Ok Please Dont bash me for this one.Im new.

[CameronRawr]

Ok I'm going to try and get some yards this summer and maybe continue a side buisness with this.Im not a novice in grass cutting but I dont know how to make the yard look GOOD.I want to be able to make the customer like their yard after I am done.So heres my question.How do you make stripes in the yard?Im guessing its a lot easier to do it with a push mower.So if anyone can explain in some detail how to make the stripes in yards I would apperciate any advice.Thanks in advance.

ps and Hey to everyone.Just signed up today.:)

[CBramble]

You need a striping kit. Do a search you should find what your looking for...

[CameronRawr]

Is there any way to do it without one of those?

[29 Palms Property Management]

http://www.elmlawnsite.com/striping_information.htm

Here's a good link to research.

[29 Palms Property Management]

On the green bar above, there is a search button, type in "striping" and it'll be bring up a bunch of topics for you to read. You can find just about everything you can imagine. Use this search often. It will keep you very busy.
Welcome!

[CameronRawr]

ahh nevermind.these things do not look that expensive.

What do they run usually?

[Freddy_Kruger]

I hate striping at least it doesn't work for me. It only points out how crooked my lines are :(

[mr mow]

first off its easier to stipe with a commercial mower, you want to go the extra mile get a stiping kit. most homeowners dont care about the stripes or dont really notice them till you point it out. last point... can you vaccuum the carpet well get stripes, get it to look like a bacgammon board. its about refelction of light. and last use every inch of your mower width while still cutting all the grass at the same time. begin with straight lines.

[CameronRawr]

first off its easier to stipe with a commercial mower, you want to go the extra mile get a stiping kit. most homeowners dont care about the stripes or dont really notice them till you point it out. last point... can you vaccuum the carpet well get stripes, get it to look like a bacgammon board. its about refelction of light. and last use every inch of your mower width while still cutting all the grass at the same time. begin with straight lines.

yeah thats what Im wanting to start with.Just straight lines.

[CameronRawr]

So Im trying to google and find prices for striping kit.What do I type in.Im not finding anything.

[29 Palms Property Management]

What are you mowing with? You don't necessarily need a striping kit. I stripe pretty good with the WB's without any stripe kits.

[CameronRawr]

a POS.lol.

I cant remember the brand name.We got it from lowes a couple of years ago.

[CBramble]

Do a google search for big league lawns. I'm pretty sure thats the company that makes some good striping kits. As was stated above, MOST of your customers don't give a hoot about stripes....save your money. OR make a homemade one, I have seen directions on here using chains.

[CameronRawr]

making my own dont sound like a bad idea.Just if I figure out how to do it.

[29 Palms Property Management]

Here you go:
How to:

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=116589&highlight=homemade+striping+kit

[CameronRawr]

ahh thanks for all the help man.

How long have u been in the buisness?

[CBramble]

29 Palms got it for ya

[GrassQuester]

Why are you striping?Did you pick up the Atlanta Braves account?

[CameronRawr]

lol naw.

I just think it looks good.

[29 Palms Property Management]

ahh thanks for all the help man.

How long have u been in the buisness?
No problem at all. I'm actually supposed to be catching up on my invoicing, but, I get side tracked easily!
I've been involved in Landscaping and Lawn Care for almost 7 years now. I broke off on my own 3 and a half years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. I did it as a solo operation for a few years and now, as of this year, I actually have 2 crews working for me. What a difference. Life is getting better.

[CameronRawr]

No problem at all. I'm actually supposed to be catching up on my invoicing, but, I get side tracked easily!
I've been involved in Landscaping and Lawn Care for almost 7 years now. I broke off on my own 3 and a half years ago. It was the best decision I ever made. I did it as a solo operation for a few years and now, as of this year, I actually have 2 crews working for me. What a difference. Life is getting better.

Well best of luck to you and Congrats.I just want something small right now.Part Time.Who knows could grow to something as big as yours.

[29 Palms Property Management]

Well best of luck to you and Congrats.I just want something small right now.Part Time.Who knows could grow to something as big as yours.
I'm no where near as big as I'd like to grow someday, but I always have something to shoot for. Most of us started small, or part time. Nothing wrong with that. Just keep things legit, and learn as much as you can. I learn more and more everyday. The day you think you know all there is to know, get out of the business. We'll never know it all. The properties that you care for, make them your business card. Referrals are everything. Good luck to you and feel free to ask questions. This site and everyone on it have been one a the most valuable tools in building my company.

[CameronRawr]

I'm no where near as big as I'd like to grow someday, but I always have something to shoot for. Most of us started small, or part time. Nothing wrong with that. Just keep things legit, and learn as much as you can. I learn more and more everyday. The day you think you know all there is to know, get out of the business. We'll never know it all. The properties that you care for, make them your business card. Referrals are everything. Good luck to you and feel free to ask questions. This site and everyone on it have been one a the most valuable tools in building my company.

Thanks man.I deffinately have a whooole lot to learn.Hopefully I'll learn more and more everyday.Thanks for all your help.

[jameson]

...this ISN'T the "Bash the New Guy" thread? .....Oh, Dang! Whatever...

Welcome to LS :waving: !

James

[topsites]

first off its easier to stipe with a commercial mower, you want to go the extra mile get a stiping kit. most homeowners dont care about the stripes or dont really notice them till you point it out. last point... can you vaccuum the carpet well get stripes, get it to look like a bacgammon board. its about refelction of light. and last use every inch of your mower width while still cutting all the grass at the same time. begin with straight lines.

I agree so far as the straight lines, first you need to start with basic lines and don't get fancy but at this point nobody cares LOL !

Do customers care about stripes?
Yes, and no. With single stripes, the only thing I hear from time to time is a complaint about an uneven cut lol... But criss-cross that joker like a checkerboard and the only thing I hear is absolute silence, which is kind of strange because they are either totally unaware or completely stunned and I am not sure which LOL but not a single complaint from the criss-cross makes me think they are a bit like wow but can't say a word, dunno for sure thou :rolleyes:

Someone else said:
What are you mowing with? You don't necessarily need a striping kit. I stripe pretty good with the WB's without any stripe kits.

I hear you, I got so tired of hooking / unhooking and carrying that crazy roller kit everywhere (not to mention maneuvering around the yard with it) that now I just do it all without kit and it turns out awesome, too. But yes, 48" commercial Wb.
I will say this: The striping kit enabled me to learn how to do it, don't know how to explain it but somehow the kit forces you to do it right or something.

[CutInEdge Lawn Care]

OK, here is the all time secret. Shhh!!! What we do is get a pair of really nice scissors, lay down on grass and do the inch worm thing. You snip and inch, snip and inch, snip and inch. Now depending on width of stripe depends on employee of the day. You can always upsell really wide stripes to customer up to aprox 6ft. However, you need to be aware of your schedule because if you upsold a 6ft stripe and all you have is a 48" Mexican on staff that day. Well you get the point. J/K

[29 Palms Property Management]

OK, here is the all time secret. Shhh!!! What we do is get a pair of really nice scissors, lay down on grass and do the inch worm thing. You snip and inch, snip and inch, snip and inch. Now depending on width of stripe depends on employee of the day. You can always upsell really wide stripes to customer up to aprox 6ft. However, you need to be aware of your schedule because if you upsold a 6ft stripe and all you have is a 48" Mexican on staff that day. Well you get the point. J/K
I can see it now. You have 6 guys lined up applying for the job. One guy thinks he's a shoe-in for the position because he's the only one with experience. But he's the shortest one there. All said and done, you choose the dumbest rock in the bunch, but he's 6'6"!!! :laugh:

[sunray]

What's the deal with striping, I just don't see the attraction. I personally like a nice even green yard.

[mcwlandscaping]

I don't use a stripe kit on my mower, and if you search the pics section of my name, youll find some recent pics of my work, looks great IMO, depends on how the deck is set up too!

[Loy's Home Services, LLC]

You do not need to purchase a striping kit! Just mow the same direction a couple of times the a different way and alternate your pattern. It's really easy. I mow 22 res. yards and three large commecial accounts and they all look like a golf corse. Different kinds of grass will have different effects.

Just stay in the white lines. What are you going to mow with?

[jtlnl]

check them first
for a john deere 6ft they run about $400 or so