Super-premium mowing??

[porter rockwell]

I have this idea of unrolling a super-premium lawn mowing service. Wondering if anyone has tried anything like this... or has seen anything like this work.

My idea is a pick up a used golf course "tee mower". Like a greensmower but usually a wider cut, maybe 28", with a walk behdind reel mower out front riding on a roller. (I used to use one when I worked on a golf course.) and offer a mowing service that would stripe up a front lawn just like a golf course.

It would be expensive to do, you would have to cut the grass first with a traditional mower, comb area for debris (to protect reel mower) , then cut with the reel mower. Some lawns would need to be rolled first.

I have seen some "striping" rollers, and seen some degree of striping effect from regular mowers, but a Tee mower would really give that golf course effect. Also, the skinnier cut path would add to the effect (as opposed to a wider cutting tri-plex)

The issue I have not worked out, is how high tee mowers can be set to cut. If it could come up to 2", and you cut with regular mower at 2-1/2" it could possibly work.

Possible customers would be realtors looking for a special look for a home on the market, someone holding backyard parties, weddings, or just plain rich dudes who want their front lawn to look smokin hot.

anyone tried it? Could it work?

[rodfather]

I think you would have to find someone who cared more for their lawn than their family IMO...special occasion maybe.

[A+ Lawncare]

i looked into doing this a few weeks ago, i was told in order to have that golf course appearance you have to cut the lawn every day w/the reel mower....

[HOOLIE]

I don't know that many customers would go for it. Maybe a few here or there. The average Joe Customer doesn't get all geeked-up over stripes and things like that, they just know when you mowed the lawn because it looks shorter.

Of course, if you give it a really premium price, and make it worth the hassle, who knows?

[LawnBrother]

Well, I think there probably is a market for something like that, albeit a small one, but maybe it could turn out to be an untapped niche? I think a good way to find out is to come to a good estimate on your costs so you can price accordingly, and then put together a super nice package for a direct mail test. Target the right area and see how many replies you get. Who knows? Might be a great idea, I know there are a lot of people with a lot of money sitting around and nothing better to do than spend it. Also, these rich bastards love to impress people any way they can. Once all their rich buddies see their awesome lawn, they will just HAVE to have one.......
Even if you can make it worth your time to do just a few at first, it just might catch on. There might be a large start up cost, to richies image is huge. If you want to be Super Premium, they will expect all your vehicles, equipment, and even uniform to be real sharp as well. Just a thought. But again, who knows? Stick your toe in the water and you might catch a big fish......

[kcowell]

i looked into doing this a few weeks ago, i was told in order to have that golf course appearance you have to cut the lawn every day w/the reel mower....

That hits the nail on the head. To look like a golf course, you'd have to maintain it like a golf course, and that is every day.

[topsites]

That hits the nail on the head. To look like a golf course, you'd have to maintain it like a golf course, and that is every day.

Yeah, especially if it has weeds :-)

But check out what I found (look at the pics, I was stunned):
http://www.elmlawnsite.com/lawn_pictures_page.htm

Now for all THAT, yeah I'll do horizontal/vertical/diagonal cuts... Wonder how crop-circles would look, the only thing is the directional issue...

Anyway so I went here next and ordered the kit :-)
http://www.bigleaguelawns.com/

Leave a lawn looking like that, yeah, NOW word-of-mouth should work the way it's supposed to.
......

[Guthrie&Co]

not to mention that you would need to switch the lawn to bent grass. it wont work with fescue

[Tn Lawn Man]

Anyway so I went here next and ordered the kit :-)
http://www.bigleaguelawns.com/
......


Topsites

Have looked into this brand/type of striping kit before. It looks like it would do great for larger areas with little turning.

However, it seems that if you make a true zero degree turn then the rollers would be forced to slide sideways instead of rolling.

What is your experience with this?

Thanks

[YardPro]

you going to call it " tee time" landscape maintenance.
where coming home makes you want to yell "FORE"..................

[Jason Rose]

I think most reel mowers are going to cut at an inch to an inch and a half max. even at those heights you are going to have to be cutting a rye/blue blend and cutting it 3 times a week. granted, it would be the nicest looking lawn on the block! But you would also have to consider the extra water envolved as well as the fungicide apps that would be needed at least monthly due to the daily and sometimes twice daily watering.

I considered planting my lawn with a rye/blue blend like they use on the tees here, but as mentioned above, I didn't want the extra work and expence that goes with it.

Try a bi-weekly mowing service as a super premium upgrade. Always bag the clippings, and apply fertilizer at a half rate every 3 to 4 weeks. Add in one or two preventative fungicide apps, grub control and broad spectrum insect control, don't forget your pre and post emergent herbicides. Certianly not IPM... But it would make for the greenest lawn on the block, and it would always look mowed and neat. Pretty much what I do on my own lawn!

[Runner]

But check out what I found (look at the pics, I was stunned):
http://www.elmlawnsite.com/lawn_pictures_page.htm

Leave a lawn looking like that, yeah, NOW word-of-mouth should work the way it's supposed to.......

Topsites,
You've stumbled on to the site of the late, great Eric Ericson. You think the work and the stripes are nice, you should have met him! this man was nothing short of awesome, and with a heart of gold. He helped MANY, MANY people on this site, form little things to big things. He was one of the funniest guys to chat with, too! It's hard to believe he's ben gone for 3 years, now. I guess in a sense, it's because he's still with us in ways. Odd thing,...that some sort of thread always seems to pop up around this time of year...he just had a birthday this past week. We sure miss you, Eric.

[pagefault]

If I was going to try super-premium lawn care, I would have a crew out there every week to knock out the mowing, trimming, edging, etc and have a guy there for a full day every week (aside from the day the crew was there), to take care of all the little things they wanted done. I'd charge toward the high end of the market rate for the crew and I would charge salary +30% for the laborer.

So, if they had a nice 3 acre place, I might charge $180 for the weekly crew and $120 for the laborer at their beck and call for a day. It might work; who knows?

[HK45Mark23]

I have a customer who wants his yard to look like a putting green.

First of all he has the wrong grass.

Second a putting green can’t be cut by a rotary mower. The mower would rip it out of the ground and it requires a reel mower to clip it like scissors with out pulling on the grass leaf.

The link you have sent us to showing all of the pretty stripes was accomplished with a Dixie Chopper.

It was one of the first places I found when I came here. I am interested in getting a Dixie Chopper. So, the first thing I did was to search all the information here about them. They do a nice job.

It goes to show you “A true crafts man does not blame his tools for his faulty craftsmanship.” I have heard some bash the Dixie but as you can see it really does a top quality finish job.

The Dixie Chopper is even good enough to inspire some one aspiring to start a top quality operation to exhibit its cut as a standard of achievement.

Hey Joe,

Is this the work of Eric Ericson. Doing those perfect stripes? What happened to Mr. Ericson?

[SWD]

for more narrow stripes like you want - a reel mower isn't necessary.
National mower company markets a rotory striping mower, I believe known as an I Stripe - or something substantially similar.

[Guthrie&Co]

for more narrow stripes like you want - a reel mower isn't necessary.
National mower company markets a rotory striping mower, I believe known as an I Stripe - or something substantially similar.
but to have the putting green apearance you need bent grass, not fescue. and you would need to mow it at 5/32'' of an inch. which you cant mow with a rotary mower.

[Lawnworks]

I have a customer who wants his yard to look like a putting green.

First of all he has the wrong grass.

Second a putting green can’t be cut by a rotary mower. The mower would rip it out of the ground and it requires a reel mower to clip it like scissors with out pulling on the grass leaf.

The link you have sent us to showing all of the pretty stripes was accomplished with a Dixie Chopper.

It was one of the first places I found when I came here. I am interested in getting a Dixie Chopper. So, the first thing I did was to search all the information here about them. They do a nice job.

It goes to show you “A true crafts man does not blame his tools for his faulty craftsmanship.” I have heard some bash the Dixie but as you can see it really does a top quality finish job.

The Dixie Chopper is even good enough to inspire some one aspiring to start a top quality operation to exhibit its cut as a standard of achievement.

Hey Joe,

Is this the work of Eric Ericson. Doing those perfect stripes? What happened to Mr. Ericson?

Yeah I am going to have to with Dixie Chopper's are not the end all. Exmark style mowers are where its at. I believe they can stripe just as well, but I don't live in the fescue land.

[Pro-Scapes]

Man I wish I could get my lawns to stripe like that. Centipede just doesn't stripe well at all. I can get faint ones but mostly just tire marks lines. Anyone have luck in the south striping? Still waiting on the turboforce stripe kits to come out. Might have to make a chain one though.

[turfmann]

Don't listen to the naysayers. There are all kinds of reel mowers for all kinds of circumstances. You can get a National, an "inexpensive" tri-plex mower that will cut high enough so that you don't have to mow daily. You can try picking up a used golf course reel mower. There are companies that sell machines that come off lease, get traded in etc.

You do not need to cut the lawn at 1/2" to make it look like a golf course. Most of the grass on a golf course is cut at the same height as we cut in the landscape business. Its only the tees, fairways and greens that are cut short. But I will tell you that the tall grass on a golf course looks superior to that cut by landscapers because of the quality of cut of the reel mower and the frequency of cut - twice or more a week.

When I was a kid, my dad, a superintendent, would bring home a reel mower that was set to cut at rough height. Always did a nice job, striped the lawn real well.

I, too, think that there may be a market for reel mower based landscapers.

Come to think of it, there was a company on the north shore of Boston that used to be set up that way. They did the front lawn of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune newspaper building. Looked just like a golf course, except at 1 1/2".

[Guthrie&Co]

the reality of the situation still remains that you cant cut fescue down that low.

[Lawnworks]

Man I wish I could get my lawns to stripe like that. Centipede just doesn't stripe well at all. I can get faint ones but mostly just tire marks lines. Anyone have luck in the south striping? Still waiting on the turboforce stripe kits to come out. Might have to make a chain one though.

Yeah, I really wish God hadn't created centipede. It has to be the ugliest grass out of all of them, but it the best suited to our environment. Striping is a waste of time down here.

[therainman]

the reality of the situation still remains that you cant cut fescue down that low.
Sure you can. Do you really think every golf course in the world only has bent grass tees and fairways? There are many low budget golf courses in the world that have shorter cut heights. It is done in stages, you can not go from 4 inches to 5/32 in one pass. even with a reel mower in would "burn."

Back to the real question here. you don have to use a reel mower to obtain vivid strips. This can be done with careful repetition of the same lines. Yes some mowers stripe better tha others, this is a symptom of poor deck design, or setup.

Shawn