It’s too hot to mow.

[GeneV]

I trimmed and mowed last Thurs, and it was pushing close to 100 f. But I got er done coz I'm a mf'in maaaayn! Plus, I got a stand on mower, and it's fun to mow with it.

 

[John0829]

For the record I HATE MOWING!!! If I could afford to astro turf the place I would in a heart beat. However I trim every Tuesday for 3+ hours, 6 if I go all out and do the ditches and road bank. Mow on Wednesday for another 3+ hours provided the weather is permitting (no rain). Anything else, blistering hot, cold or high winds does not stop the job from needing to be done or getting done. As I have found putting it off just makes it that much harder and look like crap when you do mow.

 

[5030]

The other thing that has changed a lot since the old days is that people are far heavier than they used to be and many don't do much physical activity other than going the few feet between the couch and the fridge. Both of those things make people intolerant to heat or cold.

The other issue with central AC or even a larger window unit is the ever increasing cost of electricity to run them. Electric rates are climbing everywhere (we just had a 25% increase in prime time rates), so running the AC is costing substantially more everywhere. Our house is well insulated as is my rentals so during peak usage times the AC is set back and it's only run during off peak hours, in our case that is between 7pm and 5am and not only the AC but the heat is on setback thermostats. I should have installed 'water furnaces' but I didn't, oh well. All my houses have high efficiency condensing heat plants (95% plus efficiency) but as we heat with liquified propane it's still pretty expensive to stay comfortable, NG isn't available out here in the sticks and probably never will be.

In the winter here we keep (our home at 68 during the day and set back to 60 at night) my renters are free to do what they want to but they still have to pay the price of admission as I don't pay for their electricity or propane.

In my shop, I have PEX in floor heat and my shop is also air conditioned and that in itself is a big expense but necessary so the precision machine tools are stable and accurate.

 

[5030]

The older we get, the more we are leaning to hire a lawn care service to mow. Up here, mowing season only lasts maybe 5 months and with gas costing 4 bucks a gallon and the cost of gas powered mowers being stupid plus the cost of maintaining them (blades, motor oil, air filters, etc., costing an arm and a leg today, having a lawn service do the mowing maybe once every 2 weeks (we aren't lawn mowing freaks here) is pretty enticing.

Contemplating selling both zero turns and having it done. I believe it would be a close to break even scenario and no taking care of the motorized equipment either.

May do that next year.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I actually enjoy mowing (probably a sickness), but what I HATE is line trimming. If I were to do all of the trimming in the same day, it would take me 2 hours, easy. I hate it, and my right shoulder hates it (main reason I hate it is my right shoulder is then angry at me for a couple days after).

Problem with hiring it done is, no one is going to do the job good enough to please you. And getting them to come out on time (as scheduled) each time. If you get a good one, they are suddenly too busy. The crappy amateurs, with 2 kids in a pickup truck, no insurance, with a push mower and a weed eater are a dime a dozen, but do a terrible job. Oh yeah, and start of next year, here is your rate increase.

I'll continue to do my own, for as long as I'm able.

 

[Williy]

We have a 6,400 BTU window a/c unit and a 8,400 window a/c unit
and between the two; of them our house is cool and the best part is
they are not from wally world as their 5,000 BTU unit draws 15 amps
my two units combined draw 12.8 amps. My wife always had the a/c
on as it was hard for her to breath with the heat. My wife had the 6.400
BTU unit in here sitting room and it run on solar all day long.

willy

 

[scootr]

I cut my small lawn with a walk behind. It's a 2k sq ft patch out the front door. Good exercise and rewarding to see it nicely cut and trimmed once a week most of the year.

 

[5030]

In as much as me and my wife have to mow over 2 acres and being in our 70's, a lawn service is a good option and we aren't **** about it either. Living in the country on a working farm, so long as it gets mowed and trimmed even if it's not perfect, I'm good with it
Like I said previously, we aren't 'yardees'....

Here, if it's green even if it's weeds, we are all good with it. I considered just extending my hayfields into the 'grass area' but turning the hay equipment would be an issue.

So long as the grass is short enough so we can see the pup in the yard, we are good with that, which is under 6". No keeping up with the 'Joneses' out here.

Besides, If I sold both the zero turns, the proceeds would pay for the lawn mowing for years. No more gas, no more oil, no more seasonal maintenance either. I have to maintain my tractors and implements and that is bad enough.

Actually, I've started having our local Ford and Chevy dealer change the oil in the vehicles. Make an appointment and it takes 45 minutes and unlike the suck it out 10 minute oil change rip off places, they pull the drain plugs filters and put in quality oil and OEM oil filters and it's done right plus they both have air conditioned waiting rooms, fresh doughnuts and comfortable chairs. My Focus RS is especially hard to change the oil in. It has a full cover splash shield that needs to be removed prior to and I'm tired of laying on a creeper under it and doing that. They even renew the 'crush' washer on the drain plug.

Both the local Ford dealer as well as the local GM dealer charge 70 bucks each and they always reset the oil minder in the computer as well, not that it ever comes on because I don't run the oil 10K miles anyway. It gets changed and the filter at 5K miles and when it gets home I always add 6 ounces of Nano Borate to the oil. Stuff is very expensive but from personal experience I've found the engine internals stay very clean. No sludge, no staining that comes from modern synthetic oil and my engines are always clean inside. Good stuff but expensive, like 40 bucks for a pint. None of my vehicles consume any oil either and that includes the farm tractors which get a seasonal change of Rotella T6 (and the hydraulic fluid and filters) and the tractors also get Nano Borate in the crankcases but I do that myself, well not always. Had the GS 850 side by side at the dealer for a warranty upgrade and had them change the oil and filter last time.

Getting too old to fiddle with any of it. Besides, we can well afford it. Unlike many people today trying to make ends meet and scrimping on food and such, not an issue here and never has been. Still going out to eat a couple times a week, fill the cars up and do what we always do, Money is a non issue here. Good steak place nearby and I always order the large Ribeye and all the fixings. it's the most expensive item on their menu and the bill is usually 80 bucks for us and the server gets a substantial tip too as the service is always excellent. The economy might be in the crapper but here, we don't even think about it.

Unlike people on here, we HATE mowing lawns. Least my renters mow their own lawns. Big plus in my book. Both are **** about mowing as well. Gotta be just so.

Guess the word a n a l is a forbidden word so just insert it where the stars are... Sheesh.

 

[WinterDeere]

I mow every 3-4 days, in our wet and warm weather. Don’t mind it, the zero turn is almost as fun and torquey as a mini muscle car. I do get lazy with trimming, as the season progresses and the weather gets more miserable.

 

[scootr]

In as much as me and my wife have to mow over 2 acres and being in our 70's, a lawn service is a good option and we aren't **** about it either. Living in the country on a working farm, so long as it gets mowed and trimmed even if it's not perfect, I'm good with it
Like I said previously, we aren't 'yardees'....

Here, if it's green even if it's weeds, we are all good with it. I considered just extending my hayfields into the 'grass area' but turning the hay equipment would be an issue.

So long as the grass is short enough so we can see the pup in the yard, we are good with that, which is under 6". No keeping up with the 'Joneses' out here.

Besides, If I sold both the zero turns, the proceeds would pay for the lawn mowing for years. No more gas, no more oil, no more seasonal maintenance either. I have to maintain my tractors and implements and that is bad enough.

Actually, I've started having our local Ford and Chevy dealer change the oil in the vehicles. Make an appointment and it takes 45 minutes and unlike the suck it out 10 minute oil change rip off places, they pull the drain plugs filters and put in quality oil and OEM oil filters and it's done right plus they both have air conditioned waiting rooms, fresh doughnuts and comfortable chairs. My Focus RS is especially hard to change the oil in. It has a full cover splash shield that needs to be removed prior to and I'm tired of laying on a creeper under it and doing that. They even renew the 'crush' washer on the drain plug.

Both the local Ford dealer as well as the local GM dealer charge 70 bucks each and they always reset the oil minder in the computer as well, not that it ever comes on because I don't run the oil 10K miles anyway. It gets changed and the filter at 5K miles and when it gets home I always add 6 ounces of Nano Borate to the oil. Stuff is very expensive but from personal experience I've found the engine internals stay very clean. No sludge, no staining that comes from modern synthetic oil and my engines are always clean inside. Good stuff but expensive, like 40 bucks for a pint. None of my vehicles consume any oil either and that includes the farm tractors which get a seasonal change of Rotella T6 (and the hydraulic fluid and filters) and the tractors also get Nano Borate in the crankcases but I do that myself, well not always. Had the GS 850 side by side at the dealer for a warranty upgrade and had them change the oil and filter last time.

Getting too old to fiddle with any of it. Besides, we can well afford it. Unlike many people today trying to make ends meet and scrimping on food and such, not an issue here and never has been. Still going out to eat a couple times a week, fill the cars up and do what we always do, Money is a non issue here. Good steak place nearby and I always order the large Ribeye and all the fixings. it's the most expensive item on their menu and the bill is usually 80 bucks for us and the server gets a substantial tip too as the service is always excellent. The economy might be in the crapper but here, we don't even think about it.

Unlike people on here, we HATE mowing lawns. Least my renters mow their own lawns. Big plus in my book. Both are **** about mowing as well. Gotta be just so.

Guess the word a n a l is a forbidden word so just insert it where the stars are... Sheesh.

5030 enjoying the good life
Good thing that definition is different for all of us or there would be a terrible line for this or that. I just picked a 18oz ribeye up this am. Chewed the fat with my butcher over the rising cost of pork. Later BBQ at home at half the price and walk it off behind the mower at sunset.