What have you found buried in the lawn so far?

[Up North]

So far I've shot a couple cans, a super ball, some sticks, and a carpet sample out from my deck. Actually the carpet sample shut me down instantly as it got all wrapped up around two spindles...that was fun. It was a light brown piece of carpet in a dirt area in front of some steps to an apartment, the thing was so covered with dirt I didn't even notice it until it got sucked up under the deck and shut me down. Took about 20 minutes to cut and unwrap everything...

Buck

[Lux Lawn]

Earlier this spring I was cutting a lawn that was really long and had not been cut yet...I had the mower on the highest setting around 4 inches and went right over the top of a 40 ounce beer bottle and never touched it.

[steve122]

First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities. So I get into a lot of knee high yards, mostly abandonded or forclosed properties. I always walk the yard before I start to cut, looking for trash, pick up what I can find. That said, so far this year:
1/4 inch cable, that was used for a dog run, one end still on the tree, wrapped up in blades and lifted front of mower off ground before I could shut off deck,
3/8 chain, attatched to a dog tie down stuck in ground,
barb wire, had to remove blades to get it out of them,
shock absorber,
front wheel from a kids bicycle,
water main shut off, (cast iron cap on 6" pipe) cost me three blades and a spindle,
full spray paint cans, leave a hell of a mark in the grass,
more than a few baseballs, one aluminum baseball bat,
lots of pieces of firewood, rocks, trash, bottles, kids toys, turtles, rabbits, and some more I'm sure I've forgotten. So far this year I've cut 83 of these types of yards this year with more to come.

[Green-Pro]

steve122 First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities.

I've been fortunate? enough to get a few of these also, on the plus side I usually quote them very very high, so far they have not questioned my quotes. I guess when a place really ought to be given to the vol. fire dept. for practice burn they realize it gonna cost for anything a service person is asked to do.
They pay well but I'm not overly fond of them.

-Geoff

P.S. How's the season been so far Buck?

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Green-Pro

I've been fortunate? enough to get a few of these also, on the plus side I usually quote them very very high, so far they have not questioned my quotes. I guess when a place really ought to be given to the vol. fire dept. for practice burn they realize it gonna cost for anything a service person is asked to do.
They pay well but I'm not overly fond of them.

-Geoff

P.S. How's the season been so far Buck?

Geoff,
Very busy so far. Picked up 10 new accounts from one guy (he owns rental props) two weeks ago and two more new accounts last week. Haven't done one stitch of advertising this season because I didn't really want to add anything since I'm trying to get some real estate business going. But word of mouth travels I guess and I hate to turn people down as you may never get the opportunity again. I am turning one down however, went and looked at the prop on Friday and it's full of rocks, sticks, marking flags, etc. and it's very rough. Not going to ruin my equipment over one account.

How's things going for you down there? Have you had as much rain as we've been getting? We're water-logged up here...the fish are happy!

Buck

[Up North]

Originally Posted by steve122

First let me say, I mow a lot of high weed (code violations) for the local municipalities. So I get into a lot of knee high yards, mostly abandonded or forclosed properties. I always walk the yard before I start to cut, looking for trash, pick up what I can find. That said, so far this year:
1/4 inch cable, that was used for a dog run, one end still on the tree, wrapped up in blades and lifted front of mower off ground before I could shut off deck,
3/8 chain, attatched to a dog tie down stuck in ground,
barb wire, had to remove blades to get it out of them,
shock absorber,
front wheel from a kids bicycle,
water main shut off, (cast iron cap on 6" pipe) cost me three blades and a spindle,
full spray paint cans, leave a hell of a mark in the grass,
more than a few baseballs, one aluminum baseball bat,
lots of pieces of firewood, rocks, trash, bottles, kids toys, turtles, rabbits, and some more I'm sure I've forgotten. So far this year I've cut 83 of these types of yards this year with more to come.

Steve...you no doubt take the "rough cut'n" award! Holy bent spindle Batman, I think you need a tractor & Bushhog.

Buck

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Lux Lawn

Earlier this spring I was cutting a lawn that was really long and had not been cut yet...I had the mower on the highest setting around 4 inches and went right over the top of a 40 ounce beer bottle and never touched it.

Larry,
You need to remember to throw your bottles into the NEXT lawn...not the one you're mowing.

Buck

[Green-Pro]

Buck

We got first rain in about two and a half weeks today and not a whole lot of it so send some down this way if you can find the time So dry this week I had to not cut a few.

First season is going really great! I had about 18 accounts up until two weeks ago, then I ended up with 17 more. A good mix of residence (large lots) and commercial (Investment place, car dealer, couple churches, National Guard unit and the Army Reserve Unit) I had bought a Scag 52" TT new ended up buying a Tiger Cub (used 260 hrs) and hiring a young college bound kid from church to help me out. Not that theres so many I can't keep up but all the other add-ons like mulch, plant beds, seeding, tilling, hedge trimming, Fert & Squirt are helping put a strain on the old mowing schedule being solo.

I got extra accounts from my Scag & Echo dealer, he has gotten to the point where he had to choose what he was going to do LCO or Sales & Service. So the accounts he & I contacted folks and let them know I would be taking over, all were good about it, I will have to bid the Two Armed forces props though.

all in all very nice way to start first season, kinda took me by surprise but good problems to have.

Good luck with the Real Estate Business, need to try and put a Pheasant hunt together this fall

-Geoff

[jimslawns]

I "found" a brake rotor the other day! costs me a blade.

[grass_cuttin_fool]

One propert that I maintain, a church. There are grading a section for a pavillion and sowed grass on it last fall and covered it with straw. The bales of straw were tied with red string and the dirt is also a red clay and they just left the string were it fell. Everytime I think there is no more poof I find more