Roun & Round or Back & Forth ?

[PineRidge]

Round and round up and down works for me. My grass has never complained either.

 

[GerardC]

I first do the leach field. After that, I go to where ever on the property and just keep driving around. Eventually I get it done just to do it all over again! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RalphVa]

Go round and round, back and forth, crossways. Do it different each time to not leave wheel ruts. Of course, my Lawnboy or Gravely don't leave noticeable wheel ruts. The Gravely has dual wheels.

Doing the trails with the JD, I offset 2-3' each time to make the trails 5-7' wide.

Ralph

 

[Gatorboy]

Straight lines is the only way to go. Each time I would recommend changing direction of lines (i.e. Vertical, Diagonal from left/right, Horizontal, Diagonal right/left).

When I see round-and-round cut lawns/fields -- I feel the person has a lazy, don't care attitude about how their property looks. (In my opinion)

 

[tillboy2001]

"When I see round-and-round cut lawns/fields -- I feel the person has a lazy, don't care attitude about how their property looks. (In my opinion)"


Either that or they're pressed for time /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif But try making straight lines on this lawn...not so easy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif If I had a nice flat golf course type lawn, I might do straight lines. But...of course I don't have that. It sure drains well though!

Lawn behind th ornamental grasses: http://www.pbase.com/kygarden/image/31918121.jpg

 

[Gatorboy]

It's not that difficult to make nice stripes -- even on hilly sections. The places that are hard, are areas that are small and tight to manuever sections. Years ago I was in the lawn care business, so I've seen all types of yards, and always could stripe them.

 

[tillboy2001]

Put me in the lazy category then...LOL Really, I take pride in my lawn/garden (mostly garden - perennials, etc)...but not THAT much pride /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Oh...funny story about mowing. This guy down the road (has an orange tractor) scalps his fescue like it's a putting green! It turns brown in summer because it basically goes dormant due to all the scalping stress. And the funny thing is, he has a loader...and he rides around mowing with the loader WAY up in the air about as far as it will go. I guess he's doing this for a better view, but he sure looks goofy. Good thing his land is mostly flat or he'd be tipping over with that loader way up there scraping the stars /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[davido]

For large field work I make a straight pass then the next straight pass is approximately 4 to 6 mowing widths over. On the next way back the pass widens the first pass then back 4 to 6 widths over again. After 4 to 6 passes start over. This allows me to keep in constant forward motion (no backing etc. or wasted time turning over mowed area) and seems to be the most efficient as far as time. Works well for me.

 

[Soundguy]

When I mowed with a 5' mower.. I liked the round spiral. Start in the center and go out. No missed corners.

Now that i mow with a 10' mower.. strategy changed. I make 2 big rectangles that you mow up one side and down the other, on opposote sides. Net result is your mowing distance becomes shorter as you go, and you aren't shaving corners off badly. I do 9-10 ac in about 2.5 hours

Soundguy

 

[Bowhunter]

I used to stripe my 3.5 acre lawn full of trees, then I had kids. Now the grass is usually on the high end of tall before I get to it. If I were to stripe it now, I'd essentially be blowing two cutting widths (10') out of the side discharge at once, and might end up with windrows. By mowing round and round I am just discharging one cutting width at a time and have less worry about windrows choking out the grass below. If I had a rear discharge deck (which is on the wish list) I would still be striping.

FWIW, I think taking longer by going round and round vs. back and forth is an illusion. I believe it would take approx. the same amount of time.