Best blades for Florida grass

[ben fritz]

i am mowing with a dixie chopper with dixie blades on it, i am wonder whats the best mulching blade to use or should i stick with the dixie blades, i was just thinking that a mulching blade will cut the clippings a little more then the straight dixie blade, what have you guys learned that helps?

[easy-lift guy]

I like Gator blades my self.
easy-lift guy

[Florida Gardener]

What kind of grass? Irrigated yards??
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[Landscape Poet]

I have not seen a great difference in the blades myself - in my experience what matters the most is that the blades are sharp. Everything else from gator to med lift, high lift ect has not mattered as much in my experience ensuring that they are sharpened and changed properly for the type of lawns you are mowing.

Example - if you are mowing any sand lot home prior to going to take care of a lush irrigated well fertilized lawn and not changing blades - you are doing yourself and your client a injustice as well as the fert and squirt guy who is putting good product down to make the lawn look good.

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a lawn with shredded blades of turf. You can tell from a distance who takes pride in there work and who does not right after they cut.

[Patriot Services]

I run Gators without kits just plates during the season. In winter I prefer flats or low lifts to cut down on the dust.
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[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

I've been sharping my own blades about once a week. Is that enough? I have 28 accounts. They seem to have a decent edge on them still as far as a point but dull of course but the end but not super bad. BUT if I do a lot of extra side work single cuts especially high grass or sand lots they are dull.

I've went through 4 sets of blades already this season. 2 Gator which are ground down so thin they snapped the gator teeth off. And 2 sets of high lift blades that are doing better but they seem to be wearing down now too. I would say 3/4 of my lawns are pathetic half worn bahia grass or sand lots.

For $45 a set of blades either kind. I just don't get why they are wearing down so fast. If I drive on a lawn faster than half speed I have grass that pops back up too. So I crawl about 1/3 speed to mow with a nice look. Any ideas?

With GAS, blades, mower repairs, oil changes, tires, new weed trimmers, line, a vehicle to wear out. I don't see how people are driving around with nice rigs. I have a decent rig with a Dixie Chopper but I got all my stuff used in a super deal. People in this area don't want to pay more than $65 or $75 a month for a lawn. I really don't get it. I'm making it but just barely. With my wife working two part time jobs and my 21 year old son pitching in $300 a month. But its because I have no mower payments, house payments or van payments. I paid cash for everything when we sold our home up north. I used to have a lawn service here before and it was at least decent income. But now I really don't see how people are getting by. I bought a nice new mower seat on Ebay for $105 shipped. It's like a new take off $400 seat from a Ferris. (The Dixie seat pan is rusted in half held together by a chain) I took the Ferris sticker off. Now I have to worry I will have enough fuel to get through the next two weeks until my wife's next check. We don't drink or smoke or waste money. I really don't see how people are buying new equipment and driving $30k trucks around.

[Florida Gardener]

Originally Posted by Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care

I've been sharping my own blades about once a week. Is that enough? I have 28 accounts. They seem to have a decent edge on them still. BUT if I do a lot of extra side work single cuts especially high grass or sand lots they are dull.

I've went through 4 sets of blades already this season. 2 Gator which are ground down so thin they snapped the gator teeth off. And 2 sets of high lift blades that are doing better but they seem to be wearing down now too. I would say 3/4 of my lawns are pathetic half worn bahia grass or sand lots.

For $45 a set of blades either kind. I just don't get why they are wearing down so fast. If I drive on a lawn faster than half speed I have grass that pops back up too. So I crawl about 1/3 speed to mow with a nice look. Any ideas?

With gas, blades, mower repairs, oil changes, tires, new weed trimmers, line, a vehicle to wear out. I don't see how people are driving around with nice rigs. I have a decent rig with a Dixie Chopper but I got all my stuff used in a super deal. People in this area don't want to pay more than $65 or $75 a month for a lawn. I really don't get it. I'm making it but just barely. But its because I have no mower payments, house payments or van payments. I paid cash for everything. I really don't see how people are getting by.

Sand will dull blades out VERY fast. Bahia will dull blades out very fast. For 28 accounts, you should probably be changing out 2x/wk....$65-$75/mo for weekly cutting isn't much. For a basic now and go on a 1/4 acre lot at most I would be at $100-$110/mo.
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[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

Originally Posted by diamondlandscaping

Sand will dull blades out VERY fast. Bahia will dull blades out very fast. For 28 accounts, you should probably be changing out 2x/wk....$65-$75/mo for weekly cutting isn't much. For a basic now and go on a 1/4 acre lot at most I would be at $100-$110/mo.
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Ya I figured it would be like $100 a month for lawns here. That's what I quoted my wife before we moved back down LOL. With the new gas prices and all. in 2003-05 I was getting $55-70 a month. I told her that at $100 a month and I get back to like 50 accounts we would be doing well. But I can't get anyone to pay more than $75 unless I trim bushes and such too for an extra $15-25 a month. It's ridiculous. I wish I could get $100 a month for a 1/4 acre lot lol.

There are signs all over this area. LAWN CUTS $15. I know they can't make but crack money with that price. But I see them every other block with signs on street corners. This one guy drives around with a tied on huge vinyl sign on the back of his trailer. "HOME OF THE $15 CUT." lol.

[Florida Gardener]

Originally Posted by Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care

Ya I figured it would be like $100 a month for lawns here. That's what I quoted my wife before we moved back down LOL. With the new gas prices and all. in 2003-05 I was getting $55-70 a month. I told her that at $100 a month and I get back to like 50 accounts we would be doing well. But I can't get anyone to pay more than $75 unless I trim bushes and such too for an extra $15-25 a month. It's ridiculous. I wish I could get $100 a month for a 1/4 acre lot lol.

There are signs all over this area. LAWN CUTS $15. I know they can't make but crack money with that price. But I see them every other block with signs on street corners. This one guy drives around with a tied on huge vinyl sign on the back of his trailer. "HOME OF THE $15 CUT." lol.

Yup, areas are different for sure. $100/mo to include trimming is insane unless it's like 2 bushes...even still.
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[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

Originally Posted by diamondlandscaping

Yup, areas are different for sure. $100/mo to include trimming is insane unless it's like 2 bushes...even still.
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Oh you wouldn't believe the neighbors I do $40 a month big corner lot up against mine and I don't get to mow it in the winter unless it's $20 a cut. That's like 1984 prices when I lived here as a teen working with my older brother's lawn service. And another neighbor wouldn't even pay me $15 a cut. He wants it cut but won't pay $15 for his huge corner lot. LOL. No joke. Even though he sees me mowing 5 around me and they look beautiful. And I mow them for $20 a cut, with weed trim and edging. I figure it's around my house. Might as well make them look good. He's old and says he can't hardly mow anymore but won't pay $15. He even said he gets $1400 in social security. LOL.