Here's how you stripe "through" objects

[FrankenScagMachines]

Hope this pic helps everyone who has asked about this before. Any questions?

[FrankenScagMachines]

rats forgot the pic.

[lawnmutt]

Thanks!

[FrankenScagMachines]

sure no problem. Here is a pic of what it should look like:

[lawnmutt]

Darn beat me to it.

[FrankenScagMachines]

go ahead and post it lol

[paponte]

LOL!! Two thimbs up to BushHogBoy for breaking out the visual aid. What were you bored? :D

[FrankenScagMachines]

nah, someone else saw a pic in the "Just have to brag" post, a pic of my work and asked how do I do it, so I thought hey I'll do this it just takes a minute and is easier than explaining it (or trying to).

[Buckeye1]

Nice visual aid..but I think you are leaving some triangles of grass around the mulch beds.

What if your 3rd pass misses the edge of the mulch bed by 1.5ft instead of just barely catching it as you pass by?

I thought you were supposed to go completely around the (360 degrees)bed (4th pass) to make it appear as if you have striped through it, without messing up the other stripes.

Just my thoughts.

[hoffmanlandscaping]

I was thinking the same thing Buckeye @ least that's the way I do it. I guess he likes his weed eater :p

[LWNMWR1]

bhb, you can handle your computer as well as your scag. find a way to use both those things to make a living. i'm betting one is easier than the other!!

[mike9497]

im shocked.that scag makes some nice lines.never seen a scag make lines.you no what the word SCAG really means?? look it up.i'll give you a hint its something you do a few times in a day i do it 2 or 3 times a day....LOL.some people enjoy it and some people hate it....LOL

[Soupy]

Mike, You do Heroin 2 or 3 times a day :)

[mike9497]

no look it up everyone does it

[Soupy]

I did look it up. All the online dictionarys say it is a slang for Heroin.

[John Gamba]

ERIC
I Think i'm Going To Name You CAPTAIN HOOK.

John

[FrankenScagMachines]

Buckeye you can go around it 360 IF you only go around it so it blends with the stripes and not going against it! Sometimes you have to trim alittle more but it's worth it to me, it's that finishing touch on a job that makes people (and other LCO's) wonder how did you do that?

LMWR1 yes the Scag is easier lol much easier

Mike my Scag is a super striper. I'll give you a secret: if you have the long spindle assemblies with spacers for the bolts, put your blades up alittle higher in the deck and you may have to lower the deck alittle to get the same height of cut but the deck being that much lower will help the striping. I also added a striping flap that I made which is about 1/4" off the ground on level garage floor.

Soupy I found the same thing.

John why is that? LOL

[John Gamba]

One Of Your strips Looks Like a Fish Hook.

[FrankenScagMachines]

On this thread? which one??

[John Gamba]

The First One! Look By your trailer.

[Tvov]

Originally posted by Buckeye1
Nice visual aid..but I think you are leaving some triangles of grass around the mulch beds.

What if your 3rd pass misses the edge of the mulch bed by 1.5ft instead of just barely catching it as you pass by?

I thought you were supposed to go completely around the (360 degrees)bed (4th pass) to make it appear as if you have striped through it, without messing up the other stripes.

Just my thoughts.

I would recommend avoiding doing circles around objects every time you mow, because you will begin to create "rings" around them that striping will not erase.

[Buckeye1]

BHB-Stripes look good the way you do it. all I am saying is you can get the same striping effect, without leaving patches of grass around beds, if you go completely around the object.

If you continue pass #4 completely around the bed you will get those triangles of grass and NOT mess your other stripes. Why won’t it mess your original stripes(3rd)? If you go completely around the bed, you will be going in the same direction as you were pass #3 when you cut into the 3rd pass. As you have already stated, as long as you are going in the same direction as your original stripe you won’t mess it up..

Sorry I couldn’t explain it any better than this.

[FrankenScagMachines]

John that is the edge of the pavement not the stripe.. the stripes are straight I promise!

Tvov is correct but Buckeye you can do it that way if you want but it will show the ring stripes when you look at it sideways, and it will kind of rut and leave permanent stripes if you do it all the time.

[mikesjumpingin]

Wait a minute:

The drawing illustrates a situation with the tree completely inside of one stripe, but your photo shows an example of the tree in the line which splits two stripes.

How did you do the first pass? Did you just go straight over the mulch and just an inch or so to the left of the tree?

...Mike...
:blob3:

[GraZZmaZter]

I think one think everone is forgetting is that on the fourth pass, the deck is going ot be pointed toward the tree. We all know what happens when we shoot grass against the tree. I teach my guys to raise the deck so this doesnt happen

Tvov

I agree. There is no way you can mow around a tree week after week, without tearing the grass up to dirt! Especially those highly wet srping days! I prefer the diamond pattern. Practice will help cut down on your trim time.

[mag360]

Grazzmazter---OCDC wish I had one. I have to turn around and back past the obstacles in those situations

[FrankenScagMachines]

OCDC is right!!!! Can't live w/o it! This will also work if you are mulching or bagging which you should if you have alot of trees and mulch beds and walks and roads close by. The OCDC works great closed and it mulches pretty good by itself w/o extra baffles. I end up double cutting most of it anyway so it does super.

I added to the first illustration. Maybe this will help alittle. Yes you do have to do alittle extra string trimming but think about it most trimmers have a 17" cut or so anyway it only takes another second to buzz it and it's worth it to me. The spacing works out differently if you are going another direction, usually.

[GraZZmaZter]

Ok, ok laugh if you will. Ive been doing this longer than you have been alive BHB, but what is OCDC???

For that matter i dont even know what LCO stands for. I just assumed Lawn Care Operator???????

Yuck it up. Have a laugh on ol' Grazz.

[mikesjumpingin]

Okay, the newer illustration with the tree area in the middle of the stripe, which also illustrates a tree area splitting stripes, is an effective stripe-through-method-diagram.

In addition, I would also include a footnote with your text which explains OCDC, LCO, etc.

Thanks,

...Mike...
:blob3:

[FrankenScagMachines]

OCDC Operator Controlled Discharge Chute
LCO Lawn Care Operator or Operation I think?

I'm not gonna make fun of you. My grandpa is the same way with stuff.

[GraZZmaZter]

Thanks BHB. I take it this device controls weather you discharge or mulch ( in a sence) Very cool. Ill have to look into that.

Thanks for not laughing also. But im not that old. Not too much older than you. Just turned 27.

[mike9497]

nope Scag means something else also.nothing to do with drugs.something i can't say on here because i'll get kicked off for good lol lol

[Runner]

O.k., NOW we're on the right track. The first illustration, though the right idea, was the wrong method. Even with an OCDC, you'd end up with a bed full of gras. Not good. The second illustration, as the mower trims around it with the left side of the deck first, is the right way. As far as the "triangles" that are left behind go, the cut can be made a little wider, and when you back the mower back up to the tree to extend the stripe all the way to the bed, (if so desired), then this can be made up. Nice job to BHB for the illusrations This is very commendable. Thank you.:)

[FrankenScagMachines]

grazzmaster, it isn't a substitute for a complete, baffled mulch kit but if the grass isn't too tall it does fine or if you are going to double cut anyway it does great. Mostly just used to keep clippings from flying into the beds, roads, walks, buildings, cars, etc.

Mike the suspense is killing me, email me about this matter LOL my dictionary says slang for heroin also.

runner my OCDC doesn't let anything out at all. But then my blades are all the way up in the deck so not near as much blowout as if they were lower I guess... all I know is it works great for me and that method does work. The second pic is the same as the first but with two, differently placed trees/beds.
The triangles are no big deal IMO you will probably have to trim anyway (or should) and the triangles are never very big with a zero turn.

This method (striping "through" trees) is easy for me to do and is pretty much second nature, but it makes people go "how do you do that?"

[Mark P]

:) Your right on Runner....Marks Mowing Service

[Tharrell]

BHB, I know how to do this and your drawing is good but, consider color coding your arrows for better understanding. Maybe consider color coding a dot or something where a "buzz" may be required. This is like the turnaround on a walkbehind mower, the better it's explained or illustrated the better it's understood. Oh, I agree with the circles, specially on weak turf. A tire that's turning and rolling is going to tear at the turf even if it's ever so slightly.