New use for wood chips

[oosik]

I finally finished all my thinning/chipping for this year and my poor 'ol shoulders are almost back to normal. Sooo..... I've got big piles of pine chips all over the 80 acres and normally they just sit there and moulder down.

Last night, in the middle a pretty good sleep, I had this great idea. I have a John Deere G100 riding lawn mower and its a REAL PITA to clean the snotty grass that accumulates in the underside of the cutting deck.

So this morning I drove the mower out and parked it on top of one pile of chips. Engaged the blades, ran the rpm's to max and slowly lowered the deck. SAFETY NOTE: be sure you wear safety glasses.

The operation wasn't as bad as I thought it might be - at first it kicked out a large wad of chips but as time went on the chips bounced, banged & flew around the cutting chamber before being discharged. I let it sit this way for around five minuets and then drove it off, shut it down and peered underneath.

It has cleaned all the icky grass build up and shined things up like it was almost brand new. Since pine chips are soft to start with - it had no appearent negative affect on the blade sharpness either. For me - this sure makes what was a nasty job, a whole lot easier and it does the cleaning a whole lot better.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Good thinking. Whenever you don't have to use water, I'd say it's a plus

Brett

 

[Thomas]

:thumbsup: I'll have to give it try.

 

[Msamt]

Me too! What a great idea.

 

[Steave]

That's using the ole noggen. Thanks for sharing your idea.

 

[Aquamoose]

Have a PTO chipper, lots of pine trees, and a riding mower... DEFINITELY am gonna try this!!!!!

 

[Oldoak]

That's using the ole noggen. Thanks for sharing your idea.

No, no! He used wood chips, not his noggen to clean the underside of the mower deck. :shocked:

 

[Aquamoose]

Update: I'm SOLD on this idea! I'm gonna build a 3 sided box to contain the chips so they won't fly away immediately. Best idea of 2017! Thank you!

 

[Steave]

Update: I'm SOLD on this idea! I'm gonna build a 3 sided box to contain the chips so they won't fly away immediately. Best idea of 2017! Thank you!

While you're out there slinging chips in your chip box better watch out for the big guys in the little white coats coming to "take you away" that your neighbor has called wondering what is wrong with you. I don't have any chips to try this just a few burn piles but sure sounds like it works.

 

[oosik]

I've done it twice now. Of course, the second time didn't require so much cleaning out of the accumulated "muck". I must have, at least, 10-12 large chip piles - so I won't need a box. I get a lot of dirt build up under my mower. Darn pocket gopher mounds that I mow over. But my efforts at their elimination is a whole nother story. When you use your "chip box" - be really careful about head/face/eye protection.

 

[Aquamoose]

Steave- That's why I pick a property with no neighbors nearby. Any white men in coats that comes calling will be looking at the business end of an M4 anyway. ;-)

Oisin- Way ahead of you. I'll be mindful with some creative angled skirt boards that'll deflect the chips down.

 

[turnkey4099]

I used to have two garden patches. I'd rotate, use one one year, plant the other to wheat. The wheat patch I wouild lay down in the fall with a scythe and then use the mower to chop it up. All got tilled back in. It sure did shine up the deck. In lieu of chips I'm debating a box with wheat or corn inside the shed to cut down on the loss.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

No, no! He used wood chips, not his noggen to clean the underside of the mower deck. :shocked:

Yep, nogging is usually brick.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Steave- That's why I pick a property with no neighbors nearby. Any white men in coats that comes calling will be looking at the business end of an M4 anyway. ;-)

Oisin- Way ahead of you. I'll be mindful with some creative angled skirt boards that'll deflect the chips down.

Then the men in the blue coats would come help the men in the white coats, and they would take you away for a looong time.

 

[oosik]

I'll bet wheat would do a good job. Have to find a way to contain it, otherwise, first time will blow it to kingdom come.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

I had a really stupid neighbor instead of spraying the grass and weeds that grew in his gravel drive way he mowed it. He always mowed his yard as low as the deck would go and when done he would hit the driveway. My god the dust and rocks would fly. I bet he was just cleaning the underside of the mower deck.