Cutting Strategies

[JeffW0011]

Ok, I know this is a total newbie question and second nature to you veterans, but can I get some tips or directed to a site that discusses cutting technique. I have been driving around regularly, looking at various yards and trying to conceptualize how I would cut them and what the best way would be to achieve the most desirable effect. I know you should change up cutting directions regularly, I do know that much (lol). Are straight lines always the best? What about when straight lines are impossible? I mean a big open lot that is square or rectangular is easy to envision. But when I try to strategize a yard that is all over the place and has a ton of trees, flower beds, decorations, uneven terrain etc. etc. I am having difficulty picturing the best strategy to achieve optimal results.

[STONE SCAPES]

Great question. I'm looking to start mowing this year and would love to some response to this.

[Grits]

Some yards you can only cut one way, and that is the nature of the beast. I try not to "racetrack", but sometimes that is your only option. I think it looks better in a striped fashion. Not necessarily striped, but mowed in that fashion. Honestly, I don't think the moajority of customers care, just as long as the grass is shorter when you get done...that's all they want. But personal gratification is important too. (Not THAT kind of gratification...filthy minds) ANd I feel better about the job when I am able to do it the way I think is best. But yeah. Just cut the damn grass!!!!!!

[CoreyD]

yea i think doign straight lines looks best.... but i dont have a zero turn so when i do straight lines it takes me longer because i have to go across for the first line and then when i get to the end... back up and get lined up again..... lol only way to really do it with my mower is going from the outside in ... if you get what i meen

[ubirajara83]

Some yards you can only cut one way, and that is the nature of the beast. I try not to "racetrack", but sometimes that is your only option. I think it looks better in a striped fashion. Not necessarily striped, but mowed in that fashion. Honestly, I don't think the moajority of customers care, just as long as the grass is shorter when you get done...that's all they want. But personal gratification is important too. (Not THAT kind of gratification...filthy minds) ANd I feel better about the job when I am able to do it the way I think is best. But yeah. Just cut the damn grass!!!!!!

Hey shields i always wanted to ask is that you in that pic. Sorry i know it has nothing to do with the subject but always wondered

[lawn guy1350]

mow it in stripe fashion. theres always a way. never do it race track style, thats very unprofessional.

[bbpropmaint]

i mow perimeter first, blowing clippings away. then look for longest perspective stripe..takes some practice keeping it straight then work off that ..just my technique..

[hackitdown]

I circle the perimeter first. I see some guys do the perimiter last to clean things up, and that does look a bit better.

Because I do almost all really big lawns, I run a stripe right up the middle of the lawn, keeping my eyes focused on a tree or something at the far end of the run (to keep the line straight). Then I just work off that first straight stripe.

The next week I make sure to run the stripes in a different direction. The customers will then start to see a checkerboard effect, which looks pretty snazzy. The 3rd week goes in yet another direction, and so on.

Remember, in a mid-August drought, when the lawn only grows 1/2 inch, it will look like a nice fresh cut if the stripes go a different way than the last cut. It helps customers feel like they are getting more value.

[HOOLIE]

No matter what direction you mow in, the KEY to straight stripes is, on the first stripe you want to line up and focus on 2 different targets...one fairly close and the second farther back. Focusing on 2 objects will ensure you are going straight the first time. Then just go from there.

[daveintoledo]

http://www.scag.com/lawnstriping.html

dont forget to go around the perimiter one last time to erase the turn around marks form the lawn...

[Mow2nd-2]

for me i have noticed when cutting a big open lot cut twice around the outside to give you some where to turn around then its easier to keep your stripes straight if you start near a corner and cut diagonally across till your done, aslo find something to aim your mower at with your first couple of passes. but its still a pain

[Tadams]

Everyone has their own way of doing it and none of them are bad. This is the way we do it: Most yards can be divided into several sections. Front left, right left (each side of driveway), each side of the house (2), and the back. You might have more depending on the landscape and terrain. We take each of these sections and make at least 2 perimeter cuts (sometimes 3) blowing the clippings into the uncut section. Then you can cut a different direction each week (vertical, horizontal, and both diagonals- lll,=,///,\\\).This way you try to eliminate as much compaction and rutting as possible (except in the perimeter passes). We don't do it this way because it's pretty, more professional, or the customers want it (they could care less), We do it because it is the fastest and most productive way to do our job with our equipment. If you start out with a tractor type riding mower, then this is not gonna be the fastest way to do your job. The racetrack method will be best and there is nothing wrong with that.

[topsites]

Here's how I do it, to save myself a LOT of time and frustration, all my mowers have the discharge on the right.

So, at very first I make two complete perimeter runs, all around the edges all around the yard in a clockwise direction (with the chute pointing IN to the yard and AWAY from paved surfaces / driveways / walkways / beds / etc).

Once that is done, I can cut any which way I feel like because the path I just cut gives me space to play around in (such as turning around) and now the amount of clippings that ends up flying all over the road is minimal (less cleanup afterwards).

I usually, at this point either begin striping (back and forth in straight lines), or I continue doing the above racetrack pattern BUT I turn the mower around so the clippings shoot OUT from the center, either way this disperses the clippings evenly.
While striping is the cosmetically preferred method, racetracking tends to be faster...
I also like to alternate patterns, it does help with the rutting, as important is you don't 'burn' your pattern into the yard throughout the season.
Of course with striping, you almost have to burn it in some lol.
btw, burning a pattern is just an expression, it refers to how when you consistently follow the same track, you can see even weeks later how it was cut... As was mentioned already, most customers don't care so long it's cut.

Some mowers shoot the clippings farther out, so 3 initial passes may be required to keep the stuff from getting all over every other surface.

Also, I usually double cut most every yard, but that's just me.

[lawn guy1350]

http://www.scag.com/lawnstriping.html

dont forget to go around the perimiter one last time to erase the turn around marks form the lawn...

Everyone starting out should see this!!!!

[echeandia]

http://www.scag.com/lawnstriping.html


Good info, thanks.

[daveintoledo]

Good info, thanks.

sounded like just what you where looking for....:)

[JeffW0011]

Thanks for all the helpful info. Dave, that link you provided was perfect. Thanks man.