Eric, did you sneek to TN and cut any?

[oneEXMARKfan]

He he he..I had to go by a Deere dealer about 20 miles away, and on the same road I saw the best srtiping I've ever seen this year (prob. ever). Just wondering if you had been down this way putting your "magic touch" on that piece of comm. property. (It did seem quite tall..... Does it stripe better the taller it is?) Wish I had a digital camera with me... (the trip to the dealer was a waste of time as far as a Green Machine trimmer head for my Shindaiwa... he didn't even know what I was talking about..Ask me what 1 looked like.

[John DiMartino]

I gotta say around here,most professional lawn care companys stripe as good as any of us.The grass stripes much better at higher heights,since tall grass lays over easier than short grass.At 3 1/2" height,anything will stripe great.The most impressive thing about Eric@ELM's stripes to me is,how straight they are-over humps and off cambers-even passes that I know are 6-700 ft long.

[Edited by John DiMartino on 04-10-2001 at 06:57 PM]

[bob]

That guy must of bought one of Eric's VCR tapes on " How to Stripe a Lawn".

[oneEXMARKfan]

He must have! I mean I see striped lawns everywhere I go, everyday (you can't sling a dead cat, without it landing in a striped lawn) but this was UNREAL! Way beyond the "average".

[Eric ELM]

Thanks John. You are the first one to ever mention the straightness and that is one thing I take pride in. When I mowed with the JD I had noticed ZTR's around the area for a few years, but everyone that had one, the stripes were not straight, so I figured it was the type of mowers that was the problem. :)

After I finally got one, I realized it was much easier to drive the ZTR straight than the JD with sloppy steering. I think the biggest reason I like the picture on my home page is that I took it down low standing under a tree. I have found that the lower you are standing when taking a lawn picture, it will show the slightest curve in a stripe. I'm not trying to pat myself on the back here, but just explaining a few things. Sorry for babeling on and on here.

oneEXMARKfan

No it wasn't me. I've been out on our own turf, but thanks for thinking it was me. :)

[Eric ELM]

Did you happen to go out towards Lebonon? I know a member cclllc (John) that mows out that way and he makes some nice stripes. It could of been one of his lawns and he uses Choppers to mow with also.

[oneEXMARKfan]

Actually Eric, it was in Hendersonville (Sumner Co). On New Shackle Island Road.

[oneEXMARKfan]

Maybe it was just the way the sun was on it, or the "sea of (new John Deere)green" reflecting on it...... Whatever it was, to me it was extremly gorgous. (don't know when it was cut, but it was about 5" tall when I saw it today) What is the "optimum" (not spelled right) height to cut it, as far as stripping the best vrs. being cut short enough. I know it would depend on the individual, but just in theory? (so to speak) I mean if it stripes the best the taller it is, when is it too high? (tall fescue) * Eric I did sign your guest book.I hope that was O.K. ......

[Edited by oneEXMARKfan on 04-10-2001 at 10:55 PM]

[Eric ELM]

I start out cutting 2.5" to 3". When it's hot I mow most of them at 3 to 3.5" and some at 4" to 4.5". I then bring them down to 2.5 for winter time. The pictures on my striping page are at 2.5"

[oneEXMARKfan]

Hmmmmmm the last 3 times I cut my mom's, I cut it at 2.5". and today I cut it at 3" . It's just a 48" Metro H.P. (17 hp KAW) with no striping kit, and it does stripe, but I guess I need a kit. (It is the best looking lawn around...as far as green and thick [it needs cutting after about 3 days....cut it every 4] Just wish it would stripe better..might try it at 3.5" next time

[oneEXMARKfan]

Looking at diff. striping kits......and the chains like you use would do wonders.....I'm considering anything that will make it as good as I can.....Was leaning towards Jungle Wheels, but if a Proslide will do better I'm all for it. (Thanks for your help Eric)

[TLS]

In order to stripe, you have to repeatedly use the same pattern, at least 3 to 4 times, then switch directions. The longer you mow in a certain pattern, the better the stripes are. You will not have instant stripes this early in the season.

[oneEXMARKfan]

I thought I was supposed to change directions every cut....(what would I do with out Lawnsite) Was always going on a diagonal and changing directions each time "X" I did cut it back to front this time. Thanks Dixie 1!

[Eric ELM]

If I am putting in the angle stripe, I will mow from the right front to the left back side one week and the left front to the back right side the next week.

The other cut is front to back one week and side to side one week. Some lawns I have all 4 striping combo's in them. Just depends on the lawn. But I never go over the same stripes 3 or 4 times in a row. I alternate each week.

[TLS]

Eric,

I guess what I am saying is that you cannot expect perfect stripes the first cut of the season. By the time you do your fourth angle, the first angle is all but gone. The key is to use the same track for each angle you choose and alternate so that you never use the same angle the next time you cut. Hard to describe on paper, but I dont want the new guys thinking that its majic and the first cut will look like just like your pictures.

[Greenkeepers]

One E-

We use metros and lazers and they stripe great. Another factor that comes into play is the type of grass ans whether or not it will lay over good...

[Eric ELM]

I agree Dixie, it's hard to explain this to some. I've tried to explain cutting one direction one week and the opposite angle the next week and they thought I meant go over the same tracks from the opposite direction which sort of erases the former stripe.

As I have said before, I usually try to get 2 different striping patterns in a lawn and looking good before I'll add a 3rd or 4th to a lawn.

To get a straight line when you are learning to stripe straight, start where you have the longest distance to go. The first time you start a lawn pick out an object to drive straight at and then do each half of the lawn. One big problem I see guys do is, they will start getting a hook at each end. They seem to be turning before they even get to the end.

If you are putting in front to back stripes, start along one side naturally, after going around the complete lawn. If your first pass isn't straight from going around the lawn, fix it by going over it, but going straighter to fix any hooks in the stripe or it will be crooked all the way across the lawn.

If you have new employees, you make the first pass and at least start them out so they are going straight. The longer the run, the harder it is to keep straight. I would also have them mow the back of a lawn until they learn to do this right.

I hope this helps some of you.
Eric

[Greenkeepers]

Yeah I agree w/ Eric and Dixie... I just said that it isn't the mower that's not striping.

Everyone thinks that because they buy a commercial mower they should be able to lay nice stripes down. It takes practice and patience to achieve the results that many have shown us here on lawnsite.

[Jusmowin]

In my area ive never seen anyone stripe a lawn, maybe ill get a striping kit for my 52 toro walk behind.

[AltaLawnCare]

Out of all of the lawns I've looked at in my area, only 2 have been striped anything similar to Eric's. And they weren't as defined.
Like stated before, the real impressiveness of Eric's are how straight they are, even around obstacles.