Flying Objects!!

[Cutter1]

I was cutting an apartment complex with a Kubota G series tractor about six years ago. I accidently hit a rock and shot it over a whole parking lot, it then hit the back windshield of a Beretta and skipped up and went through there living room window!! He came out I made sure he was alright and told him I would take care of it, then I heard a crackling noise, I said is this your Beretta he started saying, Not the Beretta!! I said Yep, the Beretta. Cost $600 for both

[Eric ELM]

This is one big reason I cut at higher settings. I haven't broken anything in 15 seasons, but I know a guy that mows very short and has broken about everything there is to break.<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://elmlawnsite.com/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

[Guido]

War Stories??? Hah!!!! Back in Quang Ju............... Okay just kidding, but I have a No $hit War (and I mean War!!!) story from when we were deployed to Macedonia. A British Military Cop decided that underneath one of our loader wheels was the best place for him to catch a quick nap in the shade. I shouldn't have to say anymore. The equipment operator that killed him had to be sent back to his base because he was mentally uinstable after the accident, blaming himself. So remember while you guys are tearing **** up out there, be safe!!! I know the cop was a dumbass for sitting under there in the first place, if the operator did his 360 degree vehicle inspection before startup (LIKE WE ARE TRAINED TO DO!!!) this would not have happened. Hope I didn't pull down the mood of the post, but I guess it might help serve as a wake up call next time your fixin to do something that you know is not a safe choice to make!!.<p>I'm from CT and I just said fixin' ??? See what the military has done to me, all these damn rednecks I work with!! Well speaking of.......where's Homer??? Scott, haven't heard from you in a while man!!! Well Enough of me!!<p><p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://communities.msn.com/guidosequipmentpics/&quot;&gt;&quot;Guido&quot;&lt;/a&gt;<br>David M. Famiglietti

[AGG Lawn Maintenance]

How about flying people? Had a guy try to move a tree with a tree cart up a hill. When he made it to the top and turned around he flipped back down the hill. =)<br>Travis AG&G Lawn Maintenance

[geogunn]

I threw a rock the size of a fist about 75 feet and then it disappeared into the woods.<p>it would have killed someone with a direct hit. very sobering.<p>GEO

[jeffyr]

I had a cheapo come-along break apart--shot the unit accross the lawn and (at about 30mph) down a main road at a traffic light. Found it 50yds. away....didn't hit a thing. and the cable had a heavy blanket on it.<br>I got real lucky.<p>jeff<p>----------<br>Grass Roots Landscaping<br>

[Scag48]

I got a good one. I was mowing a pretty good sized field that a friend of mine owned with a P.O.S. rider and hit a fork. Yeah, a piece of silverware in a field! It took off one of the prongs and shot it 75 feet then landed. It was completely mangled. I guess I couldn't see it in 6 inch grass.

[stslawncare]

Hi.<br>Well i was mowing with my old mower (6hp 21'' craftsman) and a chunk of the deck fell into the path of the blades and completely stopped the blades and engine, i took thta think back right away. <p>----------<br>Scottie Schmidt<br>STS Lawn Care

[Runner]

While we're on the subject of hitting things, probably the most unusual thing I've ever even HEARD of to hit happened to US. While cutting down a yard that was a new account that this guy had just moved into, we were cutting grass that was almost waste high. As I looked across the yard, I saw my worker pulling something which appeared to be an old twisted up blanket or large towel out from underneath the deck. As I approached, I learned that it was someones Boa.......that's right a snake! This poor thing was cut nearly in two and had to be 8&quot; across. We put it out of it's misery by decappitation with a shovel and buried in the nearby woods. I didn't know what to do, so I called the police and they said all they can do is tell someone if they call in what happened. Oh yeah, this was about 5 years ago, and Mike, my worker that hit it is STILL called &quot;snake man&quot;. <br><p><font size="1">Edited by: Runner

[Cutter1]

I just talked to a friend of mine, today he was cutting with his walkbehind and had to pull of his walker to get to it. He had his walker sitting there for a bit and then he needed to use it. He went to start it and a belt shot out. He then opened the catcher to find the remains of a possum in there. It crawled under the mower and in the grass chute, he turned on the blades and the fan inside chopped it up and blew the belt off!!

[Sammy]

My brother was mowing a field with a disc mower. He saw, only to late, a fawn lieing in the grass. All you could see was fur and blood flying. The motor grunted for a half second but kept on going.

[little green guy]

do flying trailers count? mine flew 20 ft in the air when it smashed into a car.

[yardsmith]

I've hit everything from the usual pop cans to rocks & sticks, etc. but one of the more interesting things was my first year in biz I was at home cutting my 2.5 acre yard with a 30&quot; cut Ariens rear engine rider. I had a spot of tall grass & forgot what was there. All of a sudden I hear a POOMP! Turns out I forgot to move my can of silver spray paint. <br>I painted the underside of my deck in .3 sec. flat! :)<p>----------<br>Smitty ô¿ô<br>

[eslawns]

Several guys have asked me why my trimmer and blower racks are mounted on the diver's side of my trailer. Two summers ago I was cutting in 5th gear, on the lowest setting (I no longer do either) when I hit a crepe myrtle root. The mower bounced back very quickly and hit me. The handle bars hit me in the ribs and a sharp edge tore me open about 6&quot; down my side. The mower kept going without me and ran over the root again, chopping off a piece that flew into the P/S door (big dent) of my 6 month old GMC, which was parked in front of the yard I was mowing. Now I park across the street. Even with the big scar on my ribcage, this could have been worse. Don't mow in a transport gear, don't mow lawns as though they are putting greens, and don't forget how far these blades can throw something. Man did that ever hurt. I couldn't even start the mower to put it back on the trailer. Had to call the wife :)

[bondlawn]

I was cutting my daughter and son-in-law's yard the other day. They had bought the place from a guy that was the biggest junk collector you'll ever meet. I had cut the yard several times since they bought it and didn't think there was anything else out there. I hit(never saw it) what I thought was a rock and was supprised to hear the thing. About thirty seconds later my son-in-law waves me down. Turned out I had hit piece or a car fan blade (just one blade of the thing). It had flown through the front window of the house. My four day old grandson was laying on the couch right beside where a 6&quot; X 9&quot; piece of glass fell. Scared the crap out of all the adults, but luckily Josh was not hurt at all.

[Chip]

2 years ago first cut of the season I hit what I was told was a lug from a tractor trailer, an L shaped piece of steel. It must have gotten plowed up on to the lawn during the winter. Anyway it broke a blade on my 60&quot; rider and sent a piece of steel into the street and blew the hub cap off of a jeep cherokee. It looked like it had been shot by a rifle. The vehicle was owned by the local electric company and the driver was thankful and so was I that it wasm't worse. He left saying I don't know how I'm going to explain this one. I shook for a day thinking about the kind of damage a commercial mower could inflict.