OHHHH the QUESTION???

As most of you know I am small and consist of 1 61" Husqvarna and a 42" Husqvarna both riders. My question is of upmost importance to me. Well, I will be taking the steps to employees next year and the mowers I currently use will be turned over for them to operate. Several customers this year have questioned me if I bagged the grass. I told them I don't, and that I mulch, and say that is fine for the grass(no comments please). I have received no complaints about doing this, but sometimes I wish I could get rid of the questions and every now and then the double cut. So where do I start? Another consideration are hills, are walkbehinds that much better on hills, we are talking hydro as I don't want to mess around with the belt. The 42" does ok on hills, but when its wet, you can forget it. turns into a nightmare, and breaking out the stihl. I have some options....

I can add a bagger to the 42" 21HP rider and bag or not as needed and dump in the truck. THis will also add to the fall cleanup side of business cause I currently don't bag anything.

I can purchase a walk behind with a side bag or two.

Or I can say screw the questions an bagging and just keep mulching with the 42" and Side discharge with the 61"

ps most of the accounts I service are 1/4 lots---although I do get the break out the 61" on just under half of them..

Thanls guys

 

Get yourself a mulch kit for the 61". I have a Husky 52" with a mulch kit and wouldn't even consider doing it any other way. No clippings to haul away or dispose of. Make mention to your customers of the fact that your adding up to 2% nitrogen to the soil by mulching.

 

try to avoid bagging grass that is one more thing to get rid of at the end of the day. have u ever smelled a truck load of grass on a 95' day not my idea of fun. however the bagger will be good for cleanups

 

to me the yards look best bagged. You can make more money off of one customer with bagging. but you also spend more time at the end of the day getting rid of the clippings. at work we pay $400 every month to have a dumpster emptied with the clippings from the walker GHS's we use at work. Plus the shoveling of the clippings is just nasty. take those costs into considerations before you make your decision.

I plan mainly discharging when i purchase a rider and a wb next year. For fall cleanups i plan on mulching first then bagging. you won't have as much clipping that you collect but it'll still look really good. I'll let the customer know that if they want me to go back over and collect it'll cost them extra. but if they don't want me to go back over then their yard won't necessarily look the best it could.

 

I hear ya, I also experience something I call (FLOPPY GRASS) no real grass, but it seems to stick up after I cut it, how do I get away from this, I thought maybe it was the tires, but maybe the mulch kit as well, anyone exoerience this?

I hate it and its not all the time

 

grass here in kansas gets that way if its real thin....specially when it's this hot. mulching blades don't have a lot of lift so the blades of grass don't really get stood up straight before the cutting edge slices it. Slowing down, cutting lower or putting some blades with lift can help. Also check your rpm's to make sure the blades are spinning as fast as they should.

 

My advice is forget about the riders. Once you have a walk-behind you will most likely not want to get back on a rider. Get a good walk-behind, I have 2 belt drives but I think the hydros are better. You have more turning control on a WB and you will be surprised by how much faster you will finish. Riders spend more time turning around trying to get to the grass that needs cutting. The lawns that I mow next to my competition (they usually are on some of those bad azz Murry riders) I am completely finished while they are still riding around trying to get to the grass in the middle of the yard.

 

I have been told by many people that the riders are night and day when it comes to time spent at the job, and the riders win hands down...kep in mind what im working with too though, a 61 and a 42" both riers...so, maybe a 48 or 52 hydro walk Behind could very well smoke me,,i dunno

 

I would be willing to bet that on a 1/4 acre lawn I can smoke you with my 36" Scag belt drive....... and leave a better looking cut too.

Let me put it this way...
My father didn't like the idea of me buying the small walk-behind. So when I was cutting next to his house he was timing me while I was at his neighbor's house. I did not know he was doing it so I was not really in a big rush. When I drove back up at his house he said "that took you 7 minutes longer with that new mower". I said maybe so but I did away with 75% of the weedeating. I used to ride the back yard on a small Snapper rider and cut the front with the 61" Turf Tiger.

So I now gained speed in the back and cut my trimming in the front by at least 75%.

:blush:

 

Before I post, I know someone will disagree so here goes. Hills? Walkbehinds! I hear so many comments about using riders on hills and which one will/won't hold a hill. If there is ANY doubt, use a walkbehind. Safety is much more important than macho bravado. Maybe that's why eXmark is making ROPS STANDARD in 2004. Too many cowboys trying to use the wrong tool.