What have you found buried in the lawn so far?

[Up North]

So far I've shot a couple cans, a super ball, some sticks, and a carpet sample out from my deck. Actually the carpet sample shut me down instantly as it got all wrapped up around two spindles...that was fun. It was a light brown piece of carpet in a dirt area in front of some steps to an apartment, the thing was so covered with dirt I didn't even notice it until it got sucked up under the deck and shut me down. Took about 20 minutes to cut and unwrap everything... :dizzy:

Buck

[Lux Lawn]

Earlier this spring I was cutting a lawn that was really long and had not been cut yet...I had the mower on the highest setting around 4 inches and went right over the top of a 40 ounce beer bottle and never touched it.

[steve122]

First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities. So I get into a lot of knee high yards, mostly abandonded or forclosed properties. I always walk the yard before I start to cut, looking for trash, pick up what I can find. That said, so far this year:
1/4 inch cable, that was used for a dog run, one end still on the tree, wrapped up in blades and lifted front of mower off ground before I could shut off deck,
3/8 chain, attatched to a dog tie down stuck in ground,
barb wire, had to remove blades to get it out of them,
shock absorber,
front wheel from a kids bicycle,
water main shut off, (cast iron cap on 6" pipe) cost me three blades and a spindle,
full spray paint cans, leave a hell of a mark in the grass,
more than a few baseballs, one aluminum baseball bat,
lots of pieces of firewood, rocks, trash, bottles, kids toys, turtles, rabbits, and some more I'm sure I've forgotten. So far this year I've cut 83 of these types of yards this year with more to come.

[Green-Pro]

steve122 First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities.

I've been fortunate? ;) enough to get a few of these also, on the plus side I usually quote them very very high, so far they have not questioned my quotes. I guess when a place really ought to be given to the vol. fire dept. for practice burn they realize it gonna cost for anything a service person is asked to do.
They pay well but I'm not overly fond of them.

-Geoff

P.S. How's the season been so far Buck?

[Up North]

I've been fortunate? ;) enough to get a few of these also, on the plus side I usually quote them very very high, so far they have not questioned my quotes. I guess when a place really ought to be given to the vol. fire dept. for practice burn they realize it gonna cost for anything a service person is asked to do.
They pay well but I'm not overly fond of them.

-Geoff

P.S. How's the season been so far Buck?

Geoff,
Very busy so far. Picked up 10 new accounts from one guy (he owns rental props) two weeks ago and two more new accounts last week. Haven't done one stitch of advertising this season because I didn't really want to add anything since I'm trying to get some real estate business going. But word of mouth travels I guess and I hate to turn people down as you may never get the opportunity again. I am turning one down however, went and looked at the prop on Friday and it's full of rocks, sticks, marking flags, etc. and it's very rough. Not going to ruin my equipment over one account.

How's things going for you down there? Have you had as much rain as we've been getting? We're water-logged up here...the fish are happy! :D

Buck

[Up North]

First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities. So I get into a lot of knee high yards, mostly abandonded or forclosed properties. I always walk the yard before I start to cut, looking for trash, pick up what I can find. That said, so far this year:
1/4 inch cable, that was used for a dog run, one end still on the tree, wrapped up in blades and lifted front of mower off ground before I could shut off deck,
3/8 chain, attatched to a dog tie down stuck in ground,
barb wire, had to remove blades to get it out of them,
shock absorber,
front wheel from a kids bicycle,
water main shut off, (cast iron cap on 6" pipe) cost me three blades and a spindle,
full spray paint cans, leave a hell of a mark in the grass,
more than a few baseballs, one aluminum baseball bat,
lots of pieces of firewood, rocks, trash, bottles, kids toys, turtles, rabbits, and some more I'm sure I've forgotten. So far this year I've cut 83 of these types of yards this year with more to come.

Steve...you no doubt take the "rough cut'n" award! Holy bent spindle Batman, I think you need a tractor & Bushhog.

Buck

[Up North]

Earlier this spring I was cutting a lawn that was really long and had not been cut yet...I had the mower on the highest setting around 4 inches and went right over the top of a 40 ounce beer bottle and never touched it.

Larry,
You need to remember to throw your bottles into the NEXT lawn...not the one you're mowing. :D

Buck

[Green-Pro]

Buck

We got first rain in about two and a half weeks today and not a whole lot of it so send some down this way if you can find the time :) So dry this week I had to not cut a few.

First season is going really great! I had about 18 accounts up until two weeks ago, then I ended up with 17 more. A good mix of residence (large lots) and commercial (Investment place, car dealer, couple churches, National Guard unit and the Army Reserve Unit) I had bought a Scag 52" TT new ended up buying a Tiger Cub (used 260 hrs) and hiring a young college bound kid from church to help me out. Not that theres so many I can't keep up but all the other add-ons like mulch, plant beds, seeding, tilling, hedge trimming, Fert & Squirt are helping put a strain on the old mowing schedule being solo.

I got extra accounts from my Scag & Echo dealer, he has gotten to the point where he had to choose what he was going to do LCO or Sales & Service. So the accounts he & I contacted folks and let them know I would be taking over, all were good about it, I will have to bid the Two Armed forces props though.

all in all very nice way to start first season, kinda took me by surprise but good problems to have.

Good luck with the Real Estate Business, need to try and put a Pheasant hunt together this fall :)

-Geoff

[jimslawns]

I "found" a brake rotor the other day! costs me a blade. :realmad:

[grass_cuttin_fool]

One propert that I maintain, a church. There are grading a section for a pavillion and sowed grass on it last fall and covered it with straw. The bales of straw were tied with red string and the dirt is also a red clay and they just left the string were it fell. Everytime I think there is no more poof I find more

[SproulsMowingService]

Beer cans
Easter baskets
Pieces of drop cords
Rope
Pieces of garden hose
Pieces of baby dolls
Toy cars
Dead fish
Assorted clothing items
Used diapers
Garden tool handle (rake?)
Shoes
Metal pipes

Probably more that I can't remember, but this is all from one lawn. I try to pick it all up before hand. Usually though, there are several things that get missed. I figure that if they can't keep it all picked up, it becomes mower fodder.

[Csaba-Ferenczi]

I have found alot of junk around my property and some take almost the whole day to take out of the ground.

Large concrete pieces (300lbs each atleast)

Fallen tree under ground (1000+lbs)

scissors

toys

2 inch 20-40ft cable for bulldozers

jewelery

lots of plastic

glass

very small tiles

large rocks

sometimes a bottle

a matress frame

rebar

an old wheel barrow

roofing supplies

old fences


thats about all i can remember.

[Up North]

Buck

We got first rain in about two and a half weeks today and not a whole lot of it so send some down this way if you can find the time :) So dry this week I had to not cut a few.

First season is going really great! I had about 18 accounts up until two weeks ago, then I ended up with 17 more. A good mix of residence (large lots) and commercial (Investment place, car dealer, couple churches, National Guard unit and the Army Reserve Unit) I had bought a Scag 52" TT new ended up buying a Tiger Cub (used 260 hrs) and hiring a young college bound kid from church to help me out. Not that theres so many I can't keep up but all the other add-ons like mulch, plant beds, seeding, tilling, hedge trimming, Fert & Squirt are helping put a strain on the old mowing schedule being solo.

I got extra accounts from my Scag & Echo dealer, he has gotten to the point where he had to choose what he was going to do LCO or Sales & Service. So the accounts he & I contacted folks and let them know I would be taking over, all were good about it, I will have to bid the Two Armed forces props though.

all in all very nice way to start first season, kinda took me by surprise but good problems to have.

Good luck with the Real Estate Business, need to try and put a Pheasant hunt together this fall :)

-Geoff

Congrats man!! Very nice start indeed. Yes, we'll have to try put together a pheasant hunt, see if we can wrangle up Camland from Michigan too.

Buck

[RedWingsDet]

So far I've shot a couple cans, a super ball, some sticks, and a carpet sample out from my deck. Actually the carpet sample shut me down instantly as it got all wrapped up around two spindles...that was fun. It was a light brown piece of carpet in a dirt area in front of some steps to an apartment, the thing was so covered with dirt I didn't even notice it until it got sucked up under the deck and shut me down. Took about 20 minutes to cut and unwrap everything... :dizzy:

Buck

Buck, I didnt know you cut... Thats sweet, I thought you just plowed. When ya gonna get a 2500hd?

what kinda mowers ya got?

[RedWingsDet]

oh and what did I find.... some people are gonna get pissed at me, but I was cutting a yard that was about a foot tall, and there was a rabbit hole (i didnt know they lived underground) and one came running up, and well, it wasnt the easter bunny anymore. but luckly I noticed it as soon as it came up and went a tad under the deck and I pulled up so he just got a short scalp. Im sure he lived, just had some fur to grow back, but im sure with the heat we've been getting, he isnt missing it.

I have a contract for two realating (spelling?) companys and one bank (take care of their repos), and every once in a while I have to cut tall arse grass, and thats how I found that bunny, im sure if it was maintained everyweek it wouldnt have happened :(

[Up North]

Buck, I didnt know you cut... Thats sweet, I thought you just plowed. When ya gonna get a 2500hd?

what kinda mowers ya got?

I run Snapper (Fastback Pro ZTR) & Toro (WB) for shearing grass, and Echo hand helds for finishing.

I'd love to jump on a 2500HD especially now with the deal they have running but my truck has been paid off for 2 years and I love NO PAYMENTS!!!!

Buck

[RedWingsDet]

thats sweet. I just made my first payment. I dont mind, now when I have to bid a first job of the month, which was yesterday, I just add my truck payment into the bid, none-theless, I got it and did the job today and payment 2 is paid already, only 4 days into the month. lol.

now I just need to buy a better mower, either hydro wb or a z. not sure what I want.


how many accounts do you have?

[Up North]

Running 22 accounts right now part time. Doesn't sound like much I know but at least half the accounts are very large props that take 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours to do by myself. Then I do real estate when I can.

Buck

[topsites]

Well other than the usual which you guys already posted, I had a yard with tall grass AND a small pile of brush to clean. So I grabs the 10-tine pitchfork and load the brush in my trailer first, close up the gate and take the outfit out of the driveway so I can cut grass.
So I'm cruising around with the WB when suddenly I hit something that stopped the center spindle (you know, belt squeal and smoke) so of course I shut it all down. Then I look closer and see the handle of my 10-tine pitchfork sticking out the front. Dude that suk'd, the damage to the mower blade was minimal but one the tines on the fork was completely wrapped around the blade and the 10-tine fork is 50 bucks, 80 for a nice one.
So I just put it in the truck, was able to tighten the nut enough to get me through the rest of the day (but once I took the bladebolt off to change for sharp blades later, I couldn't get a thread to grip no more - that's when I realized the bladebolt had got stripped). All in all, after some patient work with a vise and some visegrips and a hammer, I was able to straighten the pitchfork tines back to functional (phew) and was only out 10 bucks for the bladebolt.
...
Far as the rabbits, I don't wanna talk about that but I do have a dead cat in one yard (no I didn't hit it but the smell is, well...)

Other than that...
My favorite sound is the 'Zing' of a blade when I THOUGHT the blades would clear that stupid rock :-)

[Mountaingoat]

Hello all. New here, This is what I've managed to chop up so far.
Beer cans
Empty one liter soda bottles. Some of them make a nice POP!
Frog - yuck
Various rocks. ewwww That didnt sound good. It sounded expensive!
Small wet blanket- that turned me off in a hurry.
Old clothesline buried in ground, that shut me down.
Old coil springs from a chair. Wrapped nicely around the drive spindle.(insert cuss here________)

And I walked the property before hand. Next time I take a closer look.
So with that said where can I order a back up set of blades for a 42 inch deck? :cry:

Looking for help on setting pricing, check out the new to business forum if ya think you can help. Thanks. Mountaingoat

[Branchland]

I've ran over the ussual, cans etc. But as far as critters there was a freashly dead bird next to the main road one day, it's at a crappy apartment complex, so I just ran over it, feathers went everywhere. The other time with a critter I was bagging the yard. Saw a mouse, so I thought my super z would pick it up and I'd just dump it with the clippings in the woods. Well it took like four times but it finally picked it up.

[Up North]

Hello all. New here, This is what I've managed to chop up so far.
Beer cans
Empty one liter soda bottles. Some of them make a nice POP!
Frog - yuck
Various rocks. ewwww That didnt sound good. It sounded expensive!
Small wet blanket- that turned me off in a hurry.
Old clothesline buried in ground, that shut me down.
Old coil springs from a chair. Wrapped nicely around the drive spindle.(insert cuss here________)

And I walked the property before hand. Next time I take a closer look.
So with that said where can I order a back up set of blades for a 42 inch deck? :cry:

Looking for help on setting pricing, check out the new to business forum if ya think you can help. Thanks. Mountaingoat

Welcome to Lawnsite Mountaingoat. Looks like you've already got plenty of experience in chopping up lost goods in the lawn... :D

As for pricing...varies by area, even from town to town. Good luck!

Buck

[gl1200a]

Well my Z-Trak found a rusty old steel rabbit trap today and it clagged around in there for a bit.

[William J. L.]

One day I saw some paper money, but by the time that it registered in my brain I ran over it. When I stop to look at the shreads I noticed it was a $50 bill...very well shreaded.
Another time I bent over for a second to adjust something and a brand new un opened pack of cigarettes fell out of my pocket and was sucked under the mower....in less than two seconds...they were mulch.

[CutNLawns]

Just this weekend i was clearing some camp ground property for my father in law. The Railroad has been working there for more than a year replacing a overpass so there was a few sections of rail left behind which was easy to see. The grass was waist high so we did a pretty good walk through before starting. Since I was out of town I borrowed my Dads new Laser and got it knocked down on the highest deck height. I went back and lowered it to 3" for a final pass and uncovered several of the 1" dia x 8" long solid steel rail anchors strung out all over the property. I was able to see most of them except for the two i did smack.

So where is the best place to get a set of Gator blades for a 48 Exmark Laser??? :dizzy:

[steve122]

Steve...you no doubt take the "rough cut'n" award! Holy bent spindle Batman, I think you need a tractor & Bushhog.

Buck
Most yards are too small to make a bushhog practical. Add in fenced back yards and trees and shrubs and it just wouldn't work. I have a 7ft bushhog mower and tractor but it is too slow to drive and too heavy to haul on utility trailer, use it around home. I have a brother who has smaller tractor and 5ft mower who will do the large jobs for me, where one would be practical. He charges me what he wants for job and I add on some and pass it on. Works out well, have had a couple that were so big had to go to another brother who has a 15ft batwing and have him do them for me (he gets $125/hour for the mower and tractor) but 15ft batwing can mow some territory.

[iluvscag]

A door, but I stopped before I hit it. :)

[Up North]

My Snapper ZTR found a 3' section of 3/8" thick re-bar today...wrapped it around two blades & spindles before it shut me down. :realmad:

Had it unwrapped in 15 minutes or so and other then taking the edge off my blades I got by unscathed...whew.

Buck

[Mountaingoat]

Welcome to Lawnsite Mountaingoat. Looks like you've already got plenty of experience in chopping up lost goods in the lawn...

As for pricing...varies by area, even from town to town. Good luck!

Buck


Thank you for the welcome UPNORTH :waving:

[RKISTNER1]

Neighbour Larry goes on vacation 2 weeks. Told him" don't worry I'll cut your lawn" How high Larry? "3 inches rich" 5min into cutting wacked off frikkin sprinkler head!

[Green-Pro]

Finally took images off my camera, heres one of what I affectionately call a crap hole that I cut for a Credit Union, in the pic is the first time it had been cut. They called me because the city was getting complaints from the neighbors, duh!! go figure

-Geoff

[Up North]

Finally took images off my camera, heres one of what I affectionately call a crap hole that I cut for a Credit Union, in the pic is the first time it had been cut. They called me because the city was getting complaints from the neighbors, duh!! go figure

-Geoff

Hey Geoff, I cut one like that yesterday. A guy had moved out of a rental and called me to mow because the landlord wouldn't give him his deposit back until the lawn was mowed. Lots of fun huh?? :D Hope all went well and you didn't send anything "off into the wild blue yonder".

Buck

[Green-Pro]

Hey Geoff, I cut one like that yesterday. A guy had moved out of a rental and called me to mow because the landlord wouldn't give him his deposit back until the lawn was mowed. Lots of fun huh?? Hope all went well and you didn't send anything "off into the wild blue yonder".

Buck

Buck,

Piled up all the crappola in the middle of the back yard (thats where all the rest of the trash was anyway), and mowed away. Nothing into the wild blue yonder but did have to get kid working for me to help get the TT unstuck from a crater that rings one of the clothesline poles :realmad: However they paid well for the first cut and now that I've got it tamed its a quick easy yard to bang out each week payup

-Geoff

[Lux Lawn]

Larry,
You need to remember to throw your bottles into the NEXT lawn...not the one you're mowing. :D

Buck

LOL Man you got me good on that one.

[Ax Man]

I was escavating for a retaining wall and found a playground ball about 30 inches under...
Hit plenty of deer bones (bad dog) with the mower
the worst, a casket handle. bad woodchuck!

[The Grass Amputator]

One of the things I really enjoy while mowing is watching the birds swoop down to grab the flying insects. So, I didn't think anything of it when I saw some birds running on the ground beside my mower, though I did find it a bit odd that they seemed to be trying to get my attention. One even feigned a wing injury in an attempt to get me to go after it.

Little did I know that they had built a nest on the surface of the ground, and I'd already mowed over it. I saw 3 little critters scurrying around trying to find mama. I'm almost certain that I murdered some of their siblings. And, well, I felt lower than whale dung at that point. I stopped the mower, caught the baby birds, and deposited them onto ground I'd already mowed. I hope they were able to locate their parents. (This happened at a commercial contract, which happens to be a 27 acre middle school campus.)

Probably the strangest object I have hit while mowing was a set of posthole diggers with fiberglass handles. I was operating a tractor, rather than a mower, and knew immediately that I'd struck paydirt. The damage, thankfully, was minimal to nonexistent to the mowing deck. The diggers, however, were fatally injured.

-Scott

[Lawnaholic]

Well follow/fellowette lawnsiters, I haven't posted on here very much but I had to engage on this thread. Last year, my son and I were doing a first time cut on this one residential(keep in mind, this is a residential which makes it even more amazing that he got away with the shape of his lawn w/out the city citing him???). I go up to the door and ask the gentleman if he'd be interested in some lawncare. He ask for my rate and I tell him what it is for a standard sized lawn and he then says, "what if it's just my front lawn that I want mowed", so I tell him what that'll cost and he agrees. We start on the front and in the middle of the mow, he stops and says, "go ahead and do the back yard while you're already here". He then explains that it is kind of tall and that he mowed about a quarter of the yard and only needs me to do the other 3/4 that is left and I agree. My son was just finishing mowing the median/sidewalk part of the yard so I tell him just to go ahead and start on the back yard and I'll mow the main part of the front yard. I send my son to the back and not even two minutes later he returns and says, "Dad, you gotta come see this"!!! I tell him I'll be back in a minute when I finish up. He insist, "Dad, you won't believe this", so I'm like, "Ok, let me see what it is you want me to see so bad". I go into the gate and I'm like, "WFT"! This guys yard is literally like a JUNGLE!!! It's so tall that I have to string trim it first before we can even mow it. And I'm talking about trimming it from top to bottom in 8 inch increments, not just a regular trimming because it was so big that it would bog my trimmer down to a complete stop. Anyhow, to get to the best part of the story, towards the back corner of the yard, once we finally made it there, I start to trim away as I had been doing for the last 45 minutes(LOL!)and as I start trimming more and more away, low and behold, there's stands a freakin'(believe me, I wanted to use the four letter word here!) bar-b-q grill that was buried in this guy's back yard!!!!????!!!!??? So you ask what I've found while mowing? ...That's what I've come across......

[Charles]

They would have to had been a very good customer for me to touch that lawn lol. Wear out your equipment fast on many messes like that

[jbell113]

Mowing yesterday and found a 6 ft ceiling lamp in the yard. Picked it up and sat it next to the mail box.