To bag or not to bag?

[lasher66]

I guess this is a pretty big question for most grass cutters. I was just wondering because I dont bag anything right now, I double cut and blow with my backpack to spread the clippings if I have too . This is just mainly in the spring though. Most my customers are residential and I am sure most commercial wants their grass bagged. I know it looks a lot better when its bagged but it just seems like a lot more hassle like hauling the grass, dumping it and so on. I am also limited to bagging because I only have a short bed pickup. Just wanted to know what you guys prefer? Do you charge extra to bag? Thanks

Lasher66

[65hoss]

I run eXmark mulching mowers exclusively. No need to bag, but get the bagged look. There is no way I'm bagging grass for any customer. Regardless of what they want, its toooo much trouble and I'm not going to contribute to filling landfills with something as valuable as clippings.

[AK Lawn]

Where i mow, AK, you almost have to bag 75% of the time and the other you might as well, it just grows so fast and the only way to mulch is to mow every 3 to 4 days, so i have to bag, but on ocassion do side disscharge if able, i do however charge to remove the bags from the customers property if desired, for a modest fee, just dump charges, have a lot where i work and stock pile till there is a full load, but do not charge to bag if left, i also cordinate neighborhoods so that trash day is the next morning so that they only look at the bags for as little time as possible
AK Lawn

[lawnkid]

Lasher66,

I usually charge more for baggong too because it's more labor. If they want it baged they're gonna pay extra.

65Hoss,

I have a question. How high can you cut the grass when mulching it? I deal with some pretty thick grass on some lawns and some thin blends on other lawns. The dealer says the Scag mulch kit sucks and it's not worth it. What would you suggest?

[Russo]

Hoss is gonna tellya to get an Exmark.LOL

I was raised in Upstate NY before I moved to Tennessee and I can testify that bagging is among the many cultural differences between the North and South.

In the North, it was bag or die. Everyone bags. When the "environmental" attitudes were peaking, people composted the clippings in a bin in the back yard, but you had to bag 'em to get them to the bin!

Few here even question weather to bag or not. Seems like they just never did and never will. That's alright with me.

I don't no why this is, but there is a reality to the idea that it is cultural.

[E-man]

Here every lco bags . The one good thing is we have a local nursery thats takes all the clipping for compost.

[TFL]

i bag most most of the time. i find it to be as time saver on properties with ditches the bagger takes care of the litter removal. clippings don't go to waste either use them to fill ditches on my parent's farm. it helps control washout in red clay.

[65hoss]

Originally posted by lawnkid
65Hoss,

I have a question. How high can you cut the grass when mulching it? I deal with some pretty thick grass on some lawns and some thin blends on other lawns. The dealer says the Scag mulch kit sucks and it's not worth it. What would you suggest?

Don't get a scag for 1 suggestion. Ok, maybe that was a little harsh. I really don't know anything about scag's mulching abilities. I've plowed thru many high lawns in the past with the mulch kit on. Heck, MikeLT1Z28 has seen me do it on several occassions. With the mulch kits on my eXmarks I don't really have to worry about it. I've never really had any problems.

[65hoss]

Originally posted by landscraper
Hoss is gonna tellya to get an Exmark.LOL




Hummm...that's an excellent idea. If I were you, I would go get an eXmark. :D :blob4:

[TGCummings]

I mulch everything. Everyone else around here bags, but there's no difference between my Toro Proline mulching and their Honda's bagging (remember we all use 21s out this way). I do own a 36" Exmark TTHP and mulch with it with mixed results. Double-blading with hi-lifts on bottom and wavy mulchers on top work best, but nothing mulches like my 21" Toros. ;)

I'll bag if a customer really wants it, at 30% extra cost. So far, no one really wants it. :)

[Brickman]

I am doing my best to wean as many customers as possible away from bagging. Where I used to live I had a very good place to dump and the neighbors cows took care of the rest. Now I don't have a good place to dump, and the city's dumping facilities suck the big one. So I am trying to mulch as much as possible this year. I am almost certain that my commercial accounts are going to be the ones that give me the least amount of grief about mulching. Most of my residentials are going to be fighting me the whole way. It is all in their heads, that I am sure of. :(
Many of them I will never tell, and unless they are watching CLOSELY they won't know the difference either.

[proline32]

I used to do a lot of bagging, But I got a new commercial lawn boy over a week ago and upped the rpms some on it and that sucker can mulch pretty damn good, but on some yard I have used the side bagger with great luck, basicly I estimate them as if I would bag them anyway and then when I can I mulch mow.

[TGCummings]

One more thing: Before I had a dedicated blade sharpener, my mulching was not near as good as now. Getting the proper sharpness, bevel (and, of course, balance) makes all the difference in the world.

If I can recommend one thing in my life to the fellow lawn care professional, it's get a rotary blade grinder. Don't hesitate. Don't wait. Don't buy anything else first. It's the most essential thing I own. ;)

[proline32]

AMEN, Thomas!

[Mark]

I don't bag unless the grass grows higher than 9" per week and thats only on two backyards, i run doubles on my Z-Master and the new scag i purchased this yr, with the two blades theres really no need to bag,but ive never seen any mower made that can mulch 8/9" wet grass or ever alittle damp and get the bagged look. Ive been cutting my grow fast yds every 5 days and all my clients understand that it is the best thing for the lawns health wise.Its been growing very fast here with all the rain, i agree with hoss way waste the clippings when mulched or cut with doubles its a bonus to the lawn. Marks Mowing Service

[Runner]

I never bag no matter how high the grass gets. If it's a foot deep, that just means that I have to cut over it 1 or 2 times more. No matter how many times I blast back over it as it dries, it's STILL less time and work than bagging. It all just has to be timed right, so it dries just a bit as it's cut. The only time I do bag, is with small and narrow islands that the cleanup around them outweighs the bagging effort.

[Soupy]

What is this Bagging you speak of ;) No need to with my Dixie. But when A new Client ask me if I bag, I simply tell them that my equipment doesn't work with a bagger. Haven't lost a client for this reason yet.

Soupy

[bobbygedd]

ok, i saw a guy put mulch in one of my customers nieghbors beds, then the following week i watched as he discharged clippings into the new mulch, then tried to blow it out, and half the mulch came with it. i try not to bag if i dont have to, but dont u think sometimes u have to? what happens when they have landscaping? u just shoot the stuff into their stone or mulch?

[MikeLT1Z28]

Originally posted by 65hoss


Don't get a scag for 1 suggestion. Ok, maybe that was a little harsh. I really don't know anything about scag's mulching abilities. I've plowed thru many high lawns in the past with the mulch kit on. Heck, MikeLT1Z28 has seen me do it on several occassions. With the mulch kits on my eXmarks I don't really have to worry about it. I've never really had any problems.

yep, do it myself all the time. my mulch kit stays on. exmark makes probably the best available mulch kit (micro mulch kit as it's called) on the market. can't speak for the others but i know their's works. it's not as good in moist/wet grass but it still does and awesome job. usually a clean up pass here and there and it's gone.

[ronslawncare]

the only time any of you guys should be bagging is on cleanups dont you guys remeber what eric taught us all.i just run gators on my scag and get them blades sharpened .dont keep throwing your profits away on bags and dumping .you have to blow the property off anyway a little more blowing saves in the long run.imho start all over every new account just say we dont bag if they ask why the clippings put nutrients back into your lawn.no way would i ever bag except on a cleanup.................trust me

[corban]

For some reason people like to not cut there lawn for two or three weeks into the mowing season and THEN give me a call around here. I do it, and I bag it, and I make good money. Here's how I charge for bagging and I usually pull in $1.00/min:

Regular Mowing Charge Plus:

$1 per bag if I supply bags (I always keep 15 in my trailer)
(5 bags at Wal-Mart cost $2.00)

$2 per bag of labor
(This way I get my moneys worth between a 4" lawn and an
8" lawn)

$2 to remove a bag
(The dump charges 50 cents per bag)

A $25 lawn that needs 5 bags is now $50. I get them all the time and people are willing to pay to give them a fresh start. I leave the bags at there house until I've got enough make it worth a trip to the dump (no longer than 1 week).

[Soupy]

Corban, I hope the dump is real close to the customers site. Becasue at 5 bags you are only makeing $7.50 extra after paying for dumping. Now figure in the extra cost of hauling it to the dump. That $50 job will end up takeing you twice as long. So your not really makeing any more money bagging. I would set my mower on high, run over it real quick and then lower the mower untill I get the cut I want. This will take about the same amount of time as you, But without the added cost. Oh I still charge double for letting it get out of control. I'm not argueing that you shouldn't bag, Just the fact that your not getting paid for it.

bobbygedd, I can understand how throwing clippings into the landscapeing can be a problem for some. But with Me, I just close the OCDC on my Chopper when I go around landscapeing and then open it back up when I have passed.

Soupy

[gogetter]

E-man I don't know where in PA you are, but around my way most don't bag. That goes for commercial and residential.

I don't bag unless I get backed up from rain or something and it's long when I get there. This is rare. I use doubles during peak growing times.

Bagging is for the birds. I just read an ad in the paper today for lawn cutting that said "always bagged". I guess that's his selling point. Hmmm, unnecessary extra work and depriving the lawn of valuable nutrients, I guess that's a good selling point? LOL!

[lasher66]

Well I usually never bag, but when I have to WHY USE BAGS?. I would imagine most you guys have pickup trucks. Just dump the grass in the back of it and then haul it to the dump or wherever you get rid of it. Dont waste money on bags.

Lasher66

[TGCummings]

Originally posted by gogetter
Hmmm, unnecessary extra work and depriving the lawn of valuable nutrients, I guess that's a good selling point? LOL!

Unfortunately, it goes back to the uninformed consumer. Not only do they not understand the value of mulching to their lawn, in most cases they do not care...

[hoagie]

Every lawn around here gets bagged... every one. Don't know what it is, when I lived in NY we only bagged 1 or 2 per week.

It works out pretty well though, w/ a leaf loader to suck the clippings and I can dump grass for free... I get about $115 per acre bagging.

[Double D]

If you have to double cut a lawn, then get your backpack blower and spend time blowing the clippings about, you would have been better off bagging the lawn. I have a bagger for my 36" machine, and it holds a ton of grass. I also run double blades, and this reduces the clipping volume quite a bit. I also carry the mulching plug in a WEChapps bag mounted on the walkbehind. I can bag when needed, or discharge if the area is wide open, or put the plug in place if area is tight. Last year I did not bag ever, and when the grass is long, it is quicker (for me anyway) to bag the grass, not to mention how much better it looks on the longer grass.

[MikeLT1Z28]

speaking of mulching vs bagging and buying an exmark... make sure if anyone does demo an exmark, that the dealer brings one with a mulch kit installed with the mulching blades. this could be a big determining factor for lots of people.

just thought i'd add that to this post.

[AK Lawn]

A lot of you guys are talking about dum fees and so forth, in AK they only charge 10$ per 1000 pounds, could do 30 lawns for 1000# and charge 5 per house hold, so at an average of 3 bags per house, kepping in mind the dump is 1 mile away from the shop so it does make me money , i bag 90
5 of my lawns and am going to try and cut that down this year but if the customer does not want to pay them i just leave the bags at the house and cordinate that the trash is picked up the next day, i have been in a lot of other stated and the mix seed grass that is planted in alaska is a lot thicker than i have found in other states and find it harder to mulch in AK
AK Lawn

[BigJim]

I bag everything,mulching makes the grass grow to fast between cuts here,its quicker to bag once than mulch 2 or 3 times to try and get rid of the grass off the lawn.And I can dump it for free:D

[Oliver1850]

I promote mulching whenever possible. Though, here in my area of Michigan the customers really want the lawn bagged. Plus, with the spring growing conditions, I would have to mulch every other day. I charge extra for bagging.

I don't care which mower brand you run, mulching is going to take longer and require more deck cleanings. I run a 2001 Laser Z and a 2002 Scag Tiger Cub and no matter which mower, you're gonna cut the lawn twice in the Spring. That is why today I bag with both mowers and switch to mulching later on.

[yorkpaddy]

I try to promote mulching too, its just too much of a pain to bag. If i had a trailer it might be a little easier cause I could just keep the clipping in the truck, but I'm still taking extra time to drive the mower to the truck and unload the bagger then drive back to where I was mowing. Also the grassgobbler makes my mower much more bulky and cumbersome, it makes hills a real pain. Does anyone know any good websites that explain mulching, so I can give the URL to my customer. It just sounds better from a third party.

[gogetter]

York, try some of the lawn books. I have one from Ortho (like $10).
Or do a web search under "mulching grass", "benefits of mulching" or something along those lines.

Here's a quick one I found on my states extension website:

http://www.agronomy.psu.edu/Extension/Turf/Clippings.html

Try your states extension website.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/