Efficient mowing technique
- Thread starter GrantMO
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Alan L.
Elite Member
Yea you're right - the turns would be 120 degrees each (the 60 degrees is whats left). Those turns are sharper than 90 turns and not as sharp as 180 degree turns.
Alan L., TX
Alan L., TX
Anonymous Poster
Epic Contributor
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You guys are making me crazy.
Anybody knows that if the sum of the obliqe angles is equal to the square of the cross-section of your radial tires then your belly mower will overlap the curvature of the earth causing the windshield washer fluid in your tires to attract lightning bugs which will eat a minute portion of your grass which will increase your mowing efficiency by the square root of 3.14159265358979323846 divided by the distance to the moon in order to calculate the force of gravity exerted upon the individual blades of grass.
I had it all calculated here in a spreadsheet on the computer but my dog ate it.
I am so frightened by the risk of injury to all our fine tractorbynet participants who are dueling it out with slide rules that the next time that I mow I will turn counter-clockwise in order to throw the universe back into equilibrium. So there.
Anybody knows that if the sum of the obliqe angles is equal to the square of the cross-section of your radial tires then your belly mower will overlap the curvature of the earth causing the windshield washer fluid in your tires to attract lightning bugs which will eat a minute portion of your grass which will increase your mowing efficiency by the square root of 3.14159265358979323846 divided by the distance to the moon in order to calculate the force of gravity exerted upon the individual blades of grass.
I had it all calculated here in a spreadsheet on the computer but my dog ate it.
I am so frightened by the risk of injury to all our fine tractorbynet participants who are dueling it out with slide rules that the next time that I mow I will turn counter-clockwise in order to throw the universe back into equilibrium. So there.
glennmac
Veteran Member
What's the most efficient pattern for mowing a square lot?
Under the trigonometric analysis, I would assume it is to mow in lines parallel to the diagonal, because that's what you would have done for each of the isoceles right triangles out of which the square is formed. That is, you would have mowed parallel to the hypotenuse for each of the triangles.
Right?
Under the trigonometric analysis, I would assume it is to mow in lines parallel to the diagonal, because that's what you would have done for each of the isoceles right triangles out of which the square is formed. That is, you would have mowed parallel to the hypotenuse for each of the triangles.
Right?
glennmac
Veteran Member
By the way, if you bought an equilateral triangular lot next door to your equilateral triangular lot, you wouldnt end up with a square lot. I think you would have a parallelogram lot, and more specificaly a rhombus lot. So, for completeness, we must also calculate the most efficient pattern for a rhomboid lot.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by glennmac on 07/01/01 07:07 PM (server time).</FONT></P>
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by glennmac on 07/01/01 07:07 PM (server time).</FONT></P>
JerryG
Super Member
Personally, I think that it’s time for the backhoe and the hip waders (spelling).
Well, the general case is that you want the average strip length to be maximized as this minimizes the number of turns.
For a square or a rhombus or any fairly evenly proportioned parallelogram the best way would be to mow parallel to a side - no point splitting up into triangles.
Think of it as stacking up long rectangles within the shape (mown strips). You want as few as possible and as long as possible.
For anything other than a simple geometrical shape you're best of approximating to the closest geometry. So, if some sick surveyor has sold you a lot that is in the shape of an octagon - mow it like a circle!!
For a square or a rhombus or any fairly evenly proportioned parallelogram the best way would be to mow parallel to a side - no point splitting up into triangles.
Think of it as stacking up long rectangles within the shape (mown strips). You want as few as possible and as long as possible.
For anything other than a simple geometrical shape you're best of approximating to the closest geometry. So, if some sick surveyor has sold you a lot that is in the shape of an octagon - mow it like a circle!!
glennmac
Veteran Member
Well, I am prepared to concede this issue to RPM's analysis.
Of course, the real world answer is what someone suggested earlier: When Grant gets his new tractor he should be seeking the least efficient mowing pattern so he can maximize his seat time on his toy ... er, his necessary machine.
Over and out.
Glenn
PS: RPM, in case I ever buy an octagonal lot, what is the most efficient mowing pattern for a circle?
Of course, the real world answer is what someone suggested earlier: When Grant gets his new tractor he should be seeking the least efficient mowing pattern so he can maximize his seat time on his toy ... er, his necessary machine.
Over and out.
Glenn
PS: RPM, in case I ever buy an octagonal lot, what is the most efficient mowing pattern for a circle?
markcg2000
Gold Member
Jeese, I never realized how hard all this mowing stuff was - I'm selling my tractor and gettin' a couple o' goats!
mark
mark
