Push mowing 5' tall grass/weeds sucks!!

[Dargo]

Just in case you think it's a joke in my sig line about having an 8hp 18" push mower, here it is at work on the island in my lake yesterday. I don't think you can get much more dense and generally it was abut shoulder high. My magnesium mower deck (watching weight since it has to be boated to the island) only adjusts to 3 1/2" high, so I have to push the mower out over the tall grass, pull back slightly, and let it eat it's way to ground level.

Anyway, I'm tired and sore as heck mowing an 1/8 acre island this way. Attached is a picture of Frankenmower. Believe it or not, it never bogs down or has the engine die due to going into grass that's too thick and tall. I just mainly wanted to post it to show my 8 hp 18" push mower and what it cuts. Anyone else have such a beast? If so, please post pics! I don't know for a fact, but I think 8hp is pretty strong for an 18" cut.

[k0ua]

That little mower definitley has an "attitude"
One tough little beastie

James K0UA

[bcp]

The best rotary push mower I ever used in tall weeds had a slotted front edge. This allowed the blade to cut the stem when the stem was pushed over to about a 30 degree angle. It never rode up on thick grass or weeds.

The slots were about an inch wide and 3 inches tall, leaving about an inch in between. It came from the factory that way, but I can't remember the brand.

Bruce

[Egon]

There are grass cutting sickles out there!

[Dargo]

There are grass cutting sickles out there!

Are ya trying to kill me? I'm really not older than dirt, really. Still, my top physical days are behind me. I think that would (just guessing since I've never tried) would leave it like it did the time I used a large trimmer with a blade; with long stalks everywhere, looking like my island needed to be bailed.

[xtn]

I think I would be building a bridge so I could get my tractor to the island.

[Dargo]

I think I would be building a bridge so I could get my tractor to the island.

I'm headed out there now to cut down what's left of a weeping willow tree that recent storms decimated. I have some helpers who will 'swim' the tree to the edge where I can grab it with my excavator for disposal.

I wonder what kind of tree I ought to replace it with? That Willow tree looked okay but was ALWAYS dropping branches and a real pain to mow under.

[acme97]

Heck see if someone has a goat to lend you! Put him on that island and let him keep it cut for you, then give back when done. How about doing an evergreen for you area? Maybe a Douglas Fir or something.

[troybilt]

Your doing it the easy way, put that wimpy mower away and use your hands instead. Like my son says, it builds upper body strength. No health club needed.

For real.

He has been making tons of hay over the years for our large rural garden, by pulling the hay up with his hands only. He piles it up in a wheel barrow and throws it on the mulch pile, and then i mulch the garden with it.

Except he pulls a lot more than 1/8 acre, not much grass in that postage plot. He goes to college and just pulls hay on the side, very unique way.

To exercise his lower body, he uses a bicycle and we tour the countryside having fun keeping fit. Well nuff said, the garden is calling.

[Dargo]

Your doing it the easy way, put that wimpy mower away and use your hands instead. Like my son says, it builds upper body strength. No health club needed.

For real.

He has been making tons of hay for our large rural garden by pulling the hay up with his hands only. He piles it up in a wheel barrow and throws it on the mulch pile, and then i mulch the garden with it.

Except he pulls a lot more than 1/8 acre, not much grass in that postage plot. He goes to college and just pulls hay on the side, very unique way.

To exercise his lower body, he uses a bicycle and we tour the countryside having fun keeping fit. Well nuff said, the garden is calling.

I can still bench over 300 pounds and run 5k races, but the two operations for ruptured discs in my back, 5 surgeries on my right knee, 2 on my left knee and right elbow reconstruction surgery reveals that age is beginning to catch me. My son is a hand to hand combat trainer in the Army and fights cage fights for additional "real action" fighting. I can still take them in the gym, but I can see that my time of doing so is limited. Mowing the edges of the island is like doing 2200 bent over rows with 85 pounds. I'll admit being wimpy and doing such wore this old man out. Oh, you can't see in that picture, but about half of the place has dang thorned plants growing up this year. I HATE those!

I just wanted to "brag" (not really the right word) about my Frankenmower I made specificially for mowing the island. Just now taking a break from taking out what's left of the old weeping willow tree. Just blew a hose on the thumb to my excavator, so off to the supply store we go. My younger son and his friends are swimming pieces over to where I can reach them and I'm grabbing them out of the lake with the excavator thumb. Oh well, back at it. And, sorry, no thanks to pulling this thick and thorny trash I have for 'grass'.