Cutting in the rain
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Joined
·
2,205 Posts
i dont think it really hurts the grass unless the ground is totally soaked. ive gotten caught mowing in the rain, but all it did was give a losy cut because the grass clumps up and the grass doesnt stripe as good.
Joined
·
2,205 Posts
for me all it does is clog up underneath the deck and make a mess with grass on the trailer and mower.
Joined
·
489 Posts
Keeping your blades real sharp will help. If the ground is soaked and the mower leaves ruts, don't mow.
John
John
Joined
·
2,555 Posts
I dont think it hurts the machine much,if you are sucking water up in the deck,it would be wise to grease all the bearings/fittings when done.My dixie chopper cuts as good wet as dry,no clumps at all,but it will plug up like every few minutes,unless i can find a deep puddle or low spot,drive over it and itll suck the water right out of the puddle and clean the deck,it does make a mess in the puddle though.
Joined
·
1,497 Posts
It's not fun, but sometimes you just gotta do it. My 725 Grasshopper cuts just as well in the rain as in the dry. The sandy soil here in Central FL just seems to suck the water up unless I'm mowing a swale that's tempararily flooded. Just be careful of lightning.
Joined
·
47 Posts
If you're in the middle of cutting a lawn and you get caught in the rain I would finish the job (no brainer). If it was raining heavily in the am before I went out I would think twice.Maybe do some maint. to equip and pray for sun. If its just misty I would mow. I don't think it hurts the grass. Clean the mower real good when done.
Joined
·
1,415 Posts
Cutting in the rain can and will hurt the grass that you are cutting. Cutting wet grass will make it harder for even sharp blades to make a good cut. In fact the blades will begin to tear at the grass and this is where alot of your problems can start from. This will promote the growth and spread of disease organisms.
[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 01-13-2001 at 11:50 PM]
[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 01-13-2001 at 11:50 PM]
Joined
·
14,693 Posts
PCS wrote:
I was just woundering if it hurts if you cut when it's raining?
I haven't noticed any pain when cutting in the rain but I do get a little uncomfortable when it's hot outside.
I was just woundering if it hurts if you cut when it's raining?
I haven't noticed any pain when cutting in the rain but I do get a little uncomfortable when it's hot outside.
North of Seattle. 35"+ of rain a year. I bet if you look at your local rainfall many of you will have more than 35" a year, but guess what, yours comes down and is over, while ours stretches out over long periods. A year or so ago we had 90+ days in a row with measureable rainfall. We actually had a very dry year in 2000 - 28-29", only 75% of normal. The bottom line is...
...I have no choice but to mow in the rain, or at least when grass is wet. I've done this by using high horsepower, sharp blades and slower speeds and without picking up. Unfortunately sometimes it's so thick and tall that it clumps or windrows so I've had to go back over the same area several times to spread it around.
My new solution is to get an Exmark or Scag with a grasscatcher for the heaviest times and to side discharge with double or mulching blades whenever I can. Stay tuned for updates. Will
...I have no choice but to mow in the rain, or at least when grass is wet. I've done this by using high horsepower, sharp blades and slower speeds and without picking up. Unfortunately sometimes it's so thick and tall that it clumps or windrows so I've had to go back over the same area several times to spread it around.
My new solution is to get an Exmark or Scag with a grasscatcher for the heaviest times and to side discharge with double or mulching blades whenever I can. Stay tuned for updates. Will
We tend to have either lots of rain or no sun and lots of wet mowing conditions in our valley for the most part so its hard not to cut at least 25% of the time during inclement weather. Just make sure that its not so wet that you are rutting your lawns. Customers will expect you to fix them if you create them obviously (wet season or not).
Gear drive wb are nothing more than mismanaged funds. My recommendations to you would be to purchase a hydrostatic unit. Make sure that you have the largest motor available for that deck size (14hp/36 or 21hp/52-60). If hydrostatic units are not in the budget a Bob Cat Variable Speed although belt drive can help also.
We have found that hydros work best in wet conditions because almost 100% of the horsepower goes to blade tip speed while the hydro pumps control ground speed.
Belts have too much room for slippage even with added idler pulleys and such.
Hope this helps.
Kris
[Edited by kutnkru on 01-14-2001 at 03:06 PM]
Gear drive wb are nothing more than mismanaged funds. My recommendations to you would be to purchase a hydrostatic unit. Make sure that you have the largest motor available for that deck size (14hp/36 or 21hp/52-60). If hydrostatic units are not in the budget a Bob Cat Variable Speed although belt drive can help also.
We have found that hydros work best in wet conditions because almost 100% of the horsepower goes to blade tip speed while the hydro pumps control ground speed.
Belts have too much room for slippage even with added idler pulleys and such.
Hope this helps.
Kris
[Edited by kutnkru on 01-14-2001 at 03:06 PM]
cutting in the rain hurts me more than it hurts the grass or mowers. after a while u get to know what lawns u can cut in the rain, and which u cant. i u dont use a catcher when it rains either. i also have a question for u guys on this, if it rains a few days in a row, and there r customers who insist u DONT cut when its wet, and u miss that weeks cut, does the next one cost extra? i always have a problem with this, whether thay r on a a-la-cart plan, or a monthly plan, its always an issue
Joined
·
773 Posts
If a customer doesn't want their lawn cut while wet, that could mean literally months in some areas (see the man from Seattle on that one again). If things have become dry enough to run a mower over w/o ruts, and I'm out cutting, the lawns get done in the order they're due. If a customer wants his 'skipped', then I put him back to the bottom of the rotation ("see ya in two weeks!"), and charge him for the full month (i.e. double for the next cut, etc.).
My rates are flat monthly, so that works out much better than if I charged per individual cut. Generally, the problems I run into with rain is with customers who don't understand that rain effects the whole schedule, and not just the full day it rained and the half day next. There are too many who believe that when the rain is done, they're first, no matter what day it is, and I have to remind them they are wrong... continuously...
-TGC
My rates are flat monthly, so that works out much better than if I charged per individual cut. Generally, the problems I run into with rain is with customers who don't understand that rain effects the whole schedule, and not just the full day it rained and the half day next. There are too many who believe that when the rain is done, they're first, no matter what day it is, and I have to remind them they are wrong... continuously...
-TGC
Hello, am I missing something here? Where do you think the hydro pumps are getting their power? Same place the gear drives and blade drive does. And with hydraulic pumps being a little less efficient than mechanical you are actualy losing some of the power. I do agree that hydro is better because you can at least have somewhat infinite speed control. And being able to go slower can help in wet conditions. Cleve....
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Join the discussion
