Mowing in circles!??...

[brad068]

I talked to a feller today who was mowing his lawn in a circle. He has a big ztr. He started in the middle of a 2 acre lawn and gradually got bigger and bigger. Ending with 4 wedge pieces. I was dumb founded and asked him if he was making alien crop circles. No, this is the way he mows. Am I the only one who thinks this is goofy. I mean, I never seen a farmer mow crops in a circle, maybe thats what I'm thinking.

 

[sdrobertson]

Sounds like a good way to get dizzy...but on the other hand it does sound like a neat pattern and I may have to try it.

 

[Highbeam]

I would have to make a counter clockwise spiral like a circle track racer... go fast, turn left. The tough part is finding true center of the lawn for this to work. I would rather make a spiral starting from the outside. The waste of time for your friend is the four wedges. Especially with a ZTR I would, and do, make three perimiter laps and then then begin long straight rows using those first three laps as turn around area.

 

[pyper]

I mow in clockwise circles from the outside to the middle. My yard isn't square, and my mower doesn't turn really tight, so mowing back and forth is the least efficient way to do it.

 

[Jay H]

I would have to make a counter clockwise spiral like a circle track racer... go fast, turn left. The tough part is finding true center of the lawn for this to work. I would rather make a spiral starting from the outside. The waste of time for your friend is the four wedges. Especially with a ZTR I would, and do, make three perimiter laps and then then begin long straight rows using those first three laps as turn around area.

I would think you would eventually find the logical center of the yard after a few trial and error runs... I know when I grew up mowing my father's lawn, I would always try to figure out the most efficient way of mowing the lawn. Eventually, I got so good at it, it used to take me hardly any time to mow the small 1/4 acre lot sized lawn. I'm sure there is a science involved and it probably eventually influenced me to go into engineering..

Jay

 

[smokinj]

Farmer mowing in circles he should know better. Everything a farmer does is in rows!

 

[firefighterjake]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Of course I feel compelled to point out that I was wondering why my lawn mower wasn't cutting the grass very well after I installed two new blades . . . until I had the ah ha moment and installed the blades the other way . . . it's amazing how much better the lawn looks now that the blades are installed the right way with the cutting blade facing the right way . . . the sad thing is . . . I've been mowing with the old blades on backwards now for two or three weeks . . . just figured they were a bit on the dull side. Oops.

 

[smokinj]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Of course I feel compelled to point out that I was wondering why my lawn mower wasn't cutting the grass very well after I installed two new blades . . . until I had the ah ha moment and installed the blades the other way . . . it's amazing how much better the lawn looks now that the blades are installed the right way with the cutting blade facing the right way . . . the sad thing is . . . I've been mowing with the old blades on backwards now for two or three weeks . . . just figured they were a bit on the dull side. Oops.

lol, You may want to ponder on it a little more! I change my blades 4 times a year, but I am picky about how my place looks. Sod farms all around me. Spend 17 years in the tree shrub business, so I get it honestly .

 

[billb3]

He's not mulching and he does this to avoid recutting the discharged grass ?
I do the opposite and work my way in, but I collect the clippings for compost and end up with a big wedge in the middle.

 

[Jay H]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

When you're a teenager and would rather be out with friends, thinking these thoughts helps you pass the time!

Jay

 

[Highbeam]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Boo. What else are you going to do while mowing the lawn? Kinda like saying life is too short to see what color your pee is. It's right there in front of you and being a captive audience you've got the time, so...

Trouble with mowing in one direction is you won't get those cool stripes. I also find it harder to see the edge of the previously mowed row when the previously mowed row was mowed in the same direction. It doesn't contrast as much.

 

[Flatbedford]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Of course I feel compelled to point out that I was wondering why my lawn mower wasn't cutting the grass very well after I installed two new blades . . . until I had the ah ha moment and installed the blades the other way . . . it's amazing how much better the lawn looks now that the blades are installed the right way with the cutting blade facing the right way . . . the sad thing is . . . I've been mowing with the old blades on backwards now for two or three weeks . . . just figured they were a bit on the dull side. Oops.

The blades were installed upside down on my new to me Cub Cadet when I bought it this spring. I was disappointed at how lousy it cut and at how it was so prone to scalping. I figured I'd just chalk it up to an old machine with a way out of alignment deck. One day, when I had the deck off, I decided to clean the deck and see if there was any rust under the glued on clippings. I was happy to find no rust, but found that my blades were upside down. I guess it was cutting pretty good considering that it was cutting with the dull side and the wings pointed down! With the blades sharpened and pointed in the right direction it cuts pretty nicely now.
I go around the edge of the lawn, and continue in concentric circles in a counter clockwise direction. Of course when mowing less than 1/4 acre with a 42" deck, I spend most of the 15 minutes making U and 3 point turns. When I use the 22" walk behind I go once or twice around the perimeter and then finish with rows. Sometimes I do curvy rows for fun.

 

[firefighterjake]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Of course I feel compelled to point out that I was wondering why my lawn mower wasn't cutting the grass very well after I installed two new blades . . . until I had the ah ha moment and installed the blades the other way . . . it's amazing how much better the lawn looks now that the blades are installed the right way with the cutting blade facing the right way . . . the sad thing is . . . I've been mowing with the old blades on backwards now for two or three weeks . . . just figured they were a bit on the dull side. Oops.

The blades were installed upside down on my new to me Cub Cadet when I bought it this spring. I was disappointed at how lousy it cut and at how it was so prone to scalping. I figured I'd just chalk it up to an old machine with a way out of alignment deck. One day, when I had the deck off, I decided to clean the deck and see if there was any rust under the glued on clippings. I was happy to find no rust, but found that my blades were upside down. I guess it was cutting pretty good considering that it was cutting with the dull side and the wings pointed down! With the blades sharpened and pointed in the right direction it cuts pretty nicely now.
I go around the edge of the lawn, and continue in concentric circles in a counter clockwise direction. Of course when mowing less than 1/4 acre with a 42" deck, I spend most of the 15 minutes making U and 3 point turns. When I use the 22" walk behind I go once or twice around the perimeter and then finish with rows. Sometimes I do curvy rows for fun.

Huh . . . ironically enough these upside down blades were on my Cub Cadet . . . and in the interest of proving I am not a complete moron (only a partial moron) this mower has these fancy schmancy mulching blades so it was kind of hard to tell which was the cutting edge . . . I have since replaced them with some Oregon blades (namely because they were cheaper and seem to be better built.)

 

[firefighterjake]

I wouldn't spend too much time analyzing the best way to mow a lawn . . . life's too short to ponder on these types of questions.

Boo. What else are you going to do while mowing the lawn? Kinda like saying life is too short to see what color your pee is. It's right there in front of you and being a captive audience you've got the time, so...

Trouble with mowing in one direction is you won't get those cool stripes. I also find it harder to see the edge of the previously mowed row when the previously mowed row was mowed in the same direction. It doesn't contrast as much.

Oh I find all kinds of things to think about while mowing . . . things I want to do after I mow the lawn . . . I see trees that need trimming . . . I see that my garden needs weeding . . . mainly I think about what else needs to be done . . . but I don't focus on how the lawn should be mowed . . . then again I am always quite amused to see folks spending all kinds of money on watering and fertilizing their lawn . . . when they barely step foot outside on it.

 

[Jay H]

Now that I am not mowing, I am thinking of mowing... here's the question of the day:

If you install your blades backwards, do you wind up with taller grass after a mow?

Jay

 

[Flatbedford]

Nothing fancy about the blades on mine. I think the Previous owner was tricked by the deck being upside down when he installed them. Either that or he was a moron. :lol:

 

[Flatbedford]

You just end up with a lawn that looks like crap when the blades are upside down.

 

[firefighterjake]

Now that I am not mowing, I am thinking of mowing... here's the question of the day:

If you install your blades backwards, do you wind up with taller grass after a mow?

Jay

In my case the grass wasn't cut quite as cleanly . . . in the areas with higher grass I would have to run over it a second time . . . but otherwise it was still cutting the grass . . . probably due to the high winder fancy blade design.

 

[firefighterjake]

Nothing fancy about the blades on mine. I think the Previous owner was tricked by the deck being upside down when he installed them. Either that or he was a moron. :lol:

Ah a complete moron vs. a semi-moron like myself. . . .

 

[ChillyGator]

I would have to make a counter clockwise spiral like a circle track racer... go fast, turn left. The tough part is finding true center of the lawn for this to work. I would rather make a spiral starting from the outside. The waste of time for your friend is the four wedges. Especially with a ZTR I would, and do, make three perimiter laps and then then begin long straight rows using those first three laps as turn around area.

VERY Dangerous to cut like that in Florida....that's how HURRICANES are created!

 

[ironpony]

I used to cut similar to that, more of an oval though
started around a flower bed in the center (almost)
actually saves time not having to turn around so much

 

[Battenkiller]

If you install your blades backwards, do you wind up with taller grass after a mow?

Only if you mow in counter-clockwise circles from the outside in. Go in the other direction and it gets sucked down into the ground.

 

[sdrobertson]

If you install your blades backwards, do you wind up with taller grass after a mow?

Only if you mow in counter-clockwise circles from the outside in. Go in the other direction and it gets sucked down into the ground.

Cool, my lawn is mostly weeds so I'll do this and start off fresh and try to get just grass this time!

 

[ironpony]

I think you have to mow counter clockwise in reverse to counter act the forces created by the backwards blades.


Purely rotational motion occurs if every particle in the body moves in a circle about a single line. This line is called the axis of rotation. Then the radius vectors from the axis to all particles undergo the same angular displacement in the same time. The axis of rotation need not be with the body. In general, any rotation can be specified completely by the three angular displacements with respect to the rectangular-coordinate axes x, y, and z. Any change in the position of the rigid body is thus completely described by three translational and three rotational coordinates

 

[Jay H]

You guys realize in a parallel universe, there is some lawnmower forum where they are discussing about burning splits in a wood stove in a circular fashion and if it provides more heat or not.

Jay