Cemetery mowing

[Molerj]

A friend of mine bid on a job mowing two cemeteries for the local township. He bid kind of high & lo & behold he got the job. Now he needs to buy a self propelled mower to do the job. The cemeteries are both on side hills, not real steep but steep enough. These are old cemeteries and not real big. It would probably take a day to mow each.He ask me for advice, so I am asking the pros. He wants a commercial mower, says it can't be wider than 30" so he can get between the markers. He is willing to spend around 3k. Any suggestions?

[Runner]

30 inches? To mow a cemetary? Just to get between the markers, that makes no sense. If they are THAT narrow between the rows, then there is a whole lot more wide areas. If there is 30" (or just more) between the stones side by side, then you don't mow between them...you just dip the edge of the deck in while travelling forward - swirving in slightly and back out... SLIGHTLY!

[Molerj]

Thanks for your reply, then what do you suggest as a size & brand?

[Runner]

That's kind of a hard answer to come up with. How nig are the cemetaries? Are we talking 6 acres or 60? 5 or 10? How much other trimming? Ditches? Hills? Wide open areas?

[Lumberjack]

heck mow it cross ways and then hit between the stones with a 21".....or perhaps the reverse might be better???

[TURF DOCTOR]

Stay with a 52 inch cut or less.

[dwlah]

Had/have the same problem with the cemetary I mow (markers close together )This year I bought a 19/46 exmark still cant get between all the markers BUT Ive cut my mowing time to about 2 hrs from4-5 last year I just get what I can with the mower then use a string trimmer for the rest total time now is about 3.5-4 hrs Try the dip in and out method you can cut out a lot of trimming doing it that way couldnt do the dip in/out last year with the lawn tractor too much