Tired of grassy legs !

[Bunton Guy]

Even though things are drying up around here and not a heck of alot to trim...back in early spring when things were growing a mile a minute just like years in the past everytime I would string trim I would get my legs covered in grass clipping and wearing jeans is not a option in 90+ degree with 95% humidity weather ! I usually use a Husky 225L trimmer with the deflecter in place. Is it humanly possible to walk off a property wihtout half a bushel of grass clinging to your leg hair ? I have tried standing to the left of the cutting line to the right....striaght behind it and it dosent matter when those clippings are flying around they are flying ! I see some guys trimming in kacki dockers pants and they dont even have a speck of green grass on there pants...great image but how do they do it ?

[Toatlandscape]

You are taking a huge gamble not wearing long pants while working. The first time you get hold of a rock or hard piece of mulch and it puts you out of work for 2-3 days you will never leave the house without some protection. It has happened to me ,fortunately for me it was during the slow time and it didn't cost me much except large quantities of PAIN. The discomfort of pants will go away in a few days. Your wife should be a little happier if you are not tracking grass all over the house. Every manufacturer of edgers and trimmers recommends long pants for a reason. You will also appear much more professional.

Good Luck

[leeslawncare]

I got a pair of "safe legs" they are like chaps that strap-on with velcro.They are a god sent.I tried to find a web site for you but failed you can however call the snapper dealer that i got mine from an i'm sure they will send you a pair.they were like 35.00 but i've been useing mine for 2yrs now an they have held up great.The # is 423-266-4176.Ask for shiela an tell her Lee thornhill had told you about them.or you might e-mail them http://www.chattanooga.net/stovall/

[TLS]

Toatlandscape,

Afraid of a little Boo-Boo are ya? I've had blood running down my legs many times before from sticks and stones, and never been unable to finish the day! I get pretty good stings WITH pants on as well!

The only thing pants will do is prevent poision ivy!

Nothing like taking off your boots at night while still dirty, and it looks like you have a pair of white socks on!! :D

[A1 Lawn@Landscapes]

[ Nothing like taking off your boots at night while still dirty, and it looks like you have a pair of white socks on!! :D [/B][/QUOTE]

....and the ankle tan line that goes along with it !

[TLS]

Chicks at the Beach Dig it!!!! :D

[ADMowing]

Yaaaayyyy! The Farmer's Tan!!!

Love it!!

Been weedeating in shorts in Florida -- for six years. Got stung a few times, but sling stuff opposite of me if at all possible. That helps me out a lot.

The worst thing for us is a nice big fire ant hill -- especially if you don't realize that you are standing on it until it is too late. That happened to us once or twice before we learned to look -- ALL the time.

Husband wears long pants. Fire ants go up the inside of his pants and he is in TROUBLE. It is easier to get them off my socks and a few off my ankle before they get any further! Need I say more??

But... he hates the Echo professional trimmer that I use and stuff flies back at him all the time with his backwards Craftsman homeowner's model. Never been able to "train" him to use the professional one. I think that is the biggest reason he wears long pants. Don't tell him I was talking about him!!! ;)

We DO wear matching shirts -- so I think not only do we look professional, we work that way too! Lady just told me the other day that her and her neighbors look forward to seeing us every Thursday. We joke around a lot and mess with each other. Its like a comedy act out there sometimes. Guess you have to get that way to maintain your sanity. The customers love to see it and laugh at us. Work is professional and safe, though. But we do joke around.

We just accept the grass on the legs as part of the job. I'm the one who vacuums the carpet and don't care if we get grass on it. It's all in a day's work, I guess.

I DO ramble! Husband tells me I'm writing a novel!! :D :D

[coonman]

I wear shorts as well. Summers here get to 100 plus with plenty of humidity. Most my time is spent mowing, just a few minutes a lawn are spent trimming. All this talk about looking professional is reaching a little. Most of my customers are not home when I am mowing anyway. I also have plenty of people walk up to me and ask me about mowing their lawn across the street. Its hard to look too good when you are dripping with sweat and have grass and dirt all over you. People want you to mow their lawn, I have never had any of them talk about my attire.

Steve

[mdb landscaping]

I think it makes you look like you are earning the money in my opinion. I too wear shorts, and take a fair share of stings to the legs, but i couldnt stand working in pants all day, i think id pass out from the hot summer heat(And im in CT). i cant imagine working in pants in FL.

[TJLC]

I tried wearing shorts before. Call me a wimp, too much grass and blood. Now I wear lightweight work pants and matching shirts. They are very comfortable and sure save my legs. I guess if all I did was mow, then I would probally opt for shorts.

[heybruck34]

Go to your local sports store like Sports Authority, Jumbo Sports or maybe Play-It-Again and buy a pair of baseball catcher's shin guards. They have the flap that covers the front of your ankle and goes all the way up to your knee. I think they have 2 clips that go around your legs. I have seen many people around here wearing them and they seem to work great.

-Jeff-

[cutntrim]

O.K...You're a wimp! :D I've gone "commando" (shorts, and no socks) since day one 11 years ago. Lots of blood and bruises over the years, but it's worth it to stay cooler in the humidity. As soon as it's over 60 degrees, I'm in shorts.

[Runner]

Here ya go. www.wechapps.com . These will certainly help. I have a pair, but only wear them sometimes.

[Jimbo]

I do lots of brush/weed cutting, and nothing pisses me off more than hitting a nice juicy weed early in the morning dew. S**T all over my face. I don't think you guys would believe what I look like after 4- hours of swinging that trimmer.
I fabricated an extension bracket to extend my trimmer guard further back (allows more string to come out) which provides a larger cutting area. This may make the mess worse.

[NewbieOwner]

Trimming in shorts? OUCH! Did it once, never again!

I used to wear shorts under a pair of very light track pants, Then the company I worked for, got strict on the uniform. Found out that cargos really aren't so bad in the summer!

Now that I'm out on my own... I got my new 'uniforms' a couple pairs of Blue nomex coveralls, company logo on the back. They're VERY cool (temperature wise). Bottoms have velcro cuffs that do a GREAT job of keeping the insects off your skin.

And come the end of the day, I peel out of them, and my boots, and the wife lets me walk anywhere in the house! Sure beats the 'hose treatment' I used to get :laugh:

Andrew

[We do 4 U]

Newbie, we just got nomex pants to wear at the fire station and I have to say I could not imagine wearing them in the heat cutting grass all day let alone a pair off coveralls because thay are so hot.
But I do wear shorts and high top boots, got the whita ankles and feet to prove it! Wife yells at me if I don't take the boots and socks before I come in.

[NewbieOwner]

Are you sure they're pure nomex?

All the firefighters around here have some fancy kevlar / nomex blend stuff... My nomex for racing is similar to the firefighter stuff, Which is 100% different than my work coveralls.

The coveralls I have are a very light fabric. Don't know if it makes a difference but they say Nomex IIIA (I'm guessing there are different varieties of nomex)

Andrew

[Plowguy99]

I just tough it out. If it is in the 60's I am in shorts. In my opinion wearing shorts and having grassy covered legs doesn't look any less professional than jeans or nice pants that are stained green at the bottom and covered in grass. I usually just brush off the grass after I am done trimming and then point the ol' back pack blower at my ankles for a second. It gets most of the grass off. As far as tracking grass in the house, you get just as much falling off of your jeans as you do with it falling off of bare legs. Plus there is the coolness of the "permanent socks"

[We do 4 U]

Newbie, my pants for the fire station are nomex 111a and to me they are hotter than the 100% cotton ones that they replaced. Just my opinion tough.

[danny van hoozer]

Had the same problem you did. Being a single operator I do it all. The first thing i do is trim. Great time to inspect the property for damanging debris. I would always wear a pair of sweats over my shorts and then take off my shoes when i was done trimming to take off the sweats. To much time and effort to do that every stop. Thankfully i found wechapps web sight on this web sight last summer. Ordered a pair of chapps with the velcro straps and things just gor simpler. Just rip them off when your done trimming and grab the mower or jump on the rider. They also offer great protection.

[1grnlwn]

I find that the grass coating on the leg does afford cusion for rocks and sticks. As the layers harden in the sun it stiffens and makes things bounce off. What I hate it the execptionally hard projectile to the face or leg, and you go man that had to draw blood, you look and there is nothing, No blood I can't take two days off. LOL Bought chaps last year, not sure where they are though.

Mark

[maple city]

I do all the trimming while my husband rides around all day. I look like I'm wearing green pants at the end of the day. I always wear shorts, and really don't get that many cuts on my legs (and I have no hair to protect them). I guess I am lucky that I can get the grass off my legs pretty easily because I have no hair on them. So I guess you will all have to shave your legs, so a quick brush off will keep you looking professional :-).

Trying to get the grass out of the hair on my head is another story...I have very long hair and don't wear a hat, so it gets a little messy. Even though I wear it up, I always have grass and weeds in it.

There is no way I will wear pants for regular mows, too hot here. I do wear pants for clean ups, no matter how hot it is.

[Mykster]

I wear my shin guards that I use for downhill Mtb'ing. Easy on, easy off and, do the job great. Guess I should've listed those as another thing I wouldn't leave behind.

[Brickman]

I wear long pants all day every day. And any body that works for me will to. I don't like the image of guys in shorts. I don't think it looks pro.
As for the grass, I almost always trim first. Then mow, and blow. By then the grass has dried, and brushes off with just a few strokes before getting in the truck.

[Albemarle Lawn]

Nothing compared to having a boss in the window office.

[Scotlawncare]

Ever since I was little weedeating i always wore shorts. Even when i had to weedeat a gravel driveway i still wore shorts. Here in TN i'm too big of a wimp to wear pants due to the high heat and humidity. I'm used to comming home with grass all up and down my left side. It shows that you worked that day. Plus as much as I sweat, I couldn't wear pants for fear of passing out. To me I can live with the nice fat juicy weeds i hit first thing in the morning but to weedeat around alot of sand, now THAT hurts.

I've got too many scars on my legs from weedeating to be worried about it anymore. And I'm just 29.


Scot

[Tvov]

Originally posted by We do 4 U
Newbie, my pants for the fire station are nomex 111a and to me they are hotter than the 100% cotton ones that they replaced. Just my opinion tough.

Are these pants, or structural firefighting gear? Our bunker gear does have nomex, but also layers of Gore-tex, canvas, and insulation. The nomex may not be hot, but all the rest of the layers are.

Actually, if your previous ones were 100% cotton, you must be talking about uniform pants. In that case, I have no idea.

[Tvov]

I've always worn shorts in the summer. Especially back when all we had were walkbehinds. Now that we are riding, maybe I could see long pants.

[Likestomow]

Try standing on the right side of the trimmer. This will cut down the grass on your legs substantially, as well as the rocks and sticks.

[ProMo]

im left handed so everything is directed at my leg doesnt bother meuntil i run into a patch of sandspurs ive had them imbed all the way in (ouch x 10)

[Bunton Guy]

im a lefty to !

[lasher66]

I too dont wear pants. My legs are covered with scabs and cuts from trimming. I dont know about that cowboy look while trimming with the chaps on . Looks kind of wimpy to me.

Lasher66

[MacLawnCo]

Every norning, I walk out into the garage in my undies and put on my pants that I left there the night before. I cant stand to have my legs get eaten by all the junk the trimmer throws at me. By the way, I am not going to wash them the entire season... I want to see if I can stain them entirely green. Hehehe. I will post a picture this fall so yall can laugh at me.

Jason

[Miller Mowing]

In my opinion, anyone who trims, mows, or does any other outdoor work with power equipment and doesn't wear pants is not playing with a full deck of cards. I know this idea is offensive to many, but I feel that it increases your risk for some sort of injury about 100%!! I ALWAYS wear jeans when working, and would encourage others to do the same. Shorts also make the mowing crews very UN-PROFESSIONAL looking!! Jeans really aren't that hot anyhow....SO WEAR 'EM AND BE SAFE!!

[TLS]

Originally posted by Miller Mowing
Shorts also make the mowing crews very UN-PROFESSIONAL looking!! Jeans really aren't that hot anyhow....SO WEAR 'EM AND BE SAFE!!

Heck yeah, denim is about the HOTTEST material/color that you can wear!

I think "JEANS" are scrubby looking myself! I wear Carhartt Khakis in both shorts and pants. From this point in the year till September, its strictly the lightweight painters shorts, come September, I switch to the painters Pants, and come Oct/Nov its into the heavyweight, and flannel lined.

Any projectile that you hit with the trimmers that will cause you "bodily harm", will penetrate the "Jeans" anyway, and still hurt!

Nothing your gonna hit is going to apmutate your legs, so it really is just a comfort thing, not like Safety glasses or anything.

Wear what you want, when its hot, its shorts for me!

[KenH]

How fast do you guys run your trimmers when you are trimming???? Ive been mowing for 18 years, and probably have 2 unnoticeable scars on my legs. I too always wear shorts. If you are trimming 2' tall abandoned lots, I can see cuts and nics and bruises. But cmon, these are residential lawns.....trimming should be a piece of cake, not a battle.

JMO

[Albemarle Lawn]

There's people who drive garbage truck or septic trucks.

And people who work at sewer treatment plants fixing things when they break...

And guys who put hydraulic hoses and other repairs on garbage trucks towed in full...

And people who de-ice airplanes at 4:30 AM at MSP or ORD in the dead of winter.

Grass on legs...One word...

WAAAAAAH!!!

[AltaLawnCare]

The other day, I stick edged wearing shorts...Now that smarts!

All of my shorts match my long pants and shirts....and are pressed!

So much for non-professional!

If the grass in the hair erally bothers you, you could become a professional body builder and go hairless!
:o