not a department store i.e. Lowe's or HD etc, it will be about $300 to $400 more for the same type comparable ZTR, but a good residential ZTR will come with a 3 year warranty, and that is where a dealer will benefit you if happened to need work. Some dealers will not preform warranty work if the ZTR was not bought through them or will make it difficult with turn around times/months.

 

[achirdo]

Snapped a quick pic before it got dark.

Did a shit load today. Mowed, pressure washed part of the driveway, 4runner got a wash, welding rig got its first wax and clay bar ever, cleaned the pool, cleaned up and organized the garage, and now watering the lawn. Long ass day.

 

[achirdo]

Anything over 1/2 acre, a ZTR is the only way to go, buy once, cry once. A 42in is what you will want for that size. I cut my main yard which is less than 3/4 acre in about 35 to 40min depending on grass height and because trees and flower beds.




View attachment 9889
3rd blade from left, new med to high lift blade.
All 5 blades on the right are all the same blades, except some are just worn out/blasted. Blade lift, is a means to pull the grass up to cut and it mulches the grass/leaves with the lift in the blade.
1st blade on the left is a used gator blade, high lift mulch blade.


View attachment 9888

View attachment 9887
Sand blade, 2nd from left, new flat iron, it has a cutting edge on both sides, after X amount of hours, remove and flip blade and reinstall. No lift will result in longer blade life, use during spring to summer months.

View attachment 9890
My soil is 100% sand, lots of sand blasting on blades.


well your cut height should always set above to clear hitting any rocks.

I mow 3/4 of an acre here. I have a John deere x350 with a 42" deck. I love this thing for my yard. Let's you keep one hand free at all times for your beer of choice. Whole reason I didn't get a ZTR. Now my yard pretty open with very few tight turns so the tractor isn't too bad to use. Takes me about 45 min to do my whole place. Only thing about these tractors is that they are SLOW. Turtle slow.

My wife's grandparents aren't capable of mowing their property anymore so I've mostly taken it over. It's about 10 acres. I tried it once on my x350. Never again. Took me 6 hours to do the whole thing. Got his John deere zero turn running again and good lord have mercy that thing is a grass cutting race car. You can now as fast as you can without getting thrown off. I bet on the smoother areas I can mow at 10-15mph. What took me 6 hours on my mower took 1.5 on this ZTR. Much more trees and tight spots on the property also. Not to mention that where mine will bog down and need a second pass this thing will power through in one go in tall grass.

Stay away from the big box stores for mowers also. The ones at the dealers are definitely much higher quality. Mine for example has a stamped 3/16" deck and commercial grade kawasaki motor in it.

 

[achirdo]

Looked it up. That ztr will do 9mph. It feels alot faster than that. On uneven ground thats about as fast as you dare to go before it throws you out

 

[Taco Loco]

I have owned ridding lawn mowers, never again would I consider one, after my first ZTR, mowing is now enjoyable to me.

 

[Taco Loco]

Cheap disposable prescreens work great, less than $1 for 2pack. Grandpa would always repurpose old panty hose on his air filters on the tractors, something I learned 30+ years ago.

I'm almost considering making a snorkel so the air filter will receive less dust, it wouldn't be to hard to make, my only worry is snagging it on a tree/bush.